FROM THE ARCHIVES: This story originally appeared in the Tribune on Oct. 8, 1911, the day after President William Howard Taft made a brief visit to Lewiston. Taft is the only sitting president who has ever visited Lewiston.
President Taft told an audience of 15,000 to 18,000 people at the Fifth street park yesterday afternoon that the visit to Lewiston had been a source of great pleasure to him and that he felt honored by such a greeting as had been extended him. And there was much to make the visit one of pleasure to the president. Lewiston’s most ideal autumn day so as far as weather is concerned prevailed; a warm sunshine kissed the trees and flittered back into the bandstand from which he spoke; grouped about him were the modest beauty of hundreds of school children; the honored blue of the Old Army fast passing away; men of the factory, the business house and the farm, while also there in hundreds and hundreds were women, whom the president, with his most honest smile, classed as “handsome.” When President Taft concluding his remarks, said, “Well, good bye all,” he was withdrawing from an audience among which he had made many friends, who previously might have doubted the wisdom of the policies he represents. The close attention given his address emphasized that fact, and Taft, if like impressions are to created at other points, is not to lose prestige on his present tour of the country.
It would have been impossible for a community to have extended to the president a more sincere welcome than that offered yesterday by the Lewiston people and the thousands who came to the city from distant points. There could have been a more noisy crowd, but this disposition appeared to have been waived in behalf of the intense desire to see the president and to hear him speak — to give him respect in that manner. But there was the feeling in the yells of “Hello Bill,” “Good-Bye Bill” that clearly attested the popularity of our president with the people of this section of the great west.
The arrangements for receiving the president and the manner in which they were carried out indeed reflect credit upon Mayor Perkins and the committees working under his direction. Welcomed at the train by a delegation of prominent citizens, the president was soon escorted to an auto and within a few minutes was proceeding down East Main street, the other autos with guests of honor following. The journey was made through a solid line of people practically the entire distance to the Snake river bridge. Upon reaching the hill district in the vicinity of the park, the school children of the city, over one thousand in number, were met, and here the delight of the president was clearly manifest. The children were carrying the national flag and they waved them as the sang a verse from “America.” At the gates of the park, the president was received by the G.A.R. and the Boy Scouts, and these latter organizations acted as escort. A minute later, with Governor Hay, of Washington, occupying a seat on the platform, the president began his address. Upon its conclusion, he was presented with bouquets of Lewiston’s most beautiful flowers, and then took the auto for the return to the train. The crowds realizing that the return to the train would be by way of Main street, rushed from the park to the thoroughfare and the president was again greeted by the thousands as his auto sped to the depot. Here he was presented with two baskets of the famous fruit of the Lewiston-Clarkston valley, and five minutes later the special was speeding toward the Palouse country.
Long before the president’s special was due, crowds began assembling at the city park, while a similar condition applied to the section of the city in the vicinity of the depot. At one o’clock, the Northern Pacific offices gave out the information that the special was running to schedule and with his information, the crowds soon thronged the depot and surroundings. The president’s car, the ideal, was the rear one of the train and it was stopped directly at the west end of the depot, where a passageway had been cleared by the police. In this opening the reception committee took place, and Major Butt, aide to president Taft, was the first to alight from the train, and upon introduction Mayor Perkins was escorted into the car, where greetings were exchanged with the president. A few minutes later, Secretary Hillis reached the platform, followed by the president. Hearty cheers greeted his appearance and which were acknowledged with his famous smile. He then passed down the line, shaking hands with the members of the reception committee who comprised: Former Senator Heitfeld, former Governor McConnell, Dr. J.B. Morris, R.C. Beach, James E. Babb, A.H. Alford, Wm. Thomson, J.B. West, Dr. Shaff, Judge Steele, Joseph Alexander, W.F. Kettenbach, F.H. Huntsworth, Frank Brown, of Clarkston, Miles Johnson, George E. Crum, George H. Black, John P. Vollmer, E. Baumeister of Asotin, H.L. Powers, S.S. Philbrick of Clarkston, James Stuart of Kooskia, Fred Hinckly of Clarkston, E.D. Potvin, J.E. Kincaid, E.C. Smith, Hays Carnahan and Phil Weisgerber. The ladies reception committee comprised the members of the flower committee who were Mrs. H.K. Barnett, Mrs. Ruth Crapo, Mrs. C.D. McEachron, Miss Mary McGahey and Mrs. S.S. Salsberg.
The parade was quickly organized as previously planned and the president’s auto moved away as a rapid pace, the object being to take him to the park with promptness so as to afford him the greatest possible length of time for his address, the period of his stop here having been limited to one hour. Both sides of Main street were densely packed with people along the line of the parade. The excellent judgment exercised in all details of the arrangements was again showed at the park — the president had reached the grounds but a minute when he was ushered to the grandstand, and the reception committees were given seats directly in front. Five minutes after the close of the address, the president’s auto was moving along Main street to the depot; upon reaching which it took but a few minutes to bid farewells and the special pulled out. Large crowds had assembled at the depot to give farewell cheers.
President Taft, Secretary Hillis and Major Butt while here frequently referred to the splendid showing made by Lewiston, complimented the arrangements and expressed earnest thanks to Mayor Perkins for the day’s work. Governor Hays, of Washington, a guest on the special, was equally as emphatic in his praise and he made the comment that the crowd greeting the president here was larger than that at Walla Walla. President Taft greatly appreciated the boxes of fruit and the flowers, and when little Miss Neill Barnett presented him the bouquet, with the comment, “And, Mr. President, they were grown outdoors,” he gave her one of his broadest, amused smiles. The president spoke of the attractiveness of the decorations and especially referred to the tasty arrangements at the park. The grandstand had been beautifully decorated in national colors, and vases were there holding the choicest products of the valley in the flower line.
Police Arrangements Perfect
Great credit is due Chief of Police Masters and his assistants for the able manner in which the presidential party and the crowds were handled. Major Butt and the secret service men did not hesitate to speak with unstinted praise as to these arrangements. Not a single unpleasant occurrence developed and every arrangement made by Chief of Police Masters was carried out with a system that attracted frequent comments from the crowd. The mounted escort, working along the line of the parade, comprised ten persons. They were Chief of Police Masters, L. Denberger, David Gentry, Ed. Fountain, Thomas Tabor, Zack Haddock, Ed. Cooper, George Welker, High Lewis and Wm. Martin. The special policemen working on foot along the line of parade comprised William Dwyer, Charles Parker, Fred Sheehey, Charles Ferris, Wm. Schuldt, Frank Stebbins, George Rule and A.H. Wilson. In addition to these were the following member of the Knights of Pythias lodge who acted as special officers: Charles Leland, C.G. Gustafson, G.W. Fuller, H. Berg, E.O. Martinson, A.C. Spengler, J.H. Miller, L.N. Vader, G.A. Parks. At the depot were stationed as special officers Wm. Ralph, of Nezperce; Seth Jones, of Whitebird; John McGee, of Vollmer; Wm. Mohl, of Gifford; Wm. Green, of Lenore; and John Gertje, of Lewiston. At the park, the officers comprised Charles Monroe, Charles Forkner, W.A. Hill, Melvin Scott, Musselman, James Duff, Robert Tabor, H.C. Facon and Jess Taylor. Not an arrest was made during the day.
