Edwards, Rev. Jonathan.  "An Illustrated History of Spokane County, State of
Washington."  San Francisco: W. H. Lever, 1900.  p. 465.
 
JOHN B. BLALOCK

     A pioneer of 1879, is a native of Sevier county, Tennessee, born July 21,
1856.  He grew to manhood there, receiving such educational advantages as the
common schools afforded, but as soon as he became twenty-two years old he set
out for the west.  His objective point was the Willamette Valley, Oregon., but
he did not long remain there.  He returned to Walla Walla before the year was
over and thence the next spring to Spokane, which was at that time beginning to
attract attention as a town of great promise.  He made the trip on a freight
wagon belonging to Cannon & Warner.  Upon his arrival here he sent back to Walla
Walla about seventy dollars, all the money he then possessed, for a stock of
leather and shoe findings, and with these he opened a small shop over Cannon &
Warner's store, on the southwest corner of Howard and Front.  Soon afterwards he
purchased, for one hundred and fifty dollars, a lot on Front street, just west
of Howard upon which he erected a small one-story building, 14x28.  This was his
place of business until, 1880, he bought, for five hundred dollars, forty feet
square on the northwest corner of Riverside and Howard.  The same year he also
purchased an eight-hundred-dollar stock of shoes in Colfax, and from that on he
enjoyed great prosperity in business.  In 1881 he built on his own lot on
Riverside a twenty by forty one-story frame building, into which he moved his
stock.  The next year he added to this a store building for rent, and shortly
afterwards he purchased for six thousand five hundred dollars the lot and
building adjoining him on the west.  Moving his stock into this, he afterwards
tore down the buildings on the corner and in 1887 built in their stead a
four-story brick with a basement, the cost being twenty-one thousand dollars.
This was the first four-story building in the city and was soon rented to the
First National Bank for three hundred dollars per month.  In 1886 Mr. Blalock
sold out his shoe business to Mr. N. B. Dolan, formed a partnership with Mr. R.
C. Hyde, and became a real estate speculator.  They bought and handled a large
amount of city property, making many improvements and erecting, among other
numerous buildings, eight splendid residences on Caznovia Heights.  Mr. Blalock
lost about twenty thousand dollars in the fire of 1889.  In 1890 he built the
Blalock block on the southwest corner of Stevens and Sprague, a six-story brick,
costing, with the ground upon which it stands, two hundred and nine thousand
dollars.  He continued prosperous and was doing a large and eminently successful
business until the panic of 1893, when, like many others, he lost most of his
property.  He is at present living on his farm six miles west of Medical Lake.
Mr. Blalock's business record challenges our most sanguine admiration.  Starting
in an humble way, practically without capital, he pushed forward with zeal,
energy and resolution, his unerring judgment enabling him to take advantage of
every favorable circumstance, until he reached the topmost round in the ladder
of business success.  He has always been a firm friend of the city with which
his destiny has been linked, contributing with liberal hand to railroads,
churches and bridges and to all the early enterprises which seemed likely to
promote its highest interests.  He was married in Spokane, October 27, 1884, to
Miss Mattie Hyde, and they are parents of one child, Shirl M.
 
 
Page 127: The Public Schools of Spokane
"The second public school building was erected in 1883 on the present site of
the high school building, which has been referred to in another place.  The
first reliable records available are those of Principal Mattie Hyde, now Mrs. J.
B. Blalock, residing near Medical Lake, who is referred to by early settlers as
an excellent teacher. 
 
Page 195:  The Cultus Club
"The Cultus Club became a member of the General Federation of Women's Clubs in
1893....Other presidents have been....Mrs. J. B. Blalock.
 
Page 209:  Fraternal Organizations, Masonic
"Oriental Lodge, No. 74, F. & A.M., Spokane, Washington, was established in
1890......The first communication of the lodge was held at the Temple September
22, 1890, the membership of the lodge at this time being its charter
members,............J. B. Blalock....
 
Page 296:  Merchants
"J. B. Blalock sold shoes, when not pegging them."



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Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in July 2006 by Diana Smith.

Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.