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.

History can be ugly.

Arlington sometime at the turn of the 19th/20th century, when it truly was a farming, logging and railroad town.

It's easy to sanitize history. Typically when an image of "Old Town" Arlington comes to mind, it's of the postcard images that depict a tidy Railroad/Olympic Avenue lined with young trees and Victorian/Old West architecture.

This postcard view shows something a little different -- the Arlington that was a grimy (and probably at times, grim) mill town and railroad town.

Here we see the town around the turn of the 19th/20th century, looking north, probably from the residential bluff along what is now E. Union Street. To the left, you can see the muddy curve of West Avenue, paralleling the railroad tracks of either the Seattle & International or Northern Pacific Railroad, depending on the actual date this was taken.

This view also shows West Avenue's residential layout before what became Highway 9 eventually cut through (the origins of Highway 9 being another topic for another day). The mostly treeless view on the far left side provides a glimpse of the Stillaguamish River flood plain and agricultural lands.

In the bottom right of the photo is a road that I'm assuming is E. Maple Street, which intersects with Olympic Avenue (where the Les Schwab Tire Center now resides).

My Favorite Places: The Olympic Theatre

The car on the right side of the street marks the location of the Olympic Theatre in this Ellis Postcard from the 1940s.

1945 schedule

The Olympic Theatre, at 107 N. Olympic Avenue, is one of only two independently owned, single screen movie theaters remaining in Snohomish County (the other being The Edmonds Theatre).

I first saw a movie there in 1978 when my family moved to Arlington. It was "the" place for pre-teens and teenagers to go in town -- it was a safe place to go in a time when Arlington didn't have that many constructive activities for kids outside of school programs.

Built in 1939, the 300 seat theater has had sound and screen upgrades in recent years. It has a charm that the big multiplex theaters can't compete with. They also can't compete with the Olympic's ticket and concession prices.

Admission to evening shows is just $7 for adults and $5.5 for children (ages 3-12) and seniors; it's just $4.50 for the 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees. And where else can you get a concession stand "Triple Feature" consisting of a large drink, a small candy and a large popcorn for just $7.75?

The Olympic as it appears today.

In 2001, the National Trust for Historic Preservation listed old single-screen movie theaters as among the nation's most-endangered historic places -- which to me makes the Olympic Theatre all the more special, and another another reason why we shouldn't take Old Town Arlington's historic character for granted.

For a more detailed article on the Olympic, as well as additional photos, read Herald writer Gale Feige's article from last year, "Arlington's 72-year-old movie house is a one-woman show."
 
For screening schedules and upcoming attractions, visit olympictheatre.net.

Why is it called Lincoln Bridge?

Lincoln Bridge, also known as the Highway 530 bridge, is Arlington's eastern access across the Stillaguamish River to points north on Highway 530, taking you past Arlington Heights, Trafton, Oso and onto Darrington.

This postcard image, dating from the early 1900s, shows the bridge and what appears to be the bridge's namesake on the left, Lincoln Mill, on the southern bank of the river.

Today's Lincoln Bridge bears no resemblance to its ancestor, though its curving concrete and steel structure sometimes suggests a man-made interpretation of the flow of the river below it.

On memory...

Who are these people? Their names are noted on the back of the photo, but the memory of them is gone. 

After my recent essay about personal history, today two interesting posts came across my Facebook feed that expand a little more on the subject -- specifically, the concept of memory.

The first is an essay by film critic Roger Ebert, "I Remember You."  At a funeral for his cousin, a slide show was shown of old family photos. A one particular photo passed by, it suddenly occurred to him:

I think there's a chance I was the only person in the room who knew it was Uncle Ben in the second row. There were probably a dozen who knew in general who the picture showed--ancestors on the mother's side--but does the name or an idea of Uncle Ben linger on earth outside my own mind? When I die, what will remain of him? 


Memory. It makes us human. It creates our ideas of family, history, love, friendship. Within all our minds is a narrative of our own lives and all the people who were important to us. Who were eyewitnesses to the same times and events. Who could describe us to a stranger.

The second post was about the Music & Memory Project, "a non-profit organization that brings personalized music into the lives of the elderly or infirm through digital music technology, vastly improving quality of life." In this video, two nursing home patients, Gil and Denise, are literally transformed by hearing their favorite music again.

Consider how your favorite music moves you today, and what it would be like to no longer be able to hear it. It's startling to contemplate.

Without our five senses being engaged on a daily basis, of course the mind falls idle. Our memories of the people, the places and the events in our lives begin to slip away... and unless they are shared, they will be gone forever one day.

Edgecomb: Arlington's neighbor to the south

You wouldn't know now that at the turn of the 19th/20th century, Edgecomb, located three miles south of Arlington, was once a bustling little burg with 350 residents, with its own depot, water tank, shake mill, two stores, an elementary school, a dance hall, a saloon, and several residences -- including the famous stump house (which as a history of its own, which we'll get to another time).

Cedar stump house, near Edgecomb, Washington. Tinted color postcard by H.S. Waters.

The Origin of Washington Geographic Names (1923), says Edgecomb came into existence when Carl Ostrand filed a homestead there in 1888. "The next year, the Northern Pacific Railroad was built and John Edgecomb opened up a logging camp in 1890. The spur was named for him and the name has continued."

Edgecomb depot, photo courtesy NPRHA.org.

C.E. Farrell, Gen. Merchandise, located at Edgecomb, WA., circa 1900.

For more than 100 years, the Edgecomb store stood at the corner of 67th Avenue and 172nd Street, what is now the southernmost border of the city of Arlington. But let an intrepid local geocacher at Geocaching.com tell the following history about the store:

One of the two stores was built on this location by John and Charles Farrell about 1900. After a few years, brother John moved on leaving Charles E. Farrell as sole proprietor.

Farrell's Edgecomb store served the community for years even after the co-op store went under. With the advent of the automobile a gas pump was installed out front.

The store was enough for the Farrell family to eke out a living but did not leave Charles a wealthy man. The Farrell's eventually sold the store and moved on but the new owners continued operations mainly as a second hand store.

The old building gradually lost a battle to decay and was torn down. The property was purchased by Dean Case who had the John L. Scott Real Estate office built on the footprint of the old store. Edgecomb is now a part of Arlington which has grown south to absorb it.

(Source material: Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society, Edgecomb Notebook; Bob Bovee Oral History Series, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies; Wikipedia.)

Sadly, I no longer seem to have the photos I took of the store before it was sold and torn down in 2007. What I do have is this image of a fine watercolor by Camano Island artist Jack Dorsey, who captured the structure in its later years as a second hand store. View his other wonderful art pieces at his website.

"Edgecomb Store" by Jack Dorsey. Thanks to the artist for permission to share the image.

'Tracing Your Family's Roots' at local libraries

A family tree template you can download and edit in any photo/design program.

 

The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation are sponsoring a series of classes entitled "Tracing Your Family's Roots with Ancestry Library Edition," part of the "Librarians as Information Guides" series of programs the library system has been presenting this year.

This class is geared toward patrons interested family history research, and will teach the basics of genealogical research using Ancestry Library Edition as one of (many) online genealogy tools available. Basic computer skills are required.

Here's how ProQuest, makers of Ancestry Library Edition, describe their product:

Ancestry Library Edition is a new genealogy research tool that provides library patrons instant access to a wide range of resources for genealogical and historical research. Ancestry Library Edition includes records from the U. S. Census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; petitions for naturalization; passenger lists and more.

There are currently two classes scheduled: 

Camano Island Library Pilot Project (848 N. Sunrise Blvd, Camano Island) - 6 p.m. Monday, April 16. Preregistration is required; call 360-387-5150, or via online form.

Brier Library (23303 Brier Rd, Brier) - 9 a.m. Saturday, April 21. Preregistration is required; call 425-483-0888 ext. 3420, or via online form.

Put this in your Easter bonnet.

Another collecting category for me -- vintage advertisements. Particularly with odd or awkward marketing ploys.

Happy Easter!

Three views of Arlington, part three

For the final views of Arlington's historic "Old Town," I sadly only have two images, which have a lapse of some 40 or more years between them. Perhaps some kind soul out there might have a view of Olympic Avenue from the 1970s or 1980s (although this was an era when many of the historic building facades were replaced with "modern" -- but much less attractive -- architectural detailing).

This view is from sometime in the 1960s, again showing the "heart" of downtown, E. 3rd Street and Olympic Avenue. The brick building is still in place on the northwest corner. City Hall is situated on the southwest side, which at the time also housed the police and fire departments (remember, at this time Arlington's population was approximately 2,500).

This final view of Arlington's historic "Old Town," was photographed by yours truly in March 2008, and shows the results of the completed street resurfacing that had taken place over the course of a two year period.

Arlington is truly an example of the adage "the more things change, the more they remain the same." While there were obviously significant changes in the structures along Railroad/Olympic in the first half of the 20th century, not much has changed since then. While the town has grown to a population of more than 17,000, "Old Town" remains ageless, in a way. That is a rare quality in this day and age.

If you missed the earlier views, part one is here; and part two can be found here.

Three views of Arlington, part two

In the second era of Arlington's downtown core, Railroad Avenue became Olympic Avenue, and was photographed extensively by J. Boyd Ellis and his son Clifford of the Ellis Postcard Company*, located right here in Arlington.

Here are three Ellis views of the intersection of Olympic Avenue and E. 3rd Street.

The first view shows more of the east side of the intersection, and by the looks of the cars on the street, may be from the 1930s (before there was a stoplight). Just out of the screen shot to the left is City Hall.

The second and third views look to be taken sometime in the 1940s, based on the cars in the photo. The third view provides a better glimpse of the City Hall building.

If you missed part one, click here.

*Boyd and his son Clifford were prolific postcard photographers for the better part of half of the 20th century, documenting towns and landscapes from Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho and beyond. I will be writing about them more as this blog progresses.

Three views of Arlington, part one

What better place to start than with some images of my "hometown" of Arlington, Wash.

This first batch of postcard views shows Arlington in its earliest days at the turn of the 19th century. Arlington was incorporated as a town in 1903. At that time the main street in town was called Railroad Avenue, as the Northern Pacific Railroad line paralleled the street north/south (in all of these views, the tracks are on the left, outside of the frame).

Postmarked 1900.

Postmarked 1907.

No postmark. Probably 1910-1920.

Postmarked 1912.

Note in each of the views the location of the trees on the western side of the street, and the electric poles on the east side. From there you can probably estimate which cross streets are intersecting Railroad Avenue. Note also the hotel and drug store on the right side in the second and fourth images.


Editor's Note: I've split this topic into three parts, as I just discovered a cache of images I thought had disappeared forever! Please bear with me.

Historic fire lookout ordered removed

Photo courtesy Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

Disappointing news: The Daily Herald reports that the historic Green Mountain fire lookout in the Glacier Peak Wilderness northeast of Darrington has been ordered removed by a federal judge, citing it a violation of the federal Wilderness Act.

The lawsuit, filed in 2010 by Wilderness Watch, alleged that the Forest Service violated the federal Wilderness Act, which doesn't allow for the use of motorized vehicles nor new construction in wilderness areas. Helicopters were used to haul out the old lookout and haul in what Wilderness Watch calls a new building.

The Forest Service has maintained that the lookout was restored, not reconstructed, and that the historical significance of the forest fire lookout made it an allowable project in the Glacier Peak Wilderness of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The lookout is on the national and state registers of historic places.

The lookout was built by a Civilian Conservation Corps crew in the summer of 1933, atop 6,500-foot-tall Green Mountain in the North Cascade Range. Each summer the lookout was staffed for the purpose of early reporting of forest fires.

While I understand the intent of the Wilderness Act, banning further human development and interference in what's left of the nation's pristine wilderness areas, the historian in me wonders why there is no exception to the rule for historic structures like the lookout. It's an important artifact in tracing how national parks and forests were developed at the turn of the 19th/20th century.

For further reading, check out this 2011 Herald article about the history of fire lookouts in the North Cascade Range.

Family history *is* local history

My great-grandparents, Judson & Anna White, 1909.

 (Note: The foundational structure of the article below was written four years ago as part of an assignment during my tenure as features editor at The Enterprise Newspapers in Lynnwood, Wash. 

At the time, while digging into the microfiche archive, I discovered that the Enterprise was on the verge of its 50th year of publication. No one else seemed be aware of the milestone, or that the Enterprise could actually trace its beginnings even earlier in the 20th century. 

It got me to thinking about how quickly people, buildings, institutions and even traditions can come and go out of community memory so quickly. This article fleshes out the second part of the origins of this blog and its purpose. -- AM)

Before my breast cancer diagnosis two years ago, my husband and I were among that odd group of people you know who, instead of sleeping in on a Saturday morning, got up at the crack of dawn to go to “sale-ing” – i.e., garage sales, yard sales, rummage sales, moving sales and estate sales.

We each have our own little eclectic collections – he collects vinyl records, I collect Northwest nostalgia. He collects vintage barware, I collect vintage Halloween decorations. While our collecting interests are different, our “hobby” is one that allows us to spend time together that we otherwise might not be able to carve out for ourselves.   

We always had mixed feelings about attending estate sales, which generally take place following the death of a surviving spouse, or a lifelong bachelor uncle. It’s sobering to see a lifetime of someone’s cherished belongings indifferently picked through by strangers, who haggle to buy them for pennies on the dollar.

My enthusiasm was especially dampened when I saw boxes and albums of family photos being sold. I often stopped and thumbed through the photos, looking for images to add to my collection of familiar historical locations.

More often than not, I'd find dozens, sometimes hundreds, of images of people. People whose names are forever lost in time. There are 100 year old photos of someone’s great-grandparents in traditional ethnic wedding clothes. There are sepia-toned family portraits depicting multiple generations of one family. There are photos of summer vacations to Yellowstone, or perhaps Glacier National Park – but no one, except the long departed people in those photos, would know for sure.

My great-great grandfather, William White, with his children.

 At a time when we seem to be losing so many of the physical landmarks that give our communities context, on an individual level we are also rapidly losing the smaller, more intimate details of our personal histories.

Why is that? Is it because today’s families are scattered across greater distances than before, able to make transient connections at the touch of a button? Is it that younger generations move at an accelerated speed, and we find it difficult to slow down to the pace our elders move through the world at?

One of the most important things my mother was able to do with my grandmother before she passed away nine years ago was to sit down with her and go through all of our family photos. With more than one hundred years of history contained in boxes and albums, they had their work cut out for them. But in the end, it was worth it. Many afternoons later, they had catalogued the names and locations and anecdotes contained in hundreds of photos.

I've been reflecting further on the purpose of this blog. I’m hoping that by sharing some of the images and resources I've collected over the years, it might help encourage readers to sit down with their elder family members and talk about family history and genealogy. More importantly, to make an effort to document and preserve it – whether it’s writing names (in pencil of course) on the backs of old photos, or recording video or audio “interviews.”

Even if you personally have no interest or time, there is almost always someone in your family who does. And if you can’t find someone who wants to be your family historian, you can always donate photos and documents to your local historical museum. Those photos of your grandparents standing in front of an old gas station may seem insignificant to you, but to local historians, they are invaluable. 

Welcome to Beyond the Depot.

With my grandfather, Francis "Bud" Bry, as we travel to Alaska.

When I say that my interest in local history started with an obsession a few years ago over the whereabouts of an old depot, that's not quite true.

It really goes further back than that, to childhood. I had a penchant for digging, whether it was dirt in a garden, or information in an old encyclopedia, etc. This urge to dig led to me to announce when I was 13 that I was either going to be an archaeologist or a journalist. It turned out to be the latter -- journalism being a more metaphorical form of digging.

I also liked trains as a child. I didn't know anyone that worked for the railroad, so I don't know where my fascination with them came from. Two highlights of my childhood were traveling to Alaska with my grandfather on the train (see photo above) and traveling by train during parts of a trip to the UK with my parents. 

When I'd spend the night at my grandparent's house in Marysville, Wash., I'd often fall asleep to the sound of a lonesome train whistle blowing in the distance. I wondered where that train was going, and wondered if someday maybe I'd find a way to be on that train, wherever it was going.

When I got a little older and my family moved to Arlington, Wash. (a few miles north of Marysville), I figured out where those trains had been going, but by then, it was only freight trains that ran along that route. Later, when I came back from college, even the tracks were gone. But that's a story for another blog post.

And now here I am in my adult life, where I've managed to wander my way into being referred to as an "amateur historian." I probably know a little bit about a lot of things, and too much about a few specific things, and none of it is particularly useful or interesting to anyone but me. But I still scavenge and collect and retrieve and dig. It's just in my nature.

So here it is, "Beyond the Depot." At some point, the name might change if a more meaningful one comes to mind. In the mean time, please enjoy various bits of musings and ephemera that may or may not strike a chord in you. Cheers!