Durham, N. N.  "Spokane and the Inland Empire; History of the City of Spokane
and Spokane County Washington."  Vol. 3.  S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1912.  
Vol. 2.

JOHN W. GRAHAM

	John W. Graham is the president and treasurer of the John W. Graham Company,
conducting an extensive establishment as paper dealers and stationers. The
business has developed from a small beginning and is the visible evidence of the
enterprising spirit and reliable, progressive methods of him who stands at its
head. He has been a resident of Spokane since the spring of 1889, arriving here
when about twenty-nine years of age. His birth occurred at Rockport, Indiana,
March 24, 1860, his parents being Robert and Sophia (Stocking) Graham. He was
left an orphan when quite young, pursued his education in the public schools of
his native town and started to earn his living by selling papers. Subsequently
he conducted a news stand, adding periodicals to the sale of papers, and by this
venture he gained knowledge of the paper trade to some extent, so that it was a
logical step in his career when, following his removal to Minneapolis, in 1885,
he secured employment in a stationery establishment, thus gathering preliminary
experience in the field of business in which he has since operated so
successfully. He there continued until the spring of 1889, when he came to
Spokane, securing a position in the periodical and stationery store of Sylvester
Heath. This establishment was completely destroyed in the big fire of August of
that year and Mr. Heath then determined to retire from the business and devote
himself to other interests. Mr. Graham, with prescience sufficient to recognize
what the future had in store for this great and growing western country, then
resolved to engage in business on his own account and opened up with a
threehundred- dollar stock of stationery and paper in a small sloping tent
borrowed from Mr. Heath which stood on Monroe street on the site opposite the
Spokesman's Review building, and upon the ground where Mr. Heath's building now
stands. Mr. Graham was accorded a good patronage from the beginning and the
following spring occupied half of a store in Mr. Heath's building. In September,
1890, the business had grown to such an extent that he removed to the Great
Eastern block, now known as the Peyton block, at the corner of Riverside and
Post streets. At first he occupied but half of the store but subsequently bought
out the occupants of the other half and as his business still continued to grow
took in the next store where he carried on his commercial undertaking until 1
898, occupying two full stores at that time when the building was almost
completely destroyed by fire. In the fall of 1900 the John W. Graham Company
removed to their present location. The spacious, three-story building they
occupied was consumed by fire in August, 1910, and replaced by the splendid
five-story building, in which they now carry on their business and which extends
through from Sprague avenue to First avenue, their store being one of the most
splendidly equipped in the Inland Empire. Their wholesale building, situated on
the Spokane Right of Way measures one hundred and fifty feet front, by one
hundred and twenty feet deep, and is three stories in height, being built five
years ago. In 1896 the John W. Graham Company was incorporated with the founder
of the business as president and treasurer. The stock has been increased until
now there is a paid-up capital of five hundred thousand dollars and the
corporation is one of the most flourishing in this part of the country. They
sell anything made of paper and tlieir business throughout eastern Washington,
Oregon, Idaho and Montana is carried on by a force of ten salesmen. Throughout
the twenty-two years of its existence the enterprise has constantly grown and
developed along substantial lines, due to a harmonious working-together of
employer and employees, many of whom have been longer in the service of this
company than any other men in any store in Spokane, and the success of the
undertaking has won for Mr. Graham recognition as one of the foremost merchants
of eastern Washington.
	In Spokane on the 28th of October, 1891, Mr. Graham was married to Miss Alta
Burch, a daughter of Dr. and Laura (Havermale) Burch, of this city. Her father
was one of the early pioneers here and his wife is a daughter of the Rev. Samuel
G. Havermale, who took up his abode in Spokane in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Graham have
a daughter Molly, born April, 1904, and they reside at No. 607 South Monroe
street, which residence was erected by Mr. Graham, in 1907, and is set in the
most spacious and beautiful lawns in the city. He has taken a prominent part in
the work of the Chamber of Commerce and is always ready to do anything that will
help Spokane or the Inland Empire. He has never been actively identified with
politics nor held political office but was one of the directors of the Young
Men's Christian Association, at the time the new building was erected and
assisted in raising the funds for the same. He belongs to the Elks Lodge, No.
228, and to the Spokane Club and the Spokane Amateur Athletic Club. A man of
pleasing personality, he makes friends wherever he goes. Aside from a genial and
courteous disposition the sterling traits of his character are manifest in his
determination, his adaptability and his persistency of purpose which have
constituted the foundation of his present success in the commercial world.



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Submitted to the Washington Biographies Project in May 2015 by Diane Wright.
Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned
above.