100 years ago in Spokane: Troops from Fort George Wright deployed to Mexican border

From our archives, 100 years ago

The Third Battalion of the 14th Infantry at Fort George Wright was packed up and ready to go to war — but not against Germany.

They were ready to move to the Mexican border, where a long-running dispute remained volatile.Their destination was El Paso, and the Fort George Wright barracks were “in a buzz of excitement.”

1n 1916, Mexico and Germany were dominating the headlines. Bandits from across the Mexican border continued to raid American border towns, which is why the Fort George Wright troops were required. Meanwhile, tensions continued to escalate in Europe. President Woodrow Wilson demanded that Germany stop its deadly submarine warfare against merchant and passenger ships in the Atlantic.

From the pioneer beat: Aubon Dit Paradis, a resident of Colville since 1859, died at age 102.

He was born, according to church records, in St. Aniset, Quebec, in June 1814. He came west in 1859 with a party of 42 men to work the mines in the Frasier River valley. They made the expedition on horseback and ox-cart.

However, on reaching the Rockies, the expedition changed course to Fort Colville, because of reports of Indian hostilities in the Frasier Valley.

They arrived in Fort Colville on September 15, 1859, and Paradis never left. He was a farmer and “played an important part in the development of the Inland Empire.” He stayed “active, without much hardship” well past his 100th birthday.