Histories

History of the City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington
By Nelson Wayne Durham

History of the City of Spokane and Spokane County, Washington: From Its Earliest

Settlement to the Present Time
By Nelson Wayne Durham
Published by S.J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1912
Item notes: v. 2
Original from the New York Public Library
Digitized Jan 23, 2008


FRANK ANSLEY.
Frank Ansley, who is well known in connection with the mining interests of
the northwest, having promoted many companies for the utilization of the rich
mineral resources which nature has lavished upon this section of the country, came
to the coast from the Mississippi valley, his birth having occurred in Marshall,
Calhoun county, Michigan, July 1, 1865.

His father, George W. Ansley, also
a native of that state, is now living in Spokane. He went to California in 1877
and the following year came to Washington. On the 10th of June, 1878, there
left the city of San Jose a party northward bound, which party included George
W. Ansley, his wife and three children, Byron Carver and his wife, Rush Hotch-
kiss, his wife and two sons, Mr. and Mrs. Jerve Barber, George Robinson and
Sylvia Kelley, Mr. and Mrs. Ross Brown and George Brown and his family. The
party continued their journey to the north and upon reaching the northern part
of the state of California were joined by William T. Barnes and James M. Lackey
and their families. It was the intention of the party to go straight north to Walla
Walla by the Goose Lake route but, owing to Indian troubles, they were compelled
to return westward from Alturas and cross the Cascades into the Willamette
valley in Oregon at Ashland. They traveled north as far as Eugene. Oregon;
where they paused for three weeks to rest their horses and wait for the
Indian troubles to subside, after which they again traveled eastward over the
Cascades into eastern Oregon and arrived at Walla Walla, September 10, 1878.
Byron Carver and R. C. Brown, with their wives, there remained, while the
remainder of the party continued on to Colfax, where they again rested for a
period and awaited the report of five of their party, who had journeyed on into
what was known as the Four Lake country, now White Bluff Prairie, looking for
homesteads. They were successful in their trip and each member of the party
secured a desirable piece of land, George W. Ansley settling on a tract adjoining
the north end of West Medical Lake. He was engaged in the stock business for
many years but is now living retired in Spokane. During the period of the
Civil war he served as a soldier in the Fourth Michigan Regiment of Infantry
with the rank of sergeant and was wounded in the arm. His wife, who bore the

maiden name of Georgia Knickerbocker, was born in Ohio and died in 1909. Like
her husband, she was of English descent. Their children were: Frank, the subject
of this review; Sherman, who is now living on Puget Sound; and Lena, the
wife of Earner Humphrey, of Bluecreek, Washington.

Frank Ansley was only twelve years of age at the time of the removal to the
Pacific coast and a youth of thirteen when he came to Washington. He was
educated in the common schools and worked upon the home farm until about
twenty-five years of age, since which time he has given his attention to real estate
and mining. He devoted his energies to handling property for only a short time,
however, and now gives his entire attention to mining. He has promoted many
companies and was one of the organizers of the Morning Mining Company, of
which he became president, so serving until it was merged with the Mammoth
Silver Lead Mining & Smelting Company, now known as the Metaline Consolidated
Mining Company, owning property at Metaline Falls, Washington. This
is being vigorously developed, with much ore ready for shipment. The company
is now engaged in opening up a further reserve. It has seven properties and
is a silver and lead proposition. They have an eight hundred foot tunnel and
are now sinking a shaft which has already reached the depth of three hundred
feet. The ore runs from two and a half to five ounces in silver and from six
to seven per cent in copper. Mr. Ansley was also one of the organizers of the
Oriole Mining Company in the same district and is now its vice president. They
have five claims with twelve hundred feet of tunnel work and a shaft to the depth
of one hundred and thirty feet. This has silver, lead, gold and copper values
and is still in the development stage, but they can ship if desired. The average
values run thirty dollars per ton and they have a true fissure vein in quartzite.
Mr. Ansley is likewise interested in the Orient Gold Mines, Limited ; was one
of the organizers, is the largest stockholder and is the president. They have two
claims, the values run in silver and gold at fifteen dollars per ton and they have
an enormous body vein on top which measures seventy-five feet. They are engaged
now in development work.
In September, 1893, Mr. Ansley was married to Miss Edith Moss, a daughter
of L. S. Moss, of Medical Lake, now retired. He is an old resident of the
Medical Lake country and is of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Ansley have one
child, Homer, who is attending school. Mr. Ansley was at Medical Lake during
the great fire but did not suffer any loss by that conflagration.
His political allegiance is given the democratic party and he was formerly
active as a worker in its ranks, serving as county committeeman for a year and
as delegate to the state and county conventions. Fraternally he is connected with
the Woodmen of the World and he was one of the first men to join the famous
150,000 Club of Spokane. He was also active in the Chamber of Commerce but
his mining interests have kept him away from the city to so great an extent that
he has not been permitted to take an active part in its projects at a more recent
date. He is of an inventive turn of mind and has patented two or three articles
now in general use. His record in this connection and in business circles is a
creditable one of which he has every reason to be proud, for his success is

attributable
to his close application and unremitting diligence and energy. His long
experience has brought him sound judgment in mining and his labors are proving
an important element in the development of the northwest. He has witnessed
much of the growth and progress of this section of the country, coming here in
pioneer times as previously described and watching the progress that has converted
this from a frontier region into a thickly populated and prosperous section
of the country.