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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Free Home Page Stories & Photos
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

Howard and Butler Log Camp, somewhere between Edison and Bow. This photo was taken on July 12, 1892. It was not taken by Darius Kinsey, as some have attributed. See the story about their camp here and here.

We will eventually write our own complete profile of the little town of Bow, which is one block long, but which was at one time a market crossroads in Skagit County. Meanwhile, we refer you below to links about Bow and the surrounding towns in the Samish River watershed. We encourage reader memories and suggestions

Links, background reading and sources

Any time, any amount, please help build our travel and research fund for what promises to be a very busy 2011, traveling to mine resources from California to Washington and maybe beyond. Depth of research determined by the level of aid from readers. Because of our recent illness, our research fund is completely bare. See many examples of how you can aid our project and help us continue for another ten years. And subscriptions to our optional Subscribers Online Magazine (launched 2000) by donation too. Thank you.

We recently visited our newest sponsor, Plumeria Bay, which is based in Birdsview, just a short walk away from the Royal family's famous Stumpranch, and is your source for the finest down comforters, pillows, featherbeds andduvet covers and bed linens. Order directly from their website and learn more about this intriguing local business.

See our introductory section that we provided for the Bow History Project.
Read Ray Jordan's story of Bow/Brownsville, including his own early memories.
A profile of Bow from the 1906 book, Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties.
A profile of Bow founder, William J. Brown.
Read about Dan Miller's quest to save and restore the Bow General Store, the last structure left in town that dates from the pioneer days of the late 1900s. Several photos included; part of our extensive series on the towns of Bow and Edison.
Read the Bow Introduction Section that the Journal posted for the Bow History Project.

Equality Colony

Read Ray Jordan's 1976 story of Equality Colony, located in northwest Skagit County from 1897-1906. Issue 7.
Catherine Savage Pulsipher recalls the mill her father owned at the Equality Colony near Edison in 1898, life at the Colony and her brother's wedding there.
Chuck Easton's history of Equality Colony near Bow

More links about Bow, Edison, Blanchard/Fravel, Samish and area

We have completely updated a profile of Euphronius Watkinson, who was one of the earliest pioneers of Edison along with his brother, Melbourne, and who was also a pioneer settler of the town of Allen. New photos from descendants and more genealogical information, and still more will be updated later in 2007.
Introduction to the multi-part section on the history of Edison.
This site about Samish Island History is a veritable feast of well researched information about the whole Samish River watershed as well as the island itself. It features a history timeline, Indian points of view, wonderful photos and a full bibliography.
We hope that a reader will have more photos of Bow and its early settlers and the folks who stayed on to settle the area. We are also adding profiles of other towns in the area, so please send us information and scans of photos of your family's town. We especially want to find descendants of William J. Brown and Ben Gardner and other early pioneers. We especially want to see copies of early newspapers. We do not need your originals; photocopies will work just fine.
A list of all the stories about Blanchard, Fravel, Oyster Creek and Edward R. Murrow.
Albert S. Howard and Silas Butler, key loggers and sawmill owners in the area.
When you visit the Bow area, we recommend that you visit the Rhododendron Cafe, which has become a Bow landmark for almost 20 years. Owners Don and Carol Shank opened their restaurant on April 4, 1984, in the building that the Coble family originally opened as a Red Crown Service Station in the 1920s. Through several incarnations, the building was also a restaurant before, called the Kallstrom Place. Next door, you will find the Rhody Too gallery and gift shop, where Lois Bertolino, nationally known silver jeweler, displays a collection of Northwest Art and Artists Wednesday through Sunday, and bicyclists can find their espresso fix. While in the area, you might also want to see the Japanese garden created by Deymian LeSar at Karma Place Japanese Garden and Nursery between Bow and Edison on Chuckanut Drive.

Bow's pioneer newspaper, Northwest Skagit Advocate

Deanna Ammons shares the long-lost, rare inaugural issue of Bow's newspaper, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908. Part One: Publisher's plans, local news and a recap of early pioneers of the Fidalgo Island area.
Part Two, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: early days of town of Bow and environs.
Part Three, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: early days of town of Edison, at the delta of the Samish River.
Part Four, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: advertisements of Samish Valley towns. Includes the newly discovered explanation of the names of the railroad stops and towns of Roray and Allen.

Getting lost trying to navigate or find stories on our site? Read how to sort through our 700-plus stories.
Return to the new-domain home page	Links for portals to subjects and towns	Newest photo features	Search entire site
Our monthly column, Puget Sound Mail (but don't call it a blog) debuted on Aug. 9, 2009. Check it out.

See this Journal Timeline website of local, state, national, international events for years of the pioneer period.

Did you enjoy this story? Remember, as with all our features, this story is a draft and will evolve as we discover more information and photos. This process continues until we eventually compile a book about Northwest history. Can you help?

Remember; we welcome correction & criticism.

Please report any broken links or files that do not open and we will send you the correct link. With more than 700 features, we depend on your report. Thank you.

Read about how you can order CDs that include our photo features from the first five years of our Subscribers Edition. Perfect for gifts.

You can click the donation button to contribute to the rising costs of this site. See many examples of how you can aid our project and help us continue for another ten years. You can also subscribe to our optional Subscribers-Paid Journal magazine online, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in September 2010, with exclusive stories, in-depth research and photos that are shared with our subscribers first. You can go here to read the preview edition to see examples of our in-depth research or read how and why to subscribe.

You can read the history websites about our prime sponsors
Would you like information about how to join them in advertising?

Our newest sponsor, Plumeria Bay, is based in Birdsview, just a short walk away from the Royal family's famous Stumpranch, and is your source for the finest down comforters, pillows, featherbeds andduvet covers and bed linens. Order directly from their website and learn more about this intriguing local business.

Oliver-Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 90 years continually in business.

Peace and quiet at the Alpine RV Park, just north of Marblemount on Hwy 20, day, week or month, perfect for hunting or fishing
Park your RV or pitch a tent by the Skagit River, just a short drive from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley — doubling in size for RVs and camping in 2011.

Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery-Cafe at 823 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley.

Check out Sedro-Woolley First section for links to all stories and reasons to shop here first
or make this your destination on your visit or vacation.

Are you looking to buy or sell a historic property, business or residence?
We may be able to assist. Email us for details.

Did you find what you were seeking? We have helped many people find individual names or places, so email if you have any difficulty.

Tip: Put quotation marks around a specific name or item of two words or more, and then experiment with different combinations of the words without quote marks. We are currently researching some of the names most recently searched for — check the list here. Maybe you have searched for one of them?

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