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Facts and Events
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Blaine Journal
24 Dec 1942.
GEORGE CAIN MADE EARLY BLAINE HISTORY
Many stories untold of the early days in Blaine passed into oblivion when George Cain, founder of this city, passed to the Great Beyond Wednesday morning. Mr. Cain has been poorly for several years, and quite closely confined to his home for the past couple years. Born on Nov. 2, 1858, he was 84 years of age at the time of his death and had spent seventy-one of those years in the city which he and his brothers founded.
When George was a young boy, really too small to help much with the chores, his father and mother, John and Lucretia Cain loaded the children, three boys and one girl, and their belongings onto a covered wagon and started for the Pacific coast country. As the deceased related to the writer several years ago, he was too small to do much work but was quick with figures and his father made George the Treasurer of the family. This responsibility seemed to stick to him throughout the family history, in which is recorded some of the most interesting ups and downs experienced by king or peasant.
The father homesteaded the land on which the business portion of Blaine is now located and in the early days when investors began seeking an outlet for their money property soared so high that even George was unable to estimate their wealth, but he was imbued with the belief that Blaine was to become a second New York, and he refused to sell, having refused as high as $1,000 a front foot for water front property. At one time when the pressure of prospective investors became too great he went to California to escape the mob.
It was in 1884 that the Cain brothers platted the townsite, and the town was named in honor of James G. Blaine then the Republican candidate for the presidency. In that same year they founded the Blaine Journal, and built a wharf located somewhere near E street, and later gave this to the city. They built a big store near the corner of 4th and E streets, which was worth of goods, and the equipment is said to have been equal to anything then on the coast. In later years after the stock had been sold out this store building burned down. When the panic of 1890 came the bottom dropped out, and Blaine's great promise had disappeared. From a "covered wagon" immigrant to a man of fortune, - millions and then to see it wiped away was one of the many experiences of this hardy pioneer.
He leaves his wife, the former Alice Savings, and a step-son, Porter Skinner, and a number of nephews and nieces. The funeral services will be conducted from the Purdy & McKinney Chapel Monday at 2:00 p. m. with Rev. George Fisher conducting the services.
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