In 1859, Captain John Mullan came to Fort Colville to ascertain improvement to the Fort Walla Walla-Fort Colville Military Road in preparation for building the Mullan Road. In spring 1860, R. V. Peabody, Quartermaster of the U.S. Northwest Boundary Commission, made improvements on the wagon road from Fort Colville to the Spokane River to allow survey teams to travel to the international border along the 49th parallel between the Selkirk Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. On September 28, 1860, First lieutenant August Kautz, 4th Infantry, arrived at Fort Colville with 150 recruits from Fort Benton, Montana via Lake Coeur d'Alene along the Mullan Road. His journal recorded the route from Coeur d'Alene to the fort along the road built by the U.S. Northwest Boundary Commission above the Spokane River and then along the Fort Walla Walla-Fort Colville Military Road. The original Spokane County, and then after merger with Stevens County Board of County Commissioners often referenced the military road particularly regarding repair of bridges and maintenance of the road.