From "The History of North Washington" Published 1904 Transcribed by: Nancy Grubb (nancyg@theofficenet.com) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PETER ARCASA Peter Arcasa, well known as Peter Pierre, and from whom Pierre lake received its name, is one of the wealthy stockmen of Stevens county and has passed a life of remarkable incident and activity in various portions of the United States. He was born in Colville, on March 18, 1851, the son of Peter and Angeline Arcasa, natives of Canada and Vancouver, Washington, respectively. The father came to Washington in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company in 1848 and for twenty-one years was in the service of that company as an express man. In 1851, he took a claim near the Mission in the Colville valley and there reared hid family of eleven children. Later he did mining and then sold and setrled near Colville where he died in 1886. His wife had died in 1881, near Fort Spokane. Our subject was not favored with much education, the schools being primitive in his youthful days, and when sixteen he started for himself by piloting a couple of English lords from Colville to Wallula. Next we see him in Walla Walla, then in Umatilla, whence he went as cook with a pack outfit. After this he worked for Jack Bomgardner as driver of stock to Colorado. Three years were spent in that state and finally he was driving logs on the Platte. The drive was hung up and the men got no wages. They all went to Denver and thence to the Black Hills, Dakota, walking all the way and suffering great hardships as none of them had money. This was in 1874 and later we find Mr. Arcasa in Wyoming, whence he went to Oregon, being in company with Frank Garason, making the trip on the brake beams. He mined in Nevada, cooked in the camps and came with an ox train to Boise, Idaho. Thence he traveled by stage to Baker City, remaining there until 1877, contracting wood. Mr. Arcasa then wrought at various places, Walla Walla, Union, Baker City, and Spokane, being in the employ of James Glover and F. Post in this last place. He assisted to put in the first bridge at Cowley Bridge, wrought with Guy Haines at Colville and in the spring of 1880 deceided to settle down and so got married. Then he was with his father and James Monnaghan in transporting supplies to Fort Shepherd for the government. He next was interpreter for the government at sixty-three dollars per month and in 1881 went to lake Chelan. All this time he was working for the government and was at this last point put in command of a small steamer to bring it to fort Spokane. It was impossible to do this and so he came on to the fort and the next year went to doing building with Mr. Roberts. After this, Mr. Arcasa went to trapping and hunting in Montana with his father and while there found a good copper prospect. He left the horns of an elk to mark the place and before he got it located others found it and named in the Elkhorn. He prospected further and soon had a claim which brought him fifteen hundred dollars. Following this, settlement was made on Peone prairie in Spokane county, whence he moved to a place south of Bossburg in 1886. Six years later, Mr. Arcasa came to his present place, about two miles east from Orient, where he owns four hundred and eighty acres of land, some of it being very valuable hay land. He kept a station on the Grand Forks stage line and has raised much stock. In his labors of late years, Mr. Arcasa has been very successful and has become one of the wealthy men of the section, thus demonstrating his ability to handle finances. He has also some good mining property in addition to his land and stock. In 1880 Mr. Arcasa married Miss Margaret Hubbard, daughter of Lieutenant Hubbard. To this marriage the following children have been born; Adaline, wife of William Miller, at Marcus; Maecell, in Montana; Olive, wife of Alexander Herron, in Stevens county; Amelia, wife of Louis Covell, in Montana; Annie; Joseph; and Alexander. Mr. Arcasa is a strong and intelligent Republican and always takes an active part in political matters, having frequently been delegate to the conventions. He also was government police police for three years, interpreter for two years, and served in other important capacities. Mr. Arcasa and his family are identified with the Catholic chruch and stand well in the community. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent.