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!