The Goldendale Sentinel, Goldendale, WA., September 20, 1945, page 6

ED PIKE, PIONEER, SAW GOLDENDALE'S ONLY HANGING - WAY BACK WHEN

     Back in the days when men were "men," and cars were horses, Goldendale saw her first and only hanging. It was around 1893 when a man named Timberman who had been working in the northern part of Klickitat county with another fellow, named Sterling, became dis-contented with his lot in life and, unthinkingly killed Sterling. The two had been working alone, each having his own team and wagon. After hiding Sterling's body in his wagon he hitched it to his own and harnesses the horses with this team and began his fruitless voyage south. He was picked up several miles below Goldendale and brought here for trial and later hanging.
     It was a rather excited crowd which gathered that day to witness the execution of a murderer; few had ever before seen a real hanging. Among them was "big-eyed" young Ed Pike. He told of how the condemned man rode up the hill to the hanging scaffold leisurely smoking a cigar and sitting on his own coffin, and also of how Sheriff VanVactor, whose duty it was to perform the justice, strapped Timberman's hands and feet, put the black death mask over his head, pulled the rope that was to set the hanging in process and with the same efficiency immediately turned and left the premises never once looking back even to see whether or not he had finished his duty.

Sees Him Before and Two Years After Hanging

     "There were a lot of people who saw him before and during the hanging," Pike mused, "but there were only a few of us who saw him two years later. "One day, two years later, he was attending school when someone heard that someone had heard that Timbermans coffin had been dug up and opened. Pike along with several other friends who seemed to acquire a sudden interest in anthropology decided to abandon the cares of school in favor of a field trip to the scene of the "body looting." When they arrived at the cemetery they could see where the body in its sack had been drug down the hill. Following the marks they finally came upon it tied to a tree in the water of their favorite swimming hole. Pike added that they rather suddenly lost their taste for swimming in that particular location.

Father Was Army Colonel

     William Edwin Pike was born past the three quarter mark of the 19th century, truly of pioneer blood. His father, Colonel Enoch W. Pike, was a veteran of the civil war and figured prominently among the settling of hostilities with the Indians; always blazing the trail for others to follow. (We should add here that the information about his father was arrived at through sources other than Mr. Pike).

Leave For West

     After farming in the east at the end of the war Col. Pike again grew dissatisfied with the "settled country" and decided to seek new fields in the westmost west. It was in the fall of 1867 when he and Mrs. Pike boarded a steamship in New York and finally landed in California via Panama. Not stopping in that state they went north to Linn county, Oregon, and resided there until 1873 when they came to Klickitat county and settled about 13 miles east of town. It was on that ranch some few years later that the miniature and Ed first made his appearance. He was the first of three children. A brother, Chester A. was born in 1882 and sister, Vera, made her debut several years later. When Ed was six years old the family moved to Goldendale, which was then a thriving metropolis of some 300 people. In town Mr. Pike erected a livery barn, later known and now remembered as the old "Red barn." It was there were the stages stopped, and Ed recalled how the drivers would unloose their horses below while they themselves would sleep in the hay lofts overhead. The livery being the unofficial meeting place for all who traveled near here young Ed at one time knew practically everyone residing in Klickitat county.

Saw Fire of 1888

     One of Mr. Pikes most deeply entrenched memories was the fire of '88, when the entire town of Goldendale was wiped out from where Trumbo's store now stands to where the Phillips funeral home is located. The fire, starting in a livery stable at about the present location of The Sentinel, soon engulfed both sides of the narrow main street and rapidly spread both east and west, being brought under control only after several acts of bravery had been performed. The west side fire was put out at the livery stable mainly by Nelson Brooks who had mounted the building and continuously extinguished the blaze as it ignited the top of the stable.
     After completing his education in the Goldendale schools Pike worked in the local stores until 1902 when he married Mabel Levorett. They moved to the ranch which had formerly been the Pike home and lived there for several years. It was then when he helped with the movement towards planting alfalfa instead of the wheat which had overrun all of the farming sections. He farmed there and on other property for several years even after moving his family to town in 1918.

Enters Hardware Business

     In 1929 he, with his son Clifford, went in the hardware business. Together they operated the store for several years, selling out in 1940 to Dean Gillenwaters. After that they built their present home on North Grant (constructed according to Mrs. Pike's design). Mr. Pike still likes to go to his farm and putter around with the livestock. (He used to run several head of cattle on his ranches.) However, a year after selling the hardware store he suffered a rather serious heart attack and since that time he has been obliged to take things a little easier, much to his disapproval.

[HOME]
©  Jeffrey L. Elmer