When Seattle Was...

I've been remiss in promoting a new book, "When Seattle Was," authored by my father, Rolin Miller, and his best friend of many years, Michael Barrett. Here's the Damnation Peak Press description of the memoir.

When Seattle Was: How the Queen City Got Its Kicks Before Emeralds, Windows and Cinnamon Dolce Lattes is an anecdotal coming-of-age book about what it was like growing up in Seattle, Washington, before it was radically changed by the 1962 World's Fair.  

It was a different time before the fair: of Saturday matinees at the local movie theatre, active participation in a growing rock music scene, and relative freedom to explore the city's historically nefarious underbelly. 

Written by former Roosevelt High School classmates Rolin Miller and Michael Barrett, the 177-page softbound book tells tales of teenagers discovering oft-risky ways of entertaining themselves when Seattle was still the Queen — not Emerald — City. 

It was a more carefree time, a period of steel and stone rather than glassy skyscrapers and Plexiglass Bubbleators. 

The Century 21 Exposition, which operated from April 21 through October 21, 1962, opened the doors to out-of-towners and big-city ideas like never before. The skyline quickly grew to dwarf the Smith Tower, once the tallest building west of the Mississippi River, and Seattle's primary symbol long before the Space Needle became its new icon. Indeed, the fair may have even hastened the arrival of megacompanies Starbucks, Microsoft, Costco and Amazon.com where Boeing had earlier stood alone.  

When Seattle Was is a must-read for for anyone old enough to remember the "good ol' days" and for those who came later but want to know what it was like.

When Seattle Was contains a number of rarely seen photos of the era from several local historical archives, including the Seattle Library, the Museum of History and Industry, The Shoreline Historical Museum and others.

You can currently find When Seattle Was on Amazon.com; Volume Two (!) of When Seattle Was is expected to be released in Summer 2013.

Seattle's Seafair: a tradition of hydros and beer

It's the final weekend of Seafair, Seattle's annual summer megafestival, which traditionally culminates in the Unlimited Hydroplane Race at Stan Sayres Memorial Park on Lake Washington, and the U.S. Navy Blue Angels show.

These days I think most people outside of Seattle tend to avoid the event, myself included, because the traffic is horrendous, parking is horrendous, and there are just too many people everywhere (i.e. even worse than usual).

But once upon a time, Seafair was really more a regional event, particularly the hydroplane races, which are said to have attracted 500,000 people in their heyday a half century ago. That's half a million people -- in 1960, Seattle's entire population, according to the U.S. Census, was 557,087.

I have few bits of ephemera from "the old days" of Seafair -- including the 1961 program you see above.

My favorite part of the Seafair program, however, are the advertisements, such as this classic one from "Light"  Olympia Beer, at left.

"A brisk and refreshing companion, light Olympia Beer is always 'welcome aboard.'"

And lest we forget, "It's the Water." (the ending tag "... And A Lot More" came later in the 1970s).

These days, you're more likely to find microbrews filling the coolers of hydro race fans. One can hope that there are a few bottles of Olympia being shared out there for old times sake, but sadly, Olympia Beer is no longer even brewed in Tumwater, WA, where the Olympia Brewing Company was founded in 1896.

The Seafair tradition continues for a new generation, as Beth Knox, Seafair's CEO, insists in a Seattle Times interview last month. For the rest of us, there are just memories... and a few cool souvenirs.

On the passing of J.P. Patches, my childhood 'pal'

J.P., Gertrude, Ilga and me at the Arlington's Children's Parade, circa 1979.

My husband broke it to me this afternoon that a beloved icon of my childhood had passed away.

Chris Wedes, better known as Seattle children's TV host J.P. Patches, died today after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 84.

Now, why on earth would I burst into tears at this news?

I think because, like many "Patches Pals" around the Puget Sound are feeling right now, I feel as though I have lost someone who, while I didn't know him personally, felt like my friend.

I watched "The J.P. Patches Show" religiously from the time I was old enough to sit up and watch TV, until the final show in 1981 — yes, 1981, when I was entering my freshman year of high school.

The show went off the air just at that moment I found myself at that fragile threshold between childhood and adolescence — where I still wanted to play with Barbie dolls, but also yearned to wear makeup (Cover Girl makeup, not clown makeup).

It was literally not just the end of an era, it was the end of my childhood.

While the show was on, though, I had the opportunity to meet him not once, but twice: first, on a tour of the KIRO-TV studios in elementary school, and the second time, during the summer of 1979, when my lifelong friend Ilga and I entered ourselves into the Arlington Children's Parade as a pair of gypsies. We won first prize in the "group" category, and were presented with a cash (!) award by J.P. and Gertrude.

At its peak, "The J.P. Patches Show" on KIRO/7 had more than 100,000 daily viewers daily and was broadcast in the morning and afternoon. It debuted Feb. 10, 1958, and when it went off the air in 1981 it was the longest running locally-produced kids show in the United States. — seattlepi.com

Now as an adult, Wedes' passing signals another end of an era, the loss of one more icon of the Seattle of my childhood in the 1960s and 1970s, a place that had true character... and characters.

So thank you, J.P., for being my "pal." You will be missed, and always remembered.

Today in History: First drive-in theater opens

Google reminded me with this clever and creative "Doodle" that today is the 79th anniversary of the opening of the first drive-in movie theatre.

Coincidentally (or not), it also happens to be my father's birthday today — he himself a writer and historian of varied interests, in particular that of drive-in theaters and historic movie houses.

An article which he wrote in 2005 for Journeys, AAA's magazine, "When drive-ins die... and when they won’t" is sadly no longer online (the subject of relying on newspapers and magazines to maintain archives is a topic for another time).

However, I happen to have a copy on my hard drive. The full article is now archived here on this Beyond the Depot page, for those interested.

It all began in Camden, New Jersey in 1933:

Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr. had a whale of a notion during the early years of the Great Depression. After tinkering with bedsheets, drop cloths and a secondhand Kodak film projector, he filed for exclusive rights to protect his idea. In May 1933, the U.S. Patent Office granted Hollingshead approval on patent number 1,909,537. He immediately formed Park-In Theaters, Inc., erecting the world’s first movie facility accommodating both patrons and their automobiles. On June 6, 1933, the Camden, a converted vacant lot, screened the long forgotten talkie Wife Beware for the paying public. (Source: Rolin Miller,  ("When drive-ins die... and when they won’t")

June 1959 Everett Motor Movie ad.

The concept of the drive-n theater didn't really take off on the West Coast until after World War II, and perhaps was a little slower coming north from California because of the Pacific Northwest's rainy reputation.

Eventually, Washington State was home to more than 40 at the height of their popularity in the 1950s and 1960s— and nationwide, more than 5,000 drive-in screens.

Locally, I'm sure many readers remember Marysville's Thunderbird Drive-In, Burlington's Skagit Drive-In, the Everett Motor Movie and Puget Park in south Everett, Lynnwood's Sno-King, and the Kenmore Drive-In.

However, by the 1990s, the lure of rising real estate prices saw many local drive-ins shuttered.

The sprawl of suburbia brought with it a wave of mall and commercial strip development. Sparsely settled space that not long ago was the domain of roadhouses, two-pump filling stations, $3-a-night Bide-A-Wee auto courts — and, today, only memories of lost landmarks like the Everett Motor Movie — became high-priced real estate. By 1997, only 14 outdoor theaters remained operating in the state, and each passing year has marked the closure of another of the survivors.

Today, there are just six drive-in theaters left in Washington State. Since his article was written in 2005, Puget Park Drive-In in south Everett and the Vue Dale in Wenatchee have closed, both in 2010.

The future is uncertain for the remaining theaters, as they face the same dilemma as small movie houses such as the Olympic Theatre in Arlington: the impending switch from 35 millimeter film to digital. The conversion can cost tens of thousands of dollars — for independently owned theaters, it's a make or break deal.

So where can you still see a movie locally through your windshield? I'll let Rolin Miller take over here.

• The Blue Fox (Oak Harbor WA): The most ambitious multi-purpose drive-in complex in the state, it is home to a go-cart track, game entertainment center, and the Brattland Express train ride for children. All of this is in addition to an ambitious, usually first-run playbill changed weekly during a year-round operation. Opened in 1957, it “seats” under 200 cars, many belonging to appreciative Navy families, and boasts the spiffiest (and newest) restroom facilities a mother could wish for at any theater.

• Valley 6 Theaters (Auburn WA): The Valley began life as a “one-lunger” in 1960 and just kept growing. In terms of dimensions alone, this 55-acre 6-plex is the state’s lollapaloosa, hemmed in by the city of Auburn. Manager Keith Keel masterfully books and pairs up the latest releases, operating all six screens during June, July and August (cutting back to three before Memorial Day and after Labor Day). Try for a high summer visit: the drive-in aficionado will grow goose bumps, after dark, taking stock of a half dozen simultaneously lighted screens. It’s a sight.

• Wheel-In Motor Movie (Port Townsend WA): Located just south of town on Theater Road, off Highway 19, this well-concealed gem carved out of native evergreens, is cute as a bug’s ear — and about the same size. Richard Wiley, who has operated his father-in-law’s creation nearly all of its 52 years, runs a tight ship for all ages, including those who are too young to remember Johnny Mathis. Parking is on grass and listening via original Eprad speakers you’d best never try to make off with. 

• Rodeo Triple Drive-In (Bremerton WA): Washington’s oldest active drive-in — since 1946 — is located minutes west of Gorst in Kitsap County. Don’t blink or you’ll overshoot the entrance hewn out of the woods along this stretch of Highway 3. Owner Jack Ondracek has enjoyed increasing success with the Rodeo in recent years. However, with three double features to choose from, it’s a good bet the uninitiated will find one worth watching anytime during the spring-to-fall operating season. The Rodeo’s rural setting is deceptive — the theater is state of the art and there isn’t an RCA speaker to be found anywhere on the sprawling complex.

• Skyline Theater (Shelton WA): From the tasteful neon sign just off Highway 101 to the manicured landscaping incorporated into the facility, the Skyline is an impeccably cared-for centerpiece of Americana. Every speaker on the lot is in operating condition, each pair residing on a stanchion crowned with a guiding red light. Parking for about 275 vehicles is regulated so that big rigs don’t ruin the viewing for ground-huggers. Large, appreciative crowds are allowed to make themselves comfortable in an all-ages-kid-friendly atmosphere. The first run double features (nearly always PG) are a bargain for big and little families, and the booming snack bar is a sight to behold.

• Auto Vue Drive-In Theatre (Colville WA): Celebrating its 60th year in operation in 2013, the Auto-Vue has been owned by the same family since opening (the Wisners also operate the indoor Alpine Theater in town). Today the theater is looking at a fourth generation legacy. It’s a long drive from anywhere, to be sure, even for the $10 a carload Wednesday night double feature, but it’s a worthwhile effort. You’ll never see a darker night than the kind served up in Colville for an outdoor movie.

(Editor's note: Happy Birthday Dad)

'Darrington, Wash., on the Great Northern R.R.'

Another one of those head scratchers -- there may well be thousands of these postcards, and variations thereof, still in existence:

Notice anything odd?

Some early enterprising photographer rushed to get this view of Whitehorse mountain and a young Darrington onto the postcard carousels at newsstands, post offices and general stores around the Puget Sound region.

The only problem? The Great Northern Railway never had a route to Darrington. It was the Northern Pacific Railway that built a branch route to Darrington, arriving there in June 1901.

The error continued on several variations of the postcard, including this Puget Sound News Co. version below; its divided back and German origin indicates it would have been published between 1907 and 1915.

Lowman & Hanford Co., a Seattle postcard publisher in business from 1894 to 1955, continued the error on the hand tinted color version below, probably produced between 1915 and 1930.

I don't think the error was ever corrected, as I have never found any newer versions of this card — which is not surprising. Postcard companies routinely updated their images every few years as towns and landscapes changed.

Perhaps Lowman & Hanford commissioned a photographer to return to Darrington to take a new photo — or maybe they gave up on producing postcards of the northwestern Washington region when Arlington's J. Boyd Ellis of the Ellis Postcard Company began producing higher quality real photo postcards.

Monte Cristo Steward program seeks volunteers

A postcard of Monte Cristo from the 1960s -- 50 years later, there are few structures remaining on the town site. 

Monte Cristo has been a "ghost town" far longer than it was a bustling gold mining town, more than 100 years ago.

Located on the Mountain Loop Hwy between Darrington and Granite Falls, Monte Cristo's is a colorful history -- though there are few original residents left to tell its tale.

However, it does have a dedicated group of volunteers who steward it: The Monte Cristo Preservation Association.

Despite being one of many isolated destinations in the adjacent Henry M. Jackson Wilderness, the four mile hike to the town is also very popular. That's where the Volunteer Monte Cristo Stewards come in, providing tours for visitors and maintaining the town site, camp areas, information boards, registration boxes and trails.

The volunteer commitment is a minimum of three days during the summer, which in the rugged wilderness surrounding Monte Cristo is short -- but beautiful.

This year's steward training is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Saturday, June 2 at the Verlot Public Service Center, 33515 Mountain Loop Highway, in Granite Falls.

For more information and an application contact Matt Riggen at 360-436-2333.

Whitehorse Trail on CTC agenda May 31

Northern Pacific bridge #10 crossing Deer Creek at Oso.

Now that the Centennial Trail is nearing completion, the Centennial Trail Coalition of Snohomish County is turning its attention to speeding up the completion of the proposed Whitehorse Trail between Arlington and Darrington.

May 31, the CTC will be presenting an afternoon walk and an evening presentation for those interested in the development plans for the Whitehorse Trail.

The afternoon event starts at 5:30 p.m. as a trail walk and tour at Cloverdale Farm, located 1/2 mile north of Hwy 530 on 115th Ave NE, near Trafton. The walk will view the stretch of the Whitehorse Trail between Cloverdale Farm and the “Tin Bridge,” just under a mile west of the farm.  

Following the walk, at 7 p.m., room 65 in the Trafton School building, 12616 Jim Creek Road, the CTC will host its general meeting, featuring a representative from Snohomish County Parks, and local residents who have been active in promoting the Centennial Trail.

With the Centennial Trail's last gaps now being filled in, the timing is right to get the Whitehorse Trail, once the Northern Pacific Railway's branch line connecting Arlington and Darrington, on the map.

Snohomish County has estimated some 500,000 walkers, hikers, horseback riders and cyclists are now using the Centennial Trail each year. The Whitehorse Trail, which branches off the Centennial Trail just north of downtown Arlington, would provide another 27.7 miles for recreational traffic (currently, approximately six miles of the trail is open from Darrington to the Swede Heaven Road; the trail is also now partially accessible from the original railroad switch just past Haller Bridge in Arlington).

But the Whitehorse Trail's potential is not just recreational; it's an economic opportunity that residents of northeast Snohomish County should take seriously. 

Early postcard of NPR tracks near Hazel, with Mt. Higgins in distance.

There are a number of small communities on the route -- including Trafton and Oso -- that became towns as a result of the route opening in 1901. Other place names we know today -- Cicero, Halterman, Hazel, Fortson and Whitehorse -- were also once bustling communities along the rail line. As the logging industry declined, so did the populations of most of these whistle-stops.    

When the Whitehorse Trail is completed it will bring in thousands of visitors a week, and with them, money to patronize local businesses. Merchants with the foresight to offer goods and services that cater to trail users are the ones that will probably benefit the most.

Considering the economic challenges our area has experienced over the last 30 years with the decline of logging, farming and fishing -- our heritage industries -- these recreational trails serve not only as a key to our future, they also would be a way to help honor and preserve our area's heritage.

For Memorial Day: A view of Lions/Legion Park

In honor of Memorial Day, here is an Ellis Postcard Co. real photo post card depicting Arlington's Lions Park in the 1940s, what we now know as Legion Park.

The top photo points north, showing a sign advertising Murphy's Feed Store, founded in 1892. Murphy's burned down some time in the late 1980s or early 1990s. The grain elevator and the Northern Pacific depot would have been to the left (west) of that building, just out of camera range; City Hall would be to the north of the feed store, if I recall correctly.

Today the one constant in both photos is the service memorial now maintained by the American Legion, hence the park's name.

Now the memorial is joined by the new gazebo, built almost entirely from donated material and labor, as well as the new Arlington Depot visitor's center, and the Centennial Trail. The park finally feels like a true community gathering place... but still stands as a place to remember our fallen service personnel.

'Because it's the one thing you can't replace'

First, I laughed; then I went and scanned in about a hundred old family photos and historical postcards.

[Warning: NSFW language]

Spend a day in Darrington May 26

Postcard view of "downtown" Darrington, exact date unknown, probably early 1900s.

If you're planning to stick around the area over Memorial Day weekend, you might consider a day trip to Darrington May 26 for their annual Darrington Day event.

Described by the Darrington Area Business Association as "Darrington's annual celebration of wildflowers, waterfalls & outdoor adventures,"the event also celebrates the 121st year of the town's existence.

But for history buffs like me, the town's self guided history and trivia tour is the main attraction. A couple bits of trivia to tempt you:

• According to the 1910 census, the town had 250 residents & 14 pianos. 

• Many homes and business buildings were once part of the Sauk River Logging Camp and were constructed on railroad flat cars, a mobile camp that moved its location five times before becoming part of the town. (Source: Darrington Historical Society)

More history related events take place at the Darrington Senior Center, where there will be a historical logging display by the Darrington Historical Society, and a number of historical photos needing identification.

Ellis Postcard Co. postcard view of Darrington, probably 1940s.

Mountain Loop Books & Coffee will host author Aaron Young, signing his new book about the waterfalls of the Mountain Loop Highway, as well as author Brenda Ballard signing the latest book in her series "The Boy From Granite Falls," set during the 1930s in the Mountain Loop area.

Events take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 26. There will be various opportunities to learn about outdoor recreation and wildflowers along the historical Mountain Loop Highway and the adjacent Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest; also on the schedule is the Darrington Open Air Market and live music at Old School Park by the Whitehorse Musician's Guild from noon until dusk.

For more information about the town, visit Destination Darrington Washington.

Centennial Trail link completed in Snohomish

A postcard view of a Northern Pacific train and an Interurban car crossing paths in Snohomish, postmarked 1914.

Great news: The Everett Herald reports that the Centennial Trail is one step closer to completion with the opening of a two-thirds of a mile stretch in downtown Snohomish.

The city will celebrate starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 19, at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Third Street, near the Snohomish Library, with guest speakers, a small health fair and an opportunity for people to walk or ride the trail section. At 10 a.m. city officials will participate in an official dedication ceremony.

Snohomish spent the past 15 years working on acquiring property, repaving the trail and doing landscape work to connect the city's two-thirds of a mile trail to the existing Centennial Trail, project manager Ann Stanton said. 

"It's good to see the former Indian trail return to a walking trail after 120 years as a railroad corridor," Stanton said. 

The city had to buy land from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and also paid for surveys. The city had help with only paying about $100,000 of the $2.5 million project, with the rest coming from federal funds, Stanton said.  (Source: The Herald)

With the completion of the Snohomish gap, 21 of the 27 miles of Centennial Trail are now accessible — the last leg of the project, getting underway this summer, is filling the gap between Bryant (north of Arlington) and the Skagit County line.

Social media, circa 1945

We talk about the "revolution" of social media, and yet, if you peruse the archives of any small town paper from the 19th or 20th centuries, you'll find social media has been around much longer than we give it credit.

In this clip from the Feb. 22, 1945 Arlington Times, we have reports from Oso, Darrington, Cicero, Greenwood and Silvana. Previous pages include "news" from Lakewood, Bryant, Victoria and Edgecomb. Some of these places still live on, some are ghosts of what they once were; and others, like Greenwood and Victoria, have faded into obscurity.

Note too the familiar family names -- Giebel, Armstrong, Wangsmo, Hershaw, Husby.

1945's version of social media may have not had the immediacy or interactive qualities of our electronic age, but remember that life wasn't quite as speed-of-light as it is today -- and yet, this six page edition of the Times is crammed full of the same kind of news we share with each other today via Facebook, Google+ and other virtual communities.

Here in Arlington, the adage properly applies: "The more things change, the more they remain the same."

Dear Governor Stevens

Today we have a Northern Pacific Railway ad from the April 2, 1953 Arlington Times, celebrating the achievements of Washington State's first Territorial Governor, Isaac Stevens (1818-1862), for his role in bringing the transcontinental railroad to the Puget Sound.

Stevens set out west in 1853 and eventually determined two possible routes: from Walla Walla west, paralleling the Columbia River, to Portland; and across Snoqualmie Pass over the Cascade Mountains.

Northern Pacific completed the route along the Columbia in 1883, while the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway completed a line through Snoqualmie Pass in 1909.

Interestingly enough, Stevens Pass, the Great Northern Railway's route over the Cascade mountains, was not named for Governor Stevens, but for surveyor John Stevens, who had been promised the honor by James J. Hill.

It should be noted that at the time this ad was published, business interests such as the railroads still regarded Isaac Stevens as a trailblazing pioneer. In more recent times, however, his reputation has diminished as there is more awareness of his actions while in his dual role as Superintendent of Indian Affairs.

Stevens in fact was responsible for facilitating several key treaties in 1854 and 1855, including the Treaty of Point Elliot which created the Tulalip Reservation west of Marysville. But his means of "compelling" tribal leaders to sign the treaties consisted of intimidation and violence.  

"Greater things to come," indeed. Less than 20 years after this ad was printed, the Northern Pacific would merge with the Great Northern Railway, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway, forming Burlington Northern Railroad.

Future of Olympic Theatre may be in question

Oct. 12, 1963 Olympic Theatre ad.

The Arlington Times reports today about a new challenge facing the historic Olympic Theatre in downtown Arlington: the plan by Hollywood movie studios to stop producing 35 millimeter film and go to a digital-only format.

Norma Pappas has owned the Olympic Theatre since 1977 when she bought the space with her dad. She has been running the theater for 35 years doing everything from splicing film to selling tickets and concessions. She prides herself on having affordable prices and being a staple in Arlington, especially for young families who could not afford the movie experience at large corporate multiplex theaters. (Source: The Arlington Times)

The cost of upgrading to digital could be as much as $100,000, according to Pappas. Not the kind of cash a family business has laying around.

I recently wrote an entry about the Olympic, as the start of an occasional series, "My Favorite Places." The Olympic Theatre has been in operation continuously since 1939, and is one of only two independent single screen theatres left in Snohomish County.

I have great memories of seeing movies there in junior high and high school, and we still make the trek down for the occasional "grown up" movie — the Olympic's demographic is families and children, so the schedule is heavy on child-friendly films.

So what can be done to keep the Olympic from going dark? So far, a "Save the Olympic Theater" Facebook page has been created by local fans. But thus far there is more talk than action — I think as outsiders looking in, many people are hesitant to offer help or ideas, because they don't want to be perceived as disrespecting Pappas' amazing 35 year commitment to the theater.

As with many things of a historic nature here in Arlington, there is so much potential for more. But things tend to move at a slower pace in Arlington then they do elsewhere.

The movie studio timeline for retiring 35mm film is on track for as early as 2013. That doesn't give the community a whole lot of time to take any action — that means now is the time to step and make a commitment to the Olympic.

But where to start? Easily enough, we can look toward the examples of other local historic theaters:

• The Edmonds Theatre, built in 1923, is privately owned and recently upgraded to digital. I was unable to find information on how the upgrade was financed, but in the last five years the owners have invested some $50,000 in other renovations.

• The Historic Everett Theatre, built in 1901, was rescued from oblivion in 1995 when the non-profit Everett Theatre Society was formed, which purchased and renovated the theatre for both live performances and movie screenings.

• The Lincoln Theatre in Mount Vernon, built in 1926, is maintained by The Lincoln Theatre Center Foundation, a volunteer board of directors who meet monthly. The theatre hosts independent and foreign films, live theater, concerts, and it can be rented for special events.

• The Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle, built in 1968, was saved from closure in 1997 by the non-profit Northwest Film Forum, and after renovations continues to run independent and foreign films. 

These revitalization stories are just the tip of the iceberg. As more and more historic theaters go dark, it becomes more important to try to save the few remaining movie houses we have left.

And what a treasure the Olympic is for the town of Arlington — like many other historic downtown structures, it serves as a kind of "ballast" for the community.

So now is the time to ask ourselves: does Arlington want to be the kind of town that would let its movie theater close forever? I certainly hope it's not.

A bear den in a saw log.

"Two natives of Washington: A Bear Den and Dwelling in a Washington Saw Log."

Here's one of those scratch-your-head items that I found recently in my digital archives, an early tinted color postcard, probably produced around 1915-1920, picturing a bear den and human dwelling carved out of a giant log. The story goes:

"This log was cut four miles from Aberdeen from a spruce log 40 feet from the butt which was 13 feet in diameter at one end and eight feet at the other. It is 40 feet long, 9 feet in diameter at one end of eight feet at the other, cut to show at the St. Louis Fair, and is now in Belle Isle Park at Detroit, Mich. There are chairs, settee and table cut inside of the log. When in St. Louis it housed two bears and a large cougar."

If the card is referring to the St. Louis World's Fair, which took place in 1904, then that would place the photo earlier than the date it was produced as a postcard. But that's not unusual — this postcard has at least one other version I've seen.

If the log ended up in Detroit's Belle Isle Park, I wasn't able to immediately find anything on the internet about that... not that that means anything. The only other clue to the origins of the photo is the Northern Pacific log car it rests on, number 69318.

Sometimes you don't see the full picture, part 2

Panoramic view of Arlington from 1912.

Recently the above panoramic view was shared with me, following my post titled History can be ugly.

At first glance, this panoramic view, dated 1912, could be identical to the undated view I previously published. They appear to have been taken almost from the exact same position, and probably not taken more than a year or two apart.

The undated "history can be ugly" photo.

The panoramic view, cropped.

And what a different story the panoramic photo tells from the other image!

The panoramic image creates a very different response in the viewer. It seems to illustrate the concept of the "right" side and the "wrong" side of tracks. (although some old timers would argue that it's old Haller City, on the north side of Division St., that was/is technically Arlington's "wrong side of the tracks.")

But that is an assumption made by someone who wasn't there.

However, even "primary sources" — first person accounts, newspaper articles — can be problematic, because personal biases and fading memories can also distort the historical "facts."

That's why when researching history — whether it be that of your family, or that of your community —it is imperative to take into account that there may be more than one version of events. One photo, one artifact, one memory, is only scratching the surface of the whole story — or rather, the full picture.

A footnote on the Edgecomb store

I recently wrote an entry on Edgecomb, the former town that is now along Arlington's southernmost city limits.

When my family moved to Arlington 35 years ago, the Edgecomb store was the last remaining evidence that a small bustling town had once existed there. By then it was already a pretty forlorn looking structure. Over the course of four decades I watched it deteriorate even more, all the time hoping perhaps someone would come along and save this unique historic building.

"GIVE IT BACK"

My hopes were raised for a time in 2006-2007 when the city's planning commission approved a plan to renovate the building. Unfortunately serious structural issues were discovered. Unable to salvage it safely, it was unceremoniously demolished  and the new property owner began construction in the footprint of the previous building.

For a time I was a daily driver through that intersection, and watched the new structure as it was being built. One day, as I drove by I noticed an odd incident of vandalism.

Someone had painted "GIVE IT BACK" on the north side of the unfinished building.

Now obviously I don't condone this type of vandalism -- the photo also shows some windows were also broken. That's intolerable.

However, my curiosity as to the identity of the vandal still sticks with me. Who was the author of the graffiti? Was the perpetrator an outraged octogenerian? An antiquarian anarchist? It gave me pause for thought. It didn't seem the work of a bored teenager — there was an obvious sense of frustration the vandal felt toward the loss of the historical building.

When I returned to Arlington five years ago I discovered, much to my consternation, that the city — which officially incorporated in 1903 — has no municipal historic preservation commission. The responsibility for keeping track of all things historical has rested with the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association, which put its members' energies into building an amazing, three story museum on 67th, and the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, which has an excellent historical archive as well.

But there is no one officially looking out for the distinctive historical structures in the "Old Town" commercial area along Olympic Avenue, or for the many historic homes that reside in the Old Town district.

Either by luck or happenstance, a good portion of Arlington's early architecture is still relatively intact -- the original character of many of these buildings is just hinted at behind various mid-20th century facades (some good, some awful).

An example of one of the better restorations in Old Town.

At the time I asked around why Arlington doesn't have a historical preservation commission, or even a plan. The common reply is that it's an issue of property rights -- that either the city or the building owners themselves are resistant to any kind of limitations in the kind of development that can be done in Old Town.

That's a shame. Historic preservation is a key element in many municipal economic development plans that have "old towns" like Arlington. It's called "heritage tourism." People will visit your town, and spend money there, solely on the historic attractions and ambiance it offers.

Had a historical commission been in place five years ago, or 35 years ago, perhaps the Edgecomb store would still be with us.

I think the tide may be changing, however. The opening of the depot visitor's center has stimulated more interest in the town's history, and businesses are beginning to realize just how much "traffic" the Centennial Trail brings to Old Town.

So who knows, maybe a municipal historical commission is in Arlington's near future... people just can't yet see the forest for the trees.

Canyon Creek Lodge, Granite Falls

Today's entry is a quickie: two postcard views from early Ellis real photo post cards.

#2027, Interior Paul Bunyan Hall, Canyon Creek Lodge.

#2000, Canyon Creek Lodge, exterior view. Probably 1940s.

The Canyon Creek Lodge, located in Granite Falls, opened in 1918. By chance I actually found a full article on the history of the lodge.

The original lodge burned in 1938, and was rebuilt -- but burned again in the 1960s.

This image has fascinated me for a long time. The days of rustic lodges and resorts like this seem to be long gone.

Yes, you can still find such locations that offer what you think is an "all encompassing" experience... but when is the last time you got dinner, dancing and a floor show in your guest package, like you would at the Columbia Inn in Pine Tree, Vermont?

"Vermont should be beautiful this time of year, with all that snow."

Yes, that Columbia Inn, from the film "White Christmas."

I have more images of long gone local resorts which I'll be sharing along the way; stay tuned.

On this date: Thunderbird Drive-In opens

April 30, 1959 Marysville Globe cover story about the opening of the Thunderbird.

The Thunderbird Drive-In in Marysville, Wash. officially opened on this day, May 1, 1959. According to an article (above) in the April 30, 1959 Marysville Globe newspaper, the drive-in featured a panoramic screen, a children's playground and would be open seven nights a week during the season.

 Opening films that weekend were "My Man Godfrey," starring David Niven and June Allison, and "Man of the West" starring Gary Cooper and Julie London.

July 1990 photo from the US Geologic Survey collection.

 The drive-in, with a capacity of 500 vehicles, drew movie-goers from around the county for 33 years -- the next closest drive-in theaters being the Everett Motor Movie at 75th & Evergreen Way, and the Skagit Drive-In in Burlington.

At the time, the Thunderbird's address was simply "three miles north of Everett at the Marysville cloverleaf," also known as the intersection of Hwy 99 and the Tulalip Hwy (SR 528), and now known as 33rd Ave NE & 66th Ave NE  (Interstate 5 between north Everett and Marysville didn't officially open until 1969).

Eventually the Thunderbird succumbed to rising real estate values and declining patronage, as most drive-ins did by the 1980s and 1990s. It closed forever in November 1992. An automobile and RV dealership now occupies the land.

KBTC's 'Full Focus' presents 'Railroad Ties'

Watch Railroad Ties on PBS. See more from Full Focus.

If you're interested in local railroad history, KBTC, Tacoma's PBS station, has a local documentary series called "Full Focus,"and earlier this month they aired a half hour documentary titled "Railroad Ties," about the role of the Northern Pacific Railway's Chehalis and Centralia depots in the area's history:

Railroads helped build the cities of Chehalis and Centralia, Washington. During the late 1800’s trains carrying freight, lumber and passengers abounded. Businesses and hotels sprung up around the rail lines, and in 1912 two new train depots were built to help keep up with demand. Full Focus explores the importance of the Chehalis and Centralia depots to the history of Washington’s twin cities.

"Full Focus" has produced a number of fascinating documentaries so far, which you can find here.

Sometimes you don't see the full picture...

At first glimpse, you might think this is the original Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern depot in Arlington. But it's not.

Lesson #1 of historical research: double check your "facts."

It seemed legitimate. I purchased this photo at an antique store in Arlington a few years back, where a fellow sells reproduction enlargements of antique photos. I was told by a shop employee that these photos are derived from old glass negatives which this gentleman purchased from the Arlington Times at some point in the past.

So it would be easy to assume this is a turn of the century photo of a trainwreck at the Arlington Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern/Northern Pacific depot, right?

To someone without an expert eye, yes.

But to my fellow members at the Northern Pacific Railway TellTale discussion group, there are several red flags. Roger Barrow best summed it up:

Prominent in the picture is an N&W [Norfolk & Western Railway] coal hopper. The depot is board and batten with gingerbread on the gable, and a lower-quadrant train order semaphore. The station platform is brick and a water tank appears in the (south?) distance. Helping to date the picture, we see a mix of steel and wooden hopper cars, and
rail with no tie plates.

So face bright red with embarrassment, I went to do some additional digging, and it turns out this is a postcard view of NOT the SLS&E/NP depot in Arlington, WASHINGTON, it's of a 1913 derailment at the depot in Arlington, OHIO.

Now it is possible the photo did come from The Arlington Times -- from other research I've done, the paper did publish news photos from other parts of the country, and many of them have been related to railroading.

I was excited about this photo when I bought it because I really thought it could be connected to a 1910 Northern Pacific blueprint which shows a (proposed) remodel or rebuild of the Arlington depot. Could it be a picture of the original SLS&E depot built in 1890?

Well, no. I should have looked more carefully at this photo of the depot, from the Stillaguamish Pioneer Museum:

Or this one, taken by former NPR employee Jim Fredrickson:

 Or this one:

Or this one, by former NPR employee Russell C. Johnson:

OR, just take a look at any other photo of original SLS&E depots, and you'll see the siding is horizontal, not vertical.

This might also be a lesson in what happens when you've been away for awhile from writing and research, and possibly what they call "chemo brain."

I'm just grateful that the folks at the TellTale group were so kind and helpful about my gaffe. With all  sincerity, they are truly a valuable resource for details on local railroad history -- which I will certainly call upon in the future. :)

Happy Birthday, Edward R. Murrow

The Blanchard Community Hall was previously the town's Great Northern Railway depot.

I happen to share a birthday with one of the most influential journalists of the 20th century, Edward R. Murrow, who was born on this date in 1908.

As it happens, Murrow has local ties. Born in North Carolina, his family moved to the small town of Blanchard in Skagit County, in 1913, where he lived until 1925, when he went to Washington State College. Now Washington State University, the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication is named for him there.

Murrow went onto a storied career at CBS, first in radio, reporting in Europe during World War II, then television, with the show "See It Now."

Murrow with his parents, Ethel and Roscoe, in Blanchard.

At 2 p.m. Sunday, April 29, Blanchard is hosting a celebration of Murrow's life, first with a talk at the historic Blanchard Chapel, and continuing at 3 p.m. at the Blanchard Community Hall, with displays, snacks, photos -- and cake.

Beginning May 12, The Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner will also be hosting a special exhibit, "Peak of Their Professions: The Murrow Brothers," about Edward and his older brothers, Lacey and Dewey,  who all grew up in Blanchard, attended nearby Edison High School and Washington State College. A special Opening Gala is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 10, presented by the Museum and Skagit County Washington State University alumni.

Arlington Depot Grand Opening - be there!

This is the old Arlington Northern Pacific Railroad depot, photographed sometime in the 1960s.

It's a long story which I can probably cut shorter.

I really only had a small part in the overall project -- in 2007, when I was a commissioner on the City of Arlington's Parks, Arts & Recreation Board, I had been researching Arlington's original Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern/Northern Pacific/Burlington Northern depot, which still existed, but had been moved out of town in 1983. I had the bright idea it could be moved it back to town and restored.

When that plan clearly wasn't feasible, I put together a proposal -- which wasn't necessarily a new idea around town -- to build a replica of the depot. I presented it to my fellow board members, and we passed a resolution in support.

But City of Arlington Recreation Manager Sarah Lopez describes the process much better in her press release:

The PARC commission recommended to City Council that this new facility could serve as the Centennial Trail trailhead facility, a visitor information center, with public restrooms and a meeting/ exhibition space. The proposed location would be the property located between Legion Park and City Hall next to BNSF rail yard siding. The Arlington City Council approved to move forward with the project. Plans were made for a more affordable, scaled down, version of the depot.

In 2010, the City applied for and received several grants to fund the “depot” project. After successfully applying for the WA State Recreation and Conservation grant, the State notified the city that their funding was not available. The City did receive a grant from the Arlington Hotel/Motel Tax fund for $48,000, a donation of $5,000 from the Burlington Northern Railroad Foundation, and the generous gift of $1,000 from a private citizen. State Representative Kirk Pearson was able to secure $110,000 in grant funds from the State Capital Budget in 2011. This money enabled the city to break ground in December 2011.

Original concept of the depot facility, created by artist Darwin Hennings in 2010. Courtesy City of Arlington.

While I had to step down from the Board not long after due to health issues and work obligations, as you can see, some very committed people in city and state government continued on, and now the Arlington Depot restroom and visitor information facility will have a grand opening event this coming weekend.

The new facility waiting for finishing touches, 2012. Photo courtesy the City of Arlington.

I'm very pleased and humbled to have been invited to help cut the ribbon at the grand opening ceremony at noon Saturday, April 28.

But that's not all that's happening on Saturday. It's a day long event:

• At 10:30 a.m. group bike rides start on the Centennial Trail (meet in the Legion Park parking lot, 114 N. Olympic Ave.), with two rides to choose from: A short ride to Bryant for youngsters and slower paced cyclists; and a quicker paced ride for bike enthusiasts south on the trail. Riders are encouraged to bring a can of food for the Arlington Food Bank. 
•  T-shirts commemorating the opening will be available for purchase with an artistic print created by Caroline Sumpter. 
• Arlington Rotary Club and the Kiwanis of Arlington will be hosting refreshments for the event.
• Starting at 11:30 a.m., the Brass Menagerie Band performs old time music.
• Vintage cars, tractors, and old time machinery will also be on display.
• At noon, the ribbon cutting takes place with special guests State Representative Kirk Pearson, Mayor Barb Tolbert, Council member Marilyn Oertle and representatives from Arlington’s Park, Arts and Recreation Commission. 

It's not the exact replica I had proposed (i.e. probably a lot more expensive to build) but it certainly evokes the spirit of the old depot and I think really fits right in with the location between the Centennial Trail and the BNSF track siding.

And what's this? Now there's talk floating around town about my other "dream" (I'm not the only one whose had this idea either) of how to bring a tourist train to Arlington...

On this date: Seattle World's Fair opens

For pretty much everyone on the west side of the Cascade Mountains, it's hard not to avoid the fact that today is the 50th anniversary of the opening of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair.

I have a small, eclectic collection of Seattle World's Fair memorabilia, even though I wasn't born until five years after it originally opened.

What I do have is memories of the Seattle Center facility after the Exposition closed; the Bubbleator, a "futuristic" bubble shaped elevator, which remained for many years in the Food Circus/Center House; the now-defunct Fun Forest amusement park (called "the Gayway" during the Fair); and of course, the Space Needle.

To the left is the cover of a map of the fairgrounds that Standard Oil gave out. Standard Oil was among the exhibitors at the Fair; its building was smack-dab in front of the U.S. Science Pavilion, what we know these days as the Science Center. 

Below is the inside of the four-fold brochure, with a nice illustration of the Fair's layout. It's amazing how much has changed, and how much has stayed the same... but that's a topic for another day...

Bry's ApplianCenter - Marysville WA

Did a little digging and discovered that The Marysville Globe has (only) two pre-21st century issues that are digitally archived (and searchable) -- 1959 and 1962.

This was fortuitous, because in 1961, my grandfather, Francis C. "Bud" Bry, purchased Marysville ApplianCenter from Clen Berglund (who'd founded the store in 1955), changing the name to Bry's ApplianCenter.

So what's the first photo I find of him in the archive, from the Jan. 25, 1962 edition? Unloading appliances from a rail car at Marysville's Great Northern Railway depot.

Grandpa Bry sold the store just eight years later to Rod Wolfe, in 1969, retaining the "Bry's" name.

In 2007, Wolfe passed the business on to his sons, Chad and Josh, and "Great Buys at Bry's" are still going strong. The "secret room" in the basement still lives on -- where the hi-fi stereo equipment used to be -- now it displays home theater systems.

Historic Skykomish tavern destroyed in arson fire

Originally named the Olympia Tavern (right), the Whistling Post Tavern was one of Skykomish's notable historic buildings.

The Sky Valley Chronicle reports that the historic Whistling Post Tavern in Skykomish was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning, and officials are now saying the blaze was likely arson.

The tavern first opened in 1897 as the Olympia Tavern & Pool Hall.

Skykomish got its start thanks to the Great Northern Railway, which was seeking a route to the Puget Sound through the Cascade Mountains. An expedition by John F. Stevens in 1890 led to the discovery of what we now know as Stevens Pass, and construction commenced.

Tiny downtown Skykomish has seen two major fires, the first in 1904 (during which the Olympia Tavern was destroyed, but rebuilt in 1905), then again in 1970.

Fire remains one of the great major threats to historic preservation in Washington State and the western U.S., where so many buildings were built from the once plentiful timber harvested from the mountains and foothills. It is even more devastating, as in the case of the Whistling Stop, that the fire was set intentionally.

The current owners are saying they plan to rebuild, and I hope they do... I've also been hoping restoration of the amazing four story Skykomish Hotel will occur in the near future. Unfortunately, it appears there is much weirdness going on between city government and the owners, whose blog is rather eyebrow raising, to say the least.

If you'd like to explore more of Skykomish's history, check out the Skykomish Historical Society's site.