Skagit River Bridge collapse - Then & Now

Photo courtesy Dan Kerlee

"The bridge that collapsed Thursday into the Skagit River happened about 1,200 yards west of where another bridge collapsed 110 years earlier."

Full story here.

Photo courtesy Heraldnet.com

Blogging: An exercise in brain rehabilitation

Have I mentioned I often dream of trains? Ellensburg Northern Pacific Depot,  2007. Photo by A. Miller.

If you have wondered what happened to this blog, I have been struggling the last few months with coherent writing and editing... a lingering side effect of what they refer to as "chemo brain," from my brush with breast cancer in 2010-2011.

Last summer I finally surrendered to it, and decided to take a break. I didn't intend to take this long of a break, however, but other distractions arose and the site looked to become a derelict historical artifact of its own.

But a few weeks ago, I realized something significant was missing from my life, and looking through this site's archive, I realized what it was. Writing. About history.

As with other therapies I've undertaken in the last few months, it seems that the best course of action with regard to writing is simply to keeping trying. I think an apt description is "A writer at rest tends to stay at rest."

What to expect from here on out? When my head is clear, you may see some lucid essays. When I'm feeling foggy, there will be days or weeks when I simply "show and tell" historic images and memorabilia.

So I hope you'll join me again in following my meandering train of thoughts on history in the Puget Sound region. It will be an interesting ride. 

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.