Stevens County Votes Itself Dry, Two to One
On November 9, 1909, the precincts outside every incorporated town in Stevens County went to the polls on a single question — liquor or no liquor — and closed the saloons by 1,419 votes to 814.
State of Washington, County of Stevens. I, L. E. Jesseph, county auditor in and for the above-named county and state, do hereby publicly certify and declare that at a special election held in said county and state, without the boundaries of any incorporated city or town, or any unclassified city or town having a population of more than 1,000 inhabitants, on the 9th day of November, 1909 — said election having been called for the purpose of voting on the question, "Shall the sale of intoxicating liquors be allowed in the county of Stevens, state of Washington, said territory above described" — the whole number of votes cast at said election was 2,305 votes. The number of votes cast at said election for license was 814 votes. The number of votes cast at said election against license was 1,419.
The votes on said question by precincts are as follows, to-wit:
For license — Against license Addy 43–54; Arden 18–53; Bluecreek 18–23; Bossburg 8–31; Boundary 9–11; Basin 11–32; Barstow 5–18; Calispel 8–27; Chewelah 8–42; Clayton 40–30; Columbia 10–47; Colville 10–49; Camden 15–21; Daisy 13–63; Deer Trail 1–10; Doyle 8–19; Diamond Lake 17–21; Echo 17–25; Fertile Valley 9–2; Forest Centre 4–23; Godfrey 11–26; Gardenspot 5–12; Harvey Creek 3–20; Hunters 8–37; lone 20–14; Kettle Falls 5–39; Lake Creek 3–23; Loon Lake 58–37; Marcus 51–48; McLaughlin 24–33; Metaline 50–30; Mill Creek 6–31; Meyers Falls 30–66; Newport 18; Northport 3–2; Narcisse 6–8; Orin 10–26; Old Dominion 9–21; Riverside 2–10; Rocky Ford 4–4; Ruby 4–14; Springdale 3–7; Spring Valley 11–27; Summit 14–35; Stranger Creek 5–34; Squaw Creek 9–29; Tiger 4–15; Valley 105–66; Walker's Prairie 16–6; White Lake 2–10; Williams' Valley 5–17; Williams 4–6; Yocum 1–2. First Thought — no election held. Bruce Creek 5–5; Dalkena 3–5; Flat Creek 2–6; Frontier 5–12; Johnston 1–14; LeClerc 1–10; Rock Cut 5–2.
Total: 814 for license, 1,419 against license.
Witness my hand and seal of office this 23rd day of November, 1909. [Seal] L. E. Jesseph, County Auditor.
“"Shall the sale of intoxicating liquors be allowed in the county of Stevens, state of Washington?" — the single question put to 2,305 voters.”
Five years before Washington went dry statewide and a decade before national Prohibition, Stevens County settled the question precinct by precinct — and the map split hard. Mining and mill towns like Metaline, Marcus and Loon Lake voted wet; farm and valley precincts voted dry. Local-option liquor votes still work the same way today, with licensing decided town by town and county by county rather than by a single national rule.
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