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.

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.