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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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. :)

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...

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.

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.

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.

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!