Skagit River Journal of History & Folklore Subscribers Edition, where 450 of 700 stories originate The most in-depth, comprehensive site about the Skagit Covers from British Columbia to Puget Sound. Counties covered: Skagit, Whatcom, Island, San Juan, Snohomish & BC. An evolving history dedicated to committing random acts of historical kindness

Noel V. Bourasaw, editor 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284 Home of the Tarheel Stomp Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug
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Archives for subscribers, Issues 44-52
Archives 1-32	Archives 33-43	Archives 44-52

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 52, Winter 2010

4th of July Blanchard, 1913 Johnny Jacobin, "Frog Boy" The Ball House fell 14 years ago (click thumbnails for story)

This issue's in-depth research resulted in an updated section about Blanchard, town and family, with the help of descendant Margaret Toth Profile of Blanchard town and family Index/portals to Blanchard & Edward R. Murrow Descendants and pioneer memories, including those of native Florence Smith Lowe, 98 in 2010 More descendant memories of Blanchard & Edward R. Murrow John Henry Fravel, original namesake of Blanchard & foreman of the NW Washington telegraph line, 1860s The murder/suicide mystery of Garfield Minkler, of Lyman Johnny Jacobin, Frog Boy, performed amazing feats against amazing physical odds The oft-photographed Ball House near Padilla falls to the wind in January 1996 Our introduction to history of farming the fantastic Skagit County soil Memoirs and poetry Les Palmer's childhood memories of Sedro-Woolley and his connection with the Northern Pacific railroad tracks Jon Jech, a descendant of the Jech family that built the Sedro-Woolley Ford dealership/Museum, writes about Hart's Island, the symbol of old Sedro and Sterling

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 51, October-December 2009

Ella Nicholls in part 3 Gar Green's family, part 6 (click on those thumbnails for the stories)

We start a year-long process of adding dozens more profiles of pioneers and their descendants and old-timers among us. In this issue, 99 brief profiles of volunteers to the Skagit RSVP corps Part 1 (18) Part 2 (18) Part 3 (18) Part 4 (14) Part 5 (15) Part 6 (16) Updated history of early Northwest schools Earliest Skagit and Whatcom Schools, updated Eloise Ingman Stendal recalls Meadow School Merry Christmas to all. Read about pioneer Christmas celebrations on the Skagit River. History of the Eagles Aerie, Sedro-Woolley. Mystery solved; it began in 1902, not 1923. Prepared for the Aerie, reproduced here in an extensive .pdf form, with history of the state and national Eagles, the fraternal lodge that began in Seattle in 1898. Samuel Shea, Rockport area homesteader & bar and pool owner We correct the record: Lorenzo Lyman, upriver town founder, was a lawyer, not a doctor. More Issue 51 stories: Handy new portals 1. Odds and Ends Portal, includes stories that are brief, introductory or are in draft form. 2. Memoirs Portal for finding autobiographies and vignettes.

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 50, June-September 2009

1880 Snow Nellie Coupe Howard Miller's steelhead

Clippings from the 1880 Seattle Intelligencer newspaper that report on the Ruby Creek Gold Rush Part One, January-May Part Two, May-December Schools history, Whatcom and Skagit First schools in Whatcom County and the area that became Skagit County in 1883 — updated with new data Biography of Nellie Coupe, an educator who made an impact on both Island and Whatcom counties. Profile of the Seabury family and Lloyd Seabury, 1970s Skagit author Skiyou pioneer Lloyd Seabury recalls the rampaging 1909 flood Lloyd Seabury recalls his neighbors, the Van Fleets, and the 1900 Skiyou neighborhood Ron Strickland's fine 1984 book, River Pigs and Cayuses, is long out of print. Here are four stories from it. Look for it in used-book stores. Mark Gilkey, the Skagit River gambler as a youth. Ralph Parker of Lyman explains the moonshine business Howard Miller guides you through the steelhead of the Skagit River Glee Davis and his family at Cedar Bar The Truth newsletter about evil liquor, ca. 1900 in Woolley.

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 49, April-May 2009

The Coon Chicken Inn near Bothell Chief Sealth

Stan Stapp reminds us of the Coon Chicken Inn and Cotton Club between Seattle and Bothell Early Sedro and Woolley Albert G. Mosier recalls platting the three towns Harry L. Devin recalls how the three railroads formed the town lines 1903 story of the 1898 merger that formed Sedro-Woolley Junius Brutus Alexander, wealthy Sedro pioneer who pushed for the 1898 merger Northwestern Skagit County 1932 Obituary of Louisa Ann Conner, namesake of LaConner Obituary and profile of prominent Padilla pioneer Edgar A. Sisson Profiles and civil war memories of Northwest County and Padilla-area pioneers Ed Wells, A.G. Tillinghast and R.H. Ball Indians, Chief Sealth and Dr. Henry A. Smith Chief Sealth/Seattle's famous 1854 speech, in Dr. Henry A. Smith's words Dr. Henry A. Smith, Seattle pioneer, famous for recording the Chief's speech. By David M. Buerge Native Seattle, by Coll Thrush, about Seattle's native population, including Dr. Smith and Chief Sealth.

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 48, February 2009 Harrison Clothier Woolley Saloon Fred Hegg Harrison Clothier and Edward G. English, founders of Mount Vernon Part One, the early years Part Two, logging, going separate ways Ed English kidnapped in 1908 and his obituary The first saloons in Sedro-Woolley, Skagit County and up the Skagit River F.A. Hegg and sons, Woolley's most famous grocers Part One, Fred Hegg from Minnesota to Woolley Part Two, Fred and sons become leading grocers Earl "Fuzz" Hegg excels and his Fuzzy Wuzzy Grocery Gust Gilbertson opens Sedro-Woolley J.C. Penney store, 1915 How J.C. Penney came from Missouri to Number One retailer

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Menu of Historical Delicacies, Double Issue 46 & 47, January 2009 Issue 46 Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties, 1906 This issue is devoted to our most ambitious project so far, the transcription of chapters from the 1906 book that is the most important resource book for Skagit County historians, authors, genealogists and students. We have transcribed the first two chapters of the Skagit County section, nearly 75 pages in all. But most important, we have annotated each chapter with extensive footnotes that will illuminate pioneers, towns and events and provide links for background reading. This will be a double issue, with one chapter per issue. Introduction to the Illustrated History, with facts about the book that you may not have learned before, and background on its creators, along with a caveat for readers. Chapter One of Skagit County settlement. Part One of this chapter introduces you to the first settlers, especially on Fidalgo Island, and the first women to brave the wilderness. Chapter One of Skagit County settlement. Part Two of this chapter introduces you to more settlers, especially those on the south fork of the Skagit River and the area of the log jams where Mount Vernon would rise. Issue 47 Chapter Two of Skagit County, 1874-83. Part One of this chapter shares details of settlement, logging and early agriculture, and reviews the process of removing the log jams that shut off the upper stretches of the river from exploration. Chapter Two of Skagit County, 1874-83. Part Two of this chapter shares details of the first upriver settlement, sternwheeler steamboats and early mining discoveries, including the exciting, if brief, 1880 gold rush to Ruby Creek, settlement, logging and early agriculture, and reviews the process of removing the log jams that shut off the upper stretches of the river from exploration.

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Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 45, September-October 2008 KKK Wedding Ku Klux Klan in the Northwest, 1920s Claudia Lowman writes about the Klan in Anacortes, 1926 Gabriel Mayer writes about the Klan in Bellingham in the 1920s KKK stages a wedding and dedicates a church altar in Sedro-Woolley in 1924-26 Nooksack Tower, 1940 Fire Lookout Towers & Firefighting in the Northwest Introduction to firewatchers and their towers in the North Cascades Maxine Meyers wrote about her season on Mount Josephine Dr. Quentin C. Belles recalls upriver firefighting in the 1940s William Entwistle wrote about the history of Northwest firefighting Josie Bradley Two Claudia Lowman biographies: R. Lee Bradley, Padilla farmer and Anacortes Mercantile Co. owner Josie Bradley, Skagit County's Superintendent of Schools, 1884 Morris Schneider, pioneer Woolley businessman and first Jewish business owner, biography by his granddaughter, Muriel Weissman

Menu of Historical Delicacies, Issue 44, May-July 2008 Fairhaven & Southern Railroad, first standard-gauge railroad north of Seattle. The F&S Depot in old Sedro. Click on photo for the F&S story Fairhaven & Southern Railroad, Part One. Includes information on the alphabet soup of railroads of Whatcom and Skagit counties, the background of the F&S principals, including Nelson Bennett, C.X. Larrabee and John J. Donovan. F&S, Part Two. Sedro prepares 1888-89, Donovan's horseback ride in the nick of time, details of the Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern, Seattle & Montana and Great Northern lines, James J. Hill and the decline of the F&S, and the decline of the Sedros. F&S, Part Three. Ray Jordan stories about the F&S Christmas gift to old Sedro; the line's original route from Bellingham Bay; and Journal research into the naming of Fairhaven/Graves Street in Sedro.

Capsule biographies of F&S principals: Charles X. Larrabee, the Montana copper magnate, who financed the F&S and bought the Cokedale coal mines. Parts 1 & 2 include: Childhood in New York & Wisconsin; Brother Samuel Edward "Ed" Larabie; Brothers building their fortunes in Montana and Portland; Larrabee's financing of Fairhaven boom and the Fairhaven Hotel; marriage to Frances Payne; their philanthropy.     Three stories associated with this topic are being extensively updated with last-minute research information and photos: Larrabee Part 3: documents & external profiles of Larrabee family and Cyrus Gates John J. Donovan, the civil engineer who determined the F&S route, and became a famous lumberman on his own

The origins of Lyman, upper Skagit River

Lyman 1889. Click on photo for story Lyman, Part One: earliest settlers and homesteaders, including A.R. Williamson, Valentine Adam and Henry Cooper and town namesake, Lorenzo Lyman. earliest businesses, the Skagit River's effect on the town, the Otto Klement and Birdsey Minkler eras Lyman, Part Two: Flynn and Meyers families; capsule histories of 24 early families

Lyman pioneers, including news of converting Minkler Mansion to City Hall Clara Bartlett Cooper. Lorenzo Lyman, country doctor and namesake of Lyman, updated with research about Dr. Lyman. Birdsey Minkler, Part One: his early years in Wisconsin and California, homesteading and his mill at Birdsview, and details of his 1911 funeral. Totally updated. Birdsey Minkler, Part Two: his family moves to Lyman in 1887, death of his wives; mill at Minkler Lake; the Minkler children marry. Totally updated.

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