Herman Felder was born Nov. 4, 1891 in Wilbur, WA to B.W. & Emma Felder. B.W. Felder's jewelry store was one of the pioneer businesses listed in Wilbur, WA in 1891. Mr. Herman Felder recalled in his letter to WSL about the influx of Russian immigrants to the Eastern Washington towns. Mr. Herman Felder married in 1934. By 1965, he had moved to Everett, WA. In November 1979 Mr. Herman Felder passed away.
In the 1880's, the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Great Northern Railroad were pushing west. These were "land grant" railroads which meant the U.S. Government gave the railroad every other section (section = 1 mile) of land on either side of the track to the Company. The Company could sell the land to create towns. The Companies were distributing large amounts of promotional materials to attract settlers to the towns to buy the land along the right-of-ways. Many Russians, Volga Germans and other Europeans were recruited by railroad agents to settle in Washington State and other Western States. The agents told the immigrants that the railroad would give them very cheap transportation to the land and sell it very cheaply to them when they arrived. Hundreds of Russians and Volga Germans, some whole villages made the trip. Mr. Felder recalls seeing large numbers of immigrants at the depot preparing for their final leg of the journey to Ritzville, Lind and Odessa, WA.
From the description of Herman Felder's correspondence with the Washington State Library about the settlement of Russians in Washington State, 1965. (Washington State Library, Office of Secretary of State). WorldCat record id: 206616775
