Looking Back

History remembers the celebrated – genealogy remembers them all Readers of my Looking Back columns may have noticed that I often go beyond history to include genealogy research in my stories. Genealogy became part of my private and public life years ago—long before computers were available for use by the general public; before the introduction…

As a child in the 1930s, I remember that several communities in Snohomish County had their own signs to welcome visitors. However, during that time, the signs were mainly in the form of wooden arches stretching across the main roadways leading to the towns. I especially remember the “Gateway to Edmonds” arches over three roads…

“There was an old abandoned cemetery on the hill east of Ninth Ave., in the vicinity of Walnut Street.  It was overgrown with briars, salal, and small evergreens.  The few remaining markers were so weather-beaten, they were completely illegible.” Among the many memories she had of early Edmonds, Esther Amy Kingdon Knowles, in 1986, shared…

The people who came to Edmonds when it was still a developing small town, came from various places and backgrounds.  Some had very little money and others were lucky to have a substantial bank roll. However, one thing they all seemed to have in common — hope for a good life in an evolving young…

Twenty years ago, when American Airlines Flight No. 77 was hijacked by five terrorists and deliberately flown into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters in Washington, D.C., one of the victims was 52-year-old Sgt. Major Larry Strickland, U.S. Army, who was looking forward to enjoying the leisure of retirement in a few days….

During the early 1930s, as our nation struggled to survive the Great Depression, a new sport burst upon the scene, and oval tracks for midget car racing began appearing throughout the country.  During its early days, this unusual racing sport drew the interest and participation of backyard mechanics, and as one source said it was…

When the little village of Edmonds incorporated as a fourth-class town in August of 1890, even though there had been some hard times, the residents must have been filled with hope that the final decade of the 19th century would bring prosperity, growth and some needed culture to their community. Certainly, at 5 o’clock in…

Nothing appears to symbolize the true meaning of Memorial Day in our country more than the beautiful and poignant poem In Flanders Fields. This poem was written 106 years ago by Canadian poet and WWI battlefield surgeon Lt. Col. John McCrae, after he had seen a field of colorful red poppies blooming on what shortly…

Part 2 of two parts. You can read Part 1 here. In 1910 – on the way to the waterfront mills in Edmonds Nothing depicts the early days of the town of Edmonds more than timber. It was what brought many New England and Eastern people here; and also, the farmers from the Midwest. On…

Part 1 of two parts Before Lynnwood – a peaceful land of giant trees When the loggers and the homesteaders came to the area we know today as Lynnwood, except for the sound of the birds and the soft breeze as it rustled through the branches of the immense trees, there was silence. Located a…

The latest issue of the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Magazine reminded me that on Monday, March 29, our country will pay honor to the veterans of the Vietnam War, and we are requested to display our country’s flag on this special day of remembrance. Over 50 years ago, many of our young people were…

Sometimes writing articles about history can be frustrating, controversial, and even boring. Right in the middle of putting together an article about a large lumber company, its long-time log agent, and the beginnings of Lynnwood and Edmonds, I experienced all three moods, so I decided to put this particular project aside for the time being,…

Some changes in my own life inspired me to look at the history of shopping from a different perspective, and to realize that through the years, even though new technology has brought some cosmetic changes, the basics still pretty much remain the same—shopping from home is popular, convenient and sometimes a necessity. Until May of…

Recently, a reader commenting on my April 9, 2019 article, “Looking Back: South Snohomish County place names from the past,” asked how Shell Creek got its name? In my reply to the reader’s question, I reached back to some of my own memories from well over 80 years ago, when I was a child of Edmonds…

Shown above are some of the volunteer firefighters from Station No. 1, Snohomish County Fire Protection District No. 1, its home base located at Seattle Heights, three miles east of Edmonds. The men were standing beside one of the district’s fire trucks in front of Eisen’s Garage on the northeast corner of today’s 212th Street…

Discovering history sources Clues to historical stories can be found in records from many different, and even unusual sources. The idea for this column originated from a small portion of a 1910 Plat of Township 27 North, Range 4 East, Willamette Meridian, Snohomish County, Washington. The southwest Snohomish County landholders of 1910 shown on this…

Publisher’s note: This story was originally posted on Saturday, Aug. 22. We are reposting it Aug. 24, along with a few others, so that they will appear in the next daily newsletter. Due to a technical glitch, that newsletter did not go out on Sunday, Aug. 23. Like me, some of you may have memories…

This year, Memorial Day will be observed on Monday, May 25.  However, because of the present health issues, there will be few, if any, gatherings of people for public ceremonies. Instead, I hope the day will be a quiet time, filled with personal reflections. In Edmonds, because it has been 75 years since the ending…

Much like the Biblical Job, during her lifetime, Katrina Bagley endured one loss after another. Through it all, she never faltered in her love of life, her church, nor her love for her family. While talking with three of her grandsons, I learned much about this indomitable lady and her enjoyment of life. With that…

Through the years, Edmonds High School became noted for its music department. Since the school’s early days, and especially under the direction of William Osburn in the 1930s, the high school started winning awards, beginning with an excellent rating in April 1933 at the Western Washington Music Meet held at the University of Washington. Only…

In Seattle, on June 20, 1877, Etta Jones was 18 years old, still a teenager, when she married George Brackett, a 36-year-old man, twice her age. It must have been an overwhelming experience for her when the following year, along with baby George, she and her husband moved to a new home on their land…

Over 86 years ago, when I entered first grade in the Edmonds School District, I certainly never had any idea that so many years later I would still remember many of my school teachers. A few are remembered in special ways. My first four years were spent at Alderwood Manor Grade School, and there I…

The Reporter was a newspaper established in August of 1949 and published in the community of Lynnwood — before the city’s 1959 incorporation. With its office located at the crossroads of State Highway 99 and 196th Street, the newspaper covered happenings in the Alderwood Manor, Lynnwood and Edmonds areas. Founded and edited by Seley Alvin…