I. J. BAILEY, whose location in Wenatchee preceeded the building of the Great Northern Railroad, is a native of New Jersey. When he was six years of age the Bailey family located at Canton, Illinois, thence, four years later removed to Wisconsin. At 21 years of age, having developed considerable ingenuity as a worker of wood, and with a taste for building programs, he turned his attention to bridge construction, first as a member of a building crew, and later becoming a contractor himself, an occupation he followed many years, operating in Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho and later Washington. In Idaho, he was associated with J. L. Baily, to whom, however, he was not related. Soon after his location in Wenatchee in 1892, he became identified with building programs in Wenatchee and other parts of Chelan County. That same year he built the first wagon bridge across the Wenatchee River, which was located very near the present bridge, but on a level with the railroad tracks. In association with A. H. Wheeler, he built a cable ferry across the Columbia River with the west side landing at the foot of Orondo Avenue. Jointly with J. J. O'Connor he built the steamer Wenatchee, which was sometimes called "The Irish World." The steamer North Star built by O'Connor, Evans and Ingram, was wrecked in the Entiat Rapids, and was thought a total loss. But Mr. Bailey salvaged the boat and put it in commission for less than five hundred dollars. He then acquired an equal partnership in this craft with J. J. O'Connor, which, with the steamer Wenatchee, was operated by them. The Wenatchee was destroyed by fire in the dock at the foot of Orondo Avenue, and the North Star was sold to the C. & O. Navigation Company. The first of the large school buildings in Cashmere was built by I. J. Bailey & Company, as was the Okanogan reservoir south of Wenatchee. For many years J. J. O'Connor was a business associate of Mr. Bailey, and these men did the first heavy sewer contract work in Wenatchee. Mr. Bailey was one of the contractors that built the concrete bridges at Dryden and Cashmere. The last named beautiful structure forms a part of the magnificent driveway entering Cashmere from the north. He has built many of the Wenatchee River bridges, also several across the Entiat, as well as some of the large canyon bridges in different parts of the county. It may be interesting to note that the first bridge across the Wenatchee River - a wooden structure was lifted up and carried away by the high water of 1894. This structure was replaced by a combination of wood and steel, but several years later the wooden part was destroyed by fire and the two steel spans, 120 and 180 feet respectively fell into the river, and were pronounced a wreck, but Mr. Bailey bought and salvaged these spans and learned that they were practically uninjured, and proposed to the county commissioners that they be used for the contemplated bridge above Cashmere instead of an all wooden structure; the suggestion was carried out and this bridge still stands as a monument to Yankee wit. It may be safely said that Mr. Bailey had been identified with more public construction that any man in the history of Chelan County, and what is more to the point, his work has always been satisfactory. The Bailey apartment house on North Mission street was erected in 1922. On June 1, 1894, Mr. Bailey was married to Miss Helen Parrish, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George W. Parrish. One daughter has been born to this union, Ruth. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have a fine home on Pennsylvania Avenue. Mrs. Bailey is a pioneer in her own right, having been born in Kittitas Valley.

Washington Death Certificate
Name Isaac Jones Bailey
Death Date 19 Oct 1943
Death Place Wenatchee, Chelan, Washington
Gender Male
Age at Death 83 years 1 month 14 days
Estimated Birth Year 1860
Marital Status Married
Spouse's Name Helen M. Baily
Father's Name James Carr Baily
Mother's Name Matilda Jones
Film Number 2024170
Digital GS Number 4224850
Image Number 1793
Volume/Page/Certificate Number 158