Eastwood Park Reporter

Erik and Betsy Skaro sold the land to Robert Rowan, Sr. in February, 1892 for $1525.00. Little is known about Robert Rowan, Sr., except that he bought the land. On December 16, 1895, he sold the land to his wife, Jane, for $300.00, and on the same day, she mortgaged the land for $300.00, which she paid off in November 1896. In June 1897, she placed the property into both her husband's and her name. No one knows the real reason for this transfer, but it might have been because Robert did not have the credit to borrow the money.

In March, 1900, Robert and Jane Rowan sold the land to George W. Hecker for $3000.00. He was a real estate developer. Among the property that he owned was Sunnyside Addition and Hecker's Additions 1, 2 and 3. Hecker owned the land until August, 1905, when he was offered a deal he could not resist. The land he paid $3000.00 for in 1900, he sold for $50,000.00. This is a 1667% profit. In the deal, he sold lots in Sunnyside Addition, Hecker's Additions 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Eastwood Park land for 250,000 shares of Monarch Gold Mining Company valued at 50 cents per share. Monarch had a mine in Lewistown, Montana. The buyer, who served as Secretary for Monarch, was Frank L. Wilson.

Frank Wilson owned the land until November, 1905 when he sold it to Louis S. Champine for $20,000.00, a loss of $30,000.00. L.S. Champine was a partner in Mooney, Champine and Johnston, a real estate firm. Champine also gave first mortgage loans and was very involved in horse racing. He was the Secretary for the state racing association and the Ward County Fair. He played a big part in starting horse racing in Minot during the early 1900's.

On December 15, 1905, L.S. Champine sold a large part of the land to Rosa McLean, a single woman, for $8000.00. On the same day, Rosa McLean took out a $1500.00 loan plus a $300.00 loan at the same bank with the same notary public, L.S. Champine. But if that wasn't enough, Rosa McLean then sold the land back to L.S. Champine for $8000.00 on the same day. While most of the paperwork was filed within days of the transaction, Champine waited to file the deed transfering the property back into his name.

Meanwhile, George Hecker discovered something disturbing about Monarch Gold Mining Company. Not only was the gold mine `salted,' but the company itself didn't even exist. His 250,000 shares of stock which Frank Wilson had not yet delivered, were worthless. Frank Wilson and his partner, D.G. McKay, had swindled him. In early January, 1906, Hecker filed lawsuits against L.S. Champine and Rosa McLean charging that since no consideration had passed between himself and Wilson, Hecker, not Champine or McLean, owned the land.

On February 20, 1906, Champine finally filed the deed transfering the property from McLean back into his name. Two months later, on April 21, 1906, Hecker dropped his lawsuits against Champine and McLean. Two days later, probably as part of a deal, Champine transfered the property to Kalita E. Leighton, Hecker's attorney. In May, 1906, K.E. Leighton gave Hecker a 1/2 interest in the property.