Told by the Pioneer's - Washington Secretary of State

Told by the Pionee1's
FROM AN INTRRrIETV WITH MRS. LOUISE PILLISIER
Stevens County •
I 'was born in ,Vashington Territory, three miles south of the pres,
ent town of ::\leyers Falls on my father's homestead of 160 acres, June
15, 1852. There were tweln children in the family, six boys and six
girls, nine of whom, including myself, were born on this homestead.
::\ly father, Alexander Jondrau, came to ,Vashington Territory from
Ontario, Canada, with the Hudson's Bay Company, with which company
he was employed as a blacksmith, cook, miller and a general
handy man. He was a good cook and baker, and could also knit "ery
well. He did the baking for the factor and his family and all the employees
around the fort. The ovens were built of brick and were as
big as a small room. He would test the heat of the oven with paper.
vVhen it turned brown he would put in his bread. rfhe oven stayed
hot for hours. After the bread was taken out he would put in the
meats, venison and other game and on holidays whole little pigs
stuffed with dressing. For holidays my father made good dressing
and I can make the best dressing' around here.
My father made the burrs for the mill at :Mevers Falls. rfhese were
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made of granite from the hills around Marcus. This was the first
flour mill huilt in Stevens County. He also assisted in the construc-
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tion of the building and the water power plant which furnished po,n'l'
for the mill. All the men helped to build the fort.
Fish, wild game and pork were the principal items of meat foods.
The natives would pickle their salmoll and pork in barrels for winter
use. Our grain was threshed with flails. ~Iy husbaIHI brought the
first threshing machine to SteYens County. The machine ,,'as powered
by horses walking on a tram. He did the threshing for the st'ttlE'r::
for miles around.
I worked very hard when I was a child, helping with the housework
and all kinds of work on the farm. I worked in the fields; wheat, po,
tatoes etc. Lots of tules grew around our plnee. These tules look
like cattails. 'l'hey were used for making mats.
There were lots of muskrats and otters at Colville. The larg-e alters
were worth from $10.00 to $12.00. The mink were worth $1.00 a
skin. There were lots and lots of fish in Kettle Falls. They put large
wicker baskets below the falls and raised them up three times a day.
always filled with fish. \\Te would trade flour, etc., to the Indians for
fish. vVe often got two or three big salmon from them for these articles.
The early day entertainments were Indian horse races, dances and
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