WALLACE: A historic note

Thank you for the community service The Press provides through its weekly “History Corner” columns. The April 12 column on William Wallace contains some erroneous information. Since articles of this nature may be utilized as future research materials, it is important to correct any inaccuracies.

The article discusses Colonel William Henson Wallace, who was appointed governor of the Idaho Territory in 1963 by President Lincoln. The article concludes:

Nestled in the picturesque Silver Valley surrounded by the forested mountains of North Idaho lies the historic town of Wallace, named in honor of the man who was Abraham Lincoln’s friend.

The town of Wallace was not named after Colonel William Henson Wallace. The town was named after Colonel William R. Wallace, who is not believed to have been related to Colonel William H. Wallace. Moreover, the town of Wallace’s namesake was not an actual colonel.

In 1884, William R. Wallace built a cabin in present-day Wallace on what was described as a large cedar swamp. The “Colonel” Wallace purchased 80 acres of land using Sioux scrip that was later determined to have been procured under suspicious circumstances. When “Colonel” Wallace was notified of the same, he is reported to have continued to sell townsite lots nonetheless. When the suspect nature of the scrip subsequently became more widely known, Wallace left town. The town was ultimately replatted and valid deeds were issued.

In 1885, prior to “Colonel” Wallace’s exodus from town, his wife Lucy arrived. Lucy, the town’s first postmaster, submitted the name “Wallace,” after her husband, to the U.S. Postal Service as the name for the new community. The original name, “Placer Center,” had previously been rejected.

JOHN F. MAGNUSON

Coeur d’Alene