Our newest features:
- Read about how the Froggy Orchestra entertained settlers around the swamp that became P.A. Woolley's original company town in 1890, and how that area north of the railroad tracks is changing today, becoming almost chic.
- Charles Woodworth, long-lost but now-found namesake for Sedro-Woolley's street. And a Tacoma promoter.
- Gertrude Sawyer, nurse and matron at the old Memorial Hospital in Sedro-Woolley.
- The Two-Spot Lokey at the entrance to Woolley. Puget Sound & Baker River Railroad's logging legacy welcomes visitors.
- Charles J. Wicker arrives in Sedro in 1884, on the way to becoming county's most powerful real estate agent.
- All new logging and Mills section. We are updating eight stories about early logging and mills, from 1876 logging to the Dolbeer steam donkey. Newest completely updated story: the Goodyear -Nelson mill. Coming soon: the Willis, Rogers and Pearson mill of Sedro-Woolley.
- See the five collections of articles about Sedro-Woolley pioneers and businesses from old newspapers in Odds and Ends below.
- Read more about what's new in historic Sedro-Woolley. Boondocks reopens Townsend Hall in downtown Woolley. Article also includes: The Roost Bookstore opens on Metcalf, across from the new city hall. Just Moe's opens across the street from the old Castle Tavern; DC's Printing and Awards replaces Glenn Allen Jewelers; Stonehedge Gallery opens in historic Fritsch Building. R& Engineering grand re-opening of old Penney's/Wicker/Lederle Building.
Pre Sedro
 | Hotel Sedro, 1890-97
Click for early photos of Sedro
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- Charles J. Wicker arrives in Sedro in 1884, on the way to becoming county's most powerful real estate agent.
- The history of Ball's Camp and Sterling and the founders, Jesse Beriah Ball and Emma Ball Welch. And more chapters on the very early settlers by the river, Joseph DeBay and family, and the schools of Sterling, dating back to 1883. We need help from readers to complete this section.
- Our exclusive introduction to the history of Sedro-Woolley and environs, a draft from our planned book, From Bug to the Bughouse.
- The four British bachelors who staked out future Sedro, starting in 1878, Batey, Hart, Dunlop and Woods.
- The recently discovered proof of how and when Mortimer Cook's town of Bug became Sedro in May 1885.
Old and New Sedro
Any time, any amount, please help build our travel and research fund for what promises to be a very busy 2010, traveling to mine resources from California to Washington and maybe beyond. Depth of research determined by the level of aid from readers. Thank you.
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- Part One of our totally updated story of the Fairhaven & Southern Railway, which chugged into old Sedro on Christmas eve, 1889, as the first standard-gauge railroad in the state, north of Seattle. Includes profiles of F&S pioneers Nelson Bennett and John J. Donovan and the birth of the two Sedro towns. Shared from our optional Subscribers Edition.]
- A brief profile of Mortimer Cook, who came to the north shore of the Skagit river in 1884 after serving as mayor Santa Barbara, California, and founded the village of Sedro in 1885. Includes links to other Cook family stories: The diary of
Nina Cook, his youngest daughter, written while she was a teenager in Sedro in the 1880s; Fairie Cook, his oldest daughter, who staked a timber claim of her own near future Alger in the 1880s.
- The recently discovered proof of how and when Mortimer Cook's town of Bug became Sedro, including the full text of the article that Deanna Ammons found in the May 12, 1885, copy of the Skagit News, which announced the name change, and four other sources we have found.
- Charles J. Wicker's story about how he and Will Mitchell tried to erect a cabin on his homestead near the present Sedro-Woolley cemetery in 1884 and how a tree got in the way. See Issue 38 of our Subscribers-paid magazine for two more stories of Wicker's arrival in 1884.
- Ray Jordan's memories of growing up as a child on Mortimer Cook's ranch on what is now Cook road west of Sedro-Woolley.
- Albert G. Mosier, the last of Sedro's pioneers, who platted the towns of Sedro, Woolley and Sauk City, was city and county engineer and became a famous Alaska miner at the turn of the twentieth century.
- Harry Devin, master real estate salesman of old Sedro, Klondike miner, Indian blood brother, best hunter in the Northwest, weatherman and historian & your basic Renaissance man. Updated with new photos and much more research. Another update coming in August, about how Mark Chatt and family have turned the ugly-duckling Devin house, circa 2000, into one of the most beautiful restored homes in Sedro-Woolley and the county. Also see the transcripts of his diary and his famous in-laws, the Mosiers, and their homesteads together in Snohomish County in the 1880s and their pioneer work with Mount Rainier.
- A.E. Holland, pioneer druggist of Sedro, and his marriage on his death bed.
- John Cully shares with historian Ray Jordan the story of how his parents, Charles and Mary Alice Kirkby Cully moved west from Kansas to San Juan Island by covered wagon and boat in 1888 and then to Sedro.
Bingham family and bank & Renos, LaPlants and Odlins
- Part One of the Bingham bank and family story, which includes: Binghams arrive and open bank in old Sedro on July 30, 1890; Roots in Marengo, Iowa; Go West, Young Man; Binghams and Holbrooks flexing their muscles in Sedro; Julia feathers the Bingham nest; Bingham follows the business tide to Woolley; Marengo, Iowa, transplants to Sedro and Woolley; Wedding of the decade and even more Renos emigrate. All four parts.
- Part 2 of Bingham bank and family, which includes: Bingham bank establishes itself as the most powerful bank in the county and has a monopoly in Sedro-Woolley for 15 years; Charlie Bingham hires very young entry-level people who work for the bank for decades; Bingham mansion becomes social center; Charlie becomes controversial and envied in business and politics; 1st National Bank opens in 1905; Fire strikes again at Bingham bank; Charlie Bingham employs public relations as civic good neighbor; 1st National Bank robbery brings changes, followed by war; Bingham and Odlin boys go to World War I; '20s and '30s were a roller coaster; Bingham Bank is robbed; Reno Odlin excels; recovery from Depression; C.E. Bingham dies and the bank enters a new era; The Bingham brothers "modernize" their building and then sell.
- Part 3 of Bingham bank and family, which includes: William T. Odlin remembers his early employment with the original Bingham Bank in the 1890s; Albert G. Mosier recalls the first day and month of the Bingham Bank in 1890; The first three depositors at Bingham Bank on July 30, 1890 Harry L. Devin recalls the very early days of the Bingham bank.
- Part 4 of Bingham bank and family, which includes: William West quits school in his freshman year in 1900 and goes on to work for Bingham bank for 42 years; plus the 1952 William West obituary; Bingham and Ingham: the humorous 1911 story of the Indian Twins at the expense of Charlie Bingham and the police chief; Bank's 60th anniversary, employees in 1950; Binghams second and third generation in 1950.
- June Burn, a noted writer from Bellingham and Waldron Island, interviewed our pioneers and descendants and this column is about the raucous early days of old Sedro and Bingham's first bank.
- History of Sedro-Woolley American Legion George Baldridge Post No. 43 from September 1919, including the story of how the hall was saved during the Depression.
- James B. Hamilton, son of Baker river pioneers, recalls in detail how he started working at the Bingham Bank in 1901 while still in high school.
Old Woolley
 | Dream Theater 1917
built by Dad and Ben Abbott
Click on photo for story
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- Our three-part story of Northern State Hospital, which was built in 1910-11 and opened full-time in 1912.
- Charles Woodworth, long-lost but now-found namesake for Sedro-Woolley's street. And a Tacoma promoter.
- Seneca G. Ketchum, Part One, growing up in Ontario; family of 17th-century English immigrants, pioneer settlers of Toronto, Ontario, and businessmen of New York State. All updated in 2009.
- Seneca G. Ketchum, Part Two, Woolley editor and Tramp Printer in Pacific Northwest, arrived in Washington Territory in 1888.
- Obituaries and articles about Seneca G. Ketchum and family.
- Introduction to Darius Kinsey, Sedro-Woolley's most famous photographer; he lived here from 1897-1906. Also includes information about the complete Kinsey collection at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art and links to other Journal Kinsey stories and other background sources.
- Profile of Darius Kinsey, Sedro-Woolley's ace photographer who revolutionized photography of logging and the North Cascades. He lived here from 1896-1906 at the beginning of his career, before moving to Seattle and establishing his Timber Views studio.
- Sedro-Woolley's Opera House (1898?-1972?), the Bowery Square and the building that became the Moose Lodge of Sedro-Woolley, fully updated from our recent newspaper research.
- King County Sheriff's Deputy George W. Poor is mistakenly killed by a U.S. Customs officer between Sedro and Woolley on July 26, 1891, while chasing smugglers of Chinese illegals.
- profiles of Charles Villeneuve and his son-in-law John Lloyd. Villeneuve was also a pioneer earlier on the South fork of the Skagit and Conway (story being updated; are you a descendant? Please email).
- Two-chapter profile of P.A. Woolley and his family and his company town, including part two, about how his Woolley town was born, how Metcalf Street was named, Dr. Harbaugh's marriage into the family, how the family moved their business to Savannah, Georgia, and much more.
- See 6 rare old photos about the 3 trains in the famous 1890s Sedro-Woolley triangle
- The story of the Hammer, Green and Parker families who made such an impact on Sedro-Woolley and Lincoln, Kansas.
- Downtown Woolley's proposed Hammer Square park and its historical significance. See the link there for Arthur C. Seidell, who first made that corner famous, and the history of Sedro-Woolley Rotary and their legendary philanthropy.
- Attorney General James Metcalfe, namesake of Metcalf street in old Woolley and the man who pulled the strings to pave the way for P.A. Woolley's company town.
- An early version of the Skagit county fair from an 1896 story.
- Short features about old Woolley in the 1890s, including the promotion of the cheese factory in 1896.
- Woolley's classy hotel: St. Clair, which was renamed the Osterman House in the late 1890s, burned in 1909. The site of today's Gateway Hotel.
- Wild Bill Murdock, logger, owner of Mount Vernon's early Washington Hotel, bartender, first mayor of Woolley in 1891, Sedro real estate developer and ace practical joker..
- A profile of F.A. Hegg, old Woolley's premier grocer and one of our best-educated pioneers, story in two parts. With links to information and stories about his sons Bill, Pete and Fuzz and their relationships to other pioneer families. Also see the story about his son, Earl "Fuzz" Hegg, who gained fame with his Fuzzy Wuzzy grocery in Sedro-Woolley and was one of the most beloved of the pioneer grocers.
- Doctor G.A. Jones, a Wyoming transplant who settled in Sedro-Woolley in 1912 as a professional veterinarian and left quite a mark.
- The Kelley Strip, the "DMZ" no-man's land that served as the border between old Sedro and Woolley town.
- Obituary for Norman R. Kelley, who literally drank himself to death in 1894 after founding new Sedro in 1889 while he was a right-of-way agent for the Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern railroad.
- The robbery of the First National Bank of Sedro-Woolley on Oct. 17, 1914. Includes layout of the town and businesses at that time, the crime wave of Summer 1914 and the True-Love bandit.
- The Woolley Grays. Jim Gray, builder of Woolley's famous Palace Saloon, and Blanche Gray, mother of the Sedro-Woolley Library. The story of the library from the beginning in 1899 through the Carnegie library.
- Arthur C. Seidell, the man who helped capture Jefferson Davis and then built one of the first substantial buildings in old Woolley town.
- The Dream Theater in Sedro-Woolley and Dad Abbott, the impresario who built it and the original Chevrolet garage across the street, daughter Emma Abbott Ridgway, grandson Hugh Ridgway.
- Emil Runck and his bicycle shop, how he introduced the Harley-Davidson motorcycle to Skagit county, plus Ewestern Reno and the history of the bicycle.
- The strange story of the Sedro-Woolley and Sterling pioneers, the Ratchfords, Ritchfords and Richfords.
- 3-part profile of Sedro-Woolley's premier international industry, Skagit Steel & Iron Works and a profile of its founder, David G. McIntyre and his family. Our exclusive profile of McIntyre and his pioneer family and a 1929
Washingtonian magazine article in two parts, profiling the early growth of the company and how the McIntyre family took control of it. Read our Subscribers Magazine story about how local businessmen took the ball into their own hands and raised the money to pay for the land and homes north of the original plant in 1953, actions that convinced Skagit Steel not to move away from Sedro. Woolley.
- The Kiens brothers, who homesteaded north of Woolley in 1884. Their distillery, blasting powder factory, gold mine and Henry Kaiser.
- The fire of July 24, 1911 that leveled half of downtown Woolley — with photos of the aftermath. And then read how Woolley was rebuilt from 1911-13, also with many photos — the birth of our brick downtown.
- Larry Spurling shares another of his wonderful stories of his pioneer family, this one about the Glider on the Fourth of July and the outhouse that got in the way. Also see photos of floats in early-century parades.
- The Rockport Hotel Fire of 1952, a profile of its owner Hugo Bauman, and memories of Will D. Jenkins. Bauman originally owned the Osterman House hotel in old Woolley, which burned and was replaced by the hotel now called the Gateway
- The late Harold Renfro, longtime Sedro mail carrier and son of the family who moved here from Missouri at the turn of the century.
- The Pigg family, who moved in 1900 from Missouri to Sedro-Woolley, including W.B. Pigg, his confectionery and bakery, and his son Vic, first semi-pro baseball star from the high school. From our original domain, this story will be updated soon and have a new web address.
- The Paul Rhodius, Sedro-Woolley pioneer druggist, florist, gold miner, postmaster and baseball coach, who moved to Woolley in 1900. From our original domain, this story will be updated soon and have a new web address.
Consolidation of Sedro and Woolley
- Until we found the Dec. 5, 1891, issue of the Skagit County Times from old Woolley, we did not know there was an attempt to consolidate Sedro and Woolley in 1891. Read the full story and the Woolley city attorney's opinion that shot down the idea for seven years.
- Timeline of Sedro and Woolley through the merger in 1898.
- Woolley pioneer Ambrose B. Ernst, publisher of the Skagit County Times in 1891-92 and promoter of the merger of Sedro and Woolley. These is the first recorded glimpses of P.A. Woolley's company town from 1890, including his letters. Includes Ernst's later role as father of Seattle parks and his park dedication set for Sept. 12.
- We analyze a myth about the acceptance in 1898 of Sedro-Woolley as the name for the merged town, which includes the story of how a pioneer ate the deciding ballot.
- Jessie Odlin's 1898 poem about the merger of Sedro and Woolley. Our updated story with a passel of connections to Ivar's Acre of Clams, The Old Settler poem of 1870 and the much beloved song, Old Rosin, the Beau.
Sedro-Woolley after World War I through World War II
- Can you even imagine losing the use of both arms and a leg in childhood and growing up to be a violinist and avid deer hunter. Read how Sedro-Woolley violinist Floyd Maxwell bagged his fifth deer. And read our transcription of two pages from the Dec. 1, 1949, issue of the Courier-Times, which includes photos and details of the severe flood, and especially how it affected old Sedro, the Nookachamps and Hamilton; plus history of the Wildcat Steelhead Club, the first Great Northern passenger in 17 years; plus several more stories.
- Dollar Way in Sedro-Woolley, the first paved highway in the county, which Stone & Webster built as a demonstration project to earn the right of way for the Interurban.
- The original Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop business and building, founded in 1921.
- While working on a history of the McIntyre family, we have developed an extensive timeline concerning the birth of Sedro-Woolley Iron Works and Skagit Steel & Iron Works. This is a major exclusive feature, which will lead you to links of other stories about the company and the McIntyre family. We also finally answer the legend that Henry Ford visited Sedro-Woolley in the 1920s.
- Did you know that Skagit Steel nearly moved away from Sedro-Woolley in 1953? Read Part One of the story of how local businessmen insured that the company would stay and expand.
- The J.J. Conner family moved West from Tarheel country in the Great Smoky Mountains area of North Carolina and Tennessee in the early 1900s. Read family memories plus a gold mine of Tarheel names in a book about the area back there.
- Lloyd Palmer. The obituary of an old friend and descendant of Sedro-Woolley pioneers. Our memories of this fine nonagenarian and memories of his friends and family. Lloyd's father owned a series of trucking and logging businesses and Lloyd was a master mechanic for the Ford dealership in Sedro-Woolley, under Emil Jech, Sig Berglund and Vern Sims. Also included: the story of the Palmer Garage, Donnelly Motors, Coffland Garage and the construction of the Burlington Highway in 1932.
- The Castle Tavern, a Sedro-Woolley landmark for 71 years and the last tavern in town, has closed forever in its location and was replaced on April 21 by the all-new Cues and Brews. It began as the Vienna Castle Bakery in the early 20th century
- Ku Klux Klan in Sedro-Woolley 1920s, and an overview of the KKK in Washington state and nationwide.
- A whole section about the Territorial Daughters, formed in Sedro-Woolley in 1936; includes information about how you or your descendants may qualify.
- Loggerodeo, the celebration that put Sedro-Woolley on the 4th of July map starting in 1948, photos from the first Loggerodeo Grand Parade plus 4th of July festivities in the city and county dating back to 1880. Also see the photographs of the first Loggerodeo Parade of 1948, which were taken by the late Bert Webber who died in 2006 in Oregon after a long publishing career there.
- H. Bean Hardware of Sedro-Woolley, Harry and Mort Bean and the Sanders family
- Central Grocery of Sedro-Woolley dates from 1917 and was the oldest surviving original grocery in the county until it closed in 2003.
- Greg Platt of Sedro-Woolley promotes the 35-cent breakfast with his Hashbrowner.
- Travis Coulter bought the old Vern Sims Ford Ranch in 2003 and renamed it North Cascade Ford. History of the county's longest continuous auto dealership, dating from 1910.
- Jon Jech, grandson of early Ford dealer Emil Jech, wrote a special poem about Hart's Island, which will be updated and moved to the new domain in 2010.
Modern Sedro-Woolley since World War II
- The Two-Spot Lokey at the entrance to Woolley. Puget Sound & Baker River Railroad's logging legacy welcomes visitors.
- Gertrude Sawyer, nurse and matron at the old Memorial Hospital in Sedro-Woolley.
- Howard Miller of Sedro-Woolley, 1915-2000
- Sedro-Woolley Fire Truck 2, dating from 1938, has been found in Whatcom County. Read about how you can help the Fire-fighters Association purchase and restore the truck.
- Harry Osborne Memorial Park in Sedro-Woolley, the 900-year old slice of Douglas fire there and the Two-Spot locomotive. And a Harry Osborne biography.
- Sedro-Woolley Museumand other area museums.
- The Sedro-Woolley Museum presents their wonderful new Photo History of Sedro-Woolley book. Obtain it there at the corner of Murdock and Woodworth or at historic Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop downtown.
- The Sedro-Woolley Museum has lost its guiding hand, R.I.P. Kerry Freeman. The Museum folks are carrying on his absence, hosting at the museum downtown on afternoons from Wednesday through Sunday and Saturday mornings.
- During Founders Days the 1914 bank robbery is reenacted as the city's most famous bank robbery, but the Bingham Bank was robbed in 1933 and people are still alive who remember the sadness that gripped Sedro-Woolley when night watchman Carl Strom of Utopia was murdered.
Churches, organizations, lodges and fraternal groups
- History of the Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce, which evolved from the Twin Cities Business League, the force behind the merger of the original towns in 1898.
- Knights of Pythias, one of old Woolley's first lodges, launched in May 1891 and disbanded a decade ago.
- Methodists of Sedro-Woolley and Skagit county, a history of the church since the days of the "Little White Church" in Seattle in the 1950s through the organization in the county in the late 1800s.
- Itinerant ministers of Sedro. The beginning of our series on churches. We plan to cover each early town's churches. Please help us with stories and photos.
Sedro-Woolley schools history
- R.I.P. Alcina Harwood. We have lost a dear personal friend, a longtime inspirational teacher in the Sedro-Woolley school district and descendant of the Hoyt, Boyd and Allen families. Alcina was born and grew up in old Montborne near Big Lake.
- Our three-part, exclusive history of Sedro-Woolley and area schools, dating from 1883, is no longer on the site, but is being completed updated with new information. Meanwhile, read history of Sterling School.
- Sedro Woolley High School's first graduating classes of 1904 and 1905, including Guy Flaherty, future sports star of the University of Washington and future engineer on the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Odds and Ends articles from old newspapers: Sedro-Woolley pioneers & businesses
- Odds and Ends about Sedro-Woolley No. 1 Our new section with a dozen short stories, including: Skagit County's Washington Governor Henry McBride and the wild and woolly 1884 election . . . Margaret Hammer, Cinderella Girl . . . Eagles hosts national meeting 1925 . . . Burlington Highway (now Hwy 20) paved 1939 . . . South Skagit Road begins 1939 . . . Shirley Temple visits 1938 . . . Last passenger train 1940 . . . 1st Tarheel Picnic 1939 . . . and many more. You may have read the articles about Jack Abramoff and his alleged crimes while employed by the Preston Gates law firm of Seattle. Did you know that the firm dates from 1890 and that McBride staffed the Skagit County office of the original Preston firm then years before he became governor? There is history behind current affairs and the headlines.
- Part Two, Odds and Ends short stories about historic businesses and buildings in Sedro-Woolley Link has been repaired, after 1937, including: Will T. West & Bingham Bank . . . Johnson's Radio & Appliance . . . Devener's Lumber, Massar Lumber, Undertaker . . . Mt. Baker Hardware . . . Affleck Brothers Anacortes — Mt. Vernon Stage Co . . . .McClintock's Drugs . . . Ed Bigelow butcher, bowling alley and Mr. Eagles Aerie . . . Mel Stone DeLuxe Barber Shop . . . George Hammer's store garden . . . Royce Crossman and Bob Mahaffie butchers and Tradewell Market . . . Jac Running grocery and Sousa band . . . Income Taxes
- Part One, Odds and Ends short stories about historic businesses and buildings in Sedro-Woolley, up to 1937, including: George W. White, variety store and obit . . . Gampp's confectionery . . . Livermore Ford Garage . . . Stop & Shop grocery . . . LaRoche photography; Green Globe confectionery . . . Binghm Park service station . . . Ludwick-Wuest first radios . . . Candy stores . . . Brossard eggs and chicks . . . Piggly-Wiggly and Fuzzy-Wuzzy grocery . . . Dream Theater . . . Donnelly Motors and Cheese Factory . . .
- Part Two, Odds and Ends short stories about historic businesses and buildings in Sedro-Woolley, after 1937, including: Will T. West & Bingham Bank . . . Johnson's Radio & Appliance . . . Devener's Lumber, Massar Lumber, Undertaker . . . Mt. Baker Hardware . . . Affleck Brothers Anacortes — Mt. Vernon Stage Co . . . .McClintock's Drugs . . . Ed Bigelow butcher, bowling alley and Mr. Eagles Aerie . . . Mel Stone DeLuxe Barber Shop . . . George Hammer's store garden . . . Royce Crossman and Bob Mahaffie butchers and Tradewell Market . . . Jac Running grocery and Sousa band . . . Income Taxes
- Part Three, Odds and Ends short stories about historic businesses and buildings in Sedro-Woolley, after 1946, including: Central Grocery . . . Cascade Cafe . . . Ponschock tailor Linstrom & Jebens . . . Rogers-Romer Union Oil . . . Coffland Motors, Kaiser-Frazier autos . . . Palace Tavern and Jim Gray . . . Lee Tresner upholstery . . . George Shelton's ice-cream shop . . . Ted Jackson's service station . . . Ilo Sande Jewelry . . . Byham Cabinets . . . Skagit River Motor Lines . . . Pete & Bob's cafe
- Our Wish List: Copies of photos, documents and articles that we would like to see . . . donated computer items we need . . . names searched-for that we are tracking.
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810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
New Sedro 1890
Hotel Sedro 1890