|
Skagit River JournalSubscribers 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 |
 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284Home of the Tarheel Stomp Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug |
 |
|
The home pages remain free of any charge. We need donations or subscriptions to continue. Please pass on this website link to your family, relatives, friends and clients. |
|
|
|
This is an aerial photo of the northern and western parts of downtown Sedro-Woolley, centered on the Skagit Steel and Iron Works, which was thriving in 1960 when this photograph was published in the Courier-Times in 1960. We are looking west. The White strip running up and down at a five-degree angle is the F&S Grade road, named for the Fairhaven & Southern Railway, which laid the tracks on a diagonal through town from Sedro, and then winding through the hills to Jarman Prairie, Lake Samish and Fairhaven. You can see the indentation extending to the lower left of the photo. At the time of the photo the tracks from old Sedro by the river up to State street. I can recall that Johnson's Feed Store (State street where Sedro Villa Apartments stands today) loaded blackberries, and other things that we picked, into box cars when I was in high school. Topped out at 4 1/2 cents a pound for blackberries. We very much want to see any of the old F&S route photos, if you will kindly share scans or facsimile copies from your collection. For people who love details, look at the white road in the photo at the right. It is of course Moore street, destined to be Hwy. 20, curve and roundabout and railroad trestle, et al. |
I cannot recall this store except for a brief glimmer, and I certainly did not realize their wholesale connections. Do you? |
Chuck and Dorothy Lederle in the family business that occupied the store for more than six decades in the east side of the 800 block of Metcalf street that is now occupied by R & E Engineering, which completely restored the building in 2008. It once housed Skagit Realty and J.C. Penney. |
Joe Fisher was the amiable clerk and later partner in Black's Quality Shop, on the east side of the 700 block of Metcalf; that location is now part of the Janicki Corporation offices. |
Stan Smith was the manager of J.C.Penney, in the store owned by the Masonic Lodge at the northeast corner of State and Metcalf streets. Sav-On Furniture now occupies the building, following 24 years for Bus Jungquist Furniture. It opened in the fall of 1923 as the Ludwig-Wuest store. |
Above: We do not recall this Stanley's gift shop on Metcalf street but we suspect it may have been the Stanley family who originally owned a Christian book store in the original Livermore Ford building (1915), now occupied by the Christian Teen Fellowship. Right: Hermsmeyer Photo Studio stood on the south of State street, in the building just east of the Old Timers Tavern. That is now a barber shop. Note the old entrance to the Old Timers, which opened in 1937, after Repeal of Prohibition, as the Cook & Adams Tavern. |
|
This was Mrs. Berg's Sewing Center with the Vogue tailoring shop in the back. We cannot remember its location. Can you? |
This photo along with others on the page are from the 1962 Kumtux Annual, the year we graduated from Sedro-Woolley High. These were our charming classmates, Karen Berg, probably the daughter of Mrs. Berg, and Beth Barclay, daughter of attorney Con Barclay. |
|
Do you have photos in your family collection of these kind of stores in old Sedro-Woolley, or any other stores? We would love to see scans or copies of any such photos, documents or articles. We never ask for your originals. |
| I wonder how many readers remember what a cobbler was. I remember ours well in 1960. You will have to drive a long ways today to find someone who will actually repair your shoes, but back then there were two cobblers, as you see above. At the left is Lawrence Burmaster, our family's choice; he was a descendant family who were the namesake of Burmaster road. I can still remember walking into the shop on Ferry street — now the eastern half of the Overflow/Four Aces Tavern. The belts were whirring and the aroma of polish and saddle soap was everywhere. Many times we got replacement heels for my dress shoes, for 75 cents or a dollar, instead of throwing the shoes away, as most people do today. At the right is Fred Lipsey at Skagit Shoe Shop on Woodworth street. We wonder if he is related to Ma Lipsey from the Sedro-Woolley Drive-in. | |
|
In this photo you see the City Fuel & Lumber in a building that was torn down in favor of the Laundromat that stands there today. Next to it is the old Arctic Locker building, managed by Wilfred Dow, where many of us stored our cut beef and pork. Roger Anderson has recently totally remodeled the lockers building and it is available for lease in a condition almost like new. |
|
|
|
Upper Left: I cannot remember these handsome gentlemen flanking him, but who can forget that bald head and smile of Pinky Robinson at the Oliver-Hammer Clothes Shop. My dad used to say: "you will have a very hard time leaving the store without Pinky selling you something." We love any photos of Oliver-Hammer, in any of three locations on the eastern half of the 800 block of Metcalf street: the original in the present location of the silver shop; the location from 1958-2009 in the original Livermore Ford building; and their location since then in the original Masonic Lodge building. Upper Right: Another Robinson, the son of the famous Lyman Timber family, Doug Robinson was in 1960 the manger of the National Bank of Commerce. That bank was located in a building that was erected after the old Dream Theater on the north side of Woodworth street was razed in 1964. NBC evolved from Fred Fellows' original Lyman State Bank, then his Skagit Valley State Bank in the old Gateway Hotel corner. |
|
|
Maybe the most-seen person around town at this time was Percy "Puss" Stendal, who had been a multi-term mayor after being a cook, teacher, principal, coach and clerk. He became the best known man in town and he left us three fine sons. The only one still alive is our beloved William "Billy Ray" Stendal, also a mayor, teacher and principal and a pretty fair cook. We will profile the Stendals in the new year. |
|
or find stories on our site? Read how to sort through our 700-plus stories. |
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
debuted on Aug. 9, 2009. Check it out. |
|||
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 — for as little as $5 per night — by the Skagit River, just a short drive from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley. Alpine is doubling in capacity for RVs and camping in 2011. Check out Sedro-Woolley First section for links to all stories and reasons to shop here firstor 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. |
|
|
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? |
|
|
 View My Guestbook Sign My Guestbook |
 Mail copies/documents to Street address: Skagit River Journal, 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98284. |