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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

Skagit County Times, issues from 1902
Part Two: June 26, 1902

We continue our transcription of early Skagit County newspapers.
Masthead information with publishing information
Masthead information (only available from June 26, 1902 issue): The Times Printing Company. Entered at the post office at Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Office at corner of State and Third streets. Subscription rates: One year, in advance, $1.50. Advertising rates $1.50 per inch per month, subject to reduction for time and space. Official paper of Sedro-Woolley.
[Journal ed. note: no publisher or editor noted. Very frustrating.]
Find below and at links
Profile of the Times . . . Early 1902 issues
almost-full June 26, 1902 issue . . . later 1902 issues

This slightly more dreary and muddy scene is from circa 1910, also looking south on Metcalf Street. We know the year almost exactly because the new Wixson Hotel (now the Gateway) has just risen at the left. Across Ferry street to the south is the two-story wooden Donnelly Building, which would burn spectacularly on July 24, 1911, in the great Great Woolley Fire.

Profile of the Times We apologize for our many contradictory notes about the Times in several Journal articles over the past ten years. The reason for the confusion is that so many records provide so much contradictory information and claims that were difficult to correct without additional research. The main problem is that almost all issues of the Times published before the Teen years burned in various fires. Some annual volumes are missing altogether; others have only one or a few issues. So we have had to assemble the jig-saw puzzle with only a few of the pieces, and few of those connect. We try again, after more hours of research because the Skagit County Times is the second most-important source of facts for our early history; only the Illustrated History of Skagit & Snohomish Counties, of 1906 (hereafter 1906 History), is more important.

Any time, any amount, please help build our travel and research fund for what promises to be a very busy 2010-11, 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.

To review, the Times launched on Saturday, Jan. 24, 1891. That issue is long gone. The first issue we have is from May 2, 1896, which is numbered Volume 6, number 15. We had to laboriously count back to discover that original date. Even the 1906 History was wrong on that matter, and it was also wrong about the first publisher. We discovered a hint of the actual publisher in the Dec. 5, 1891, and then triangulated, with the help of a family descendant to discover that Ambrose B. Ernst, a Kansas native, was at the helm. He went on to be lauded as the "father of Seattle playgrounds." By November, Fred L. Henshaw, a fellow Kansan, was publisher and Henshaw soon took on another Kansan partner, Jake E. Kulp.
The Times was actually the second newspaper in town, following the Sedro Press, which was launched by Publisher George W. Hopp on April 18, 1890. We know very little about the Press, except a pioneer memory of it in that summer and that it continued through the "early '90s" under Editor Ed Palmer. It may have discontinued publication after being consumed in one of those early fires. In fact, we have never seen a copy of it. The only way anyone knew about it in modern decades is because pioneer Ethel Van Fleet Harris showed the only surviving copy of it to Courier-Times publisher Frank Evans in 1953.
We do not know how long Henshaw remained in charge; we have no solid information until 1896. All we do know is that the paper was apparently on rocky financial footing and that in 1892 it was taken over by Junius B. Alexander, who apparently moved it down to new Sedro, near the present high school location. Alexander was the young capitalist from Staten Island, New York, who would be the leader of the Twin Cities Business League, which worked throughout the 1890s to effect a merger of the two towns. He would later be the conduit for philanthropist Andrew Carnegie's personal investment in the town library, which opened in October 1915. Unfortunately we do not know whom Alexander set up as publisher in those early days.
Our next firm information is from the issue of May 2, 1896, and that masthead lists the Gillis brothers as editors and publishers. Alexander recruited Walter and Albert Gillis, who were also connected with Snohomish County, to run the day-to-day operations of the Times and they eventually bought into the company. We do not know how long they were in charge before that issue date. The Gillis brothers were also known for their thespian roles in county plays, including productions at the Bowery Square or Opera House, which stood just across the alley from behind the present Jungquist Furniture. The brothers were also partners with some of their other brothers in a local construction firm.
The Times was moved from an undisclosed location to the present location of the Mission Market building, at the southeast corner of State and Third streets, sometime in 1899. By then our most fully documented pioneer publisher — and a classic Western editor character — Seneca G. Ketchum, had taken over. What a wild ride he had at the helm. The descendant of a family of religious clerics and businessmen in New York and Ontario, He had spent the late 1880s and most of the 1890s as a "tramp editor," mainly in British Columbia and for awhile in Spokane. That meant he hit the bottle pretty hard and when he was no longer welcome at one newspaper or town, he flopped onto a freight car and moved along to where another town needed a printer or editor so badly that they didn't worry about his resume.
Ketchum came to Sedro-Woolley in the summer of 1898, not so much the tramp at that point in time, because he brought his new wife with him and she gave birth to Seneca Jr. here that August. For once Ketchum's timing was dead-on perfect. Alexander, still the financial angel for the paper, was assembling the final pieces for the towns' merger and he wanted someone forceful to sing that tune to the choir, not only here on the upper Skagit, but at the county courthouse and the state legislature, where the legalities needed to be settled. Our only disappointment is that not a single issue from those wild pre-merger days of 1898 exists (unless, of course, a reader has a copy in a family scrapbook — be still, our foolish heart). We also cannot peg who really owned the newspaper in those days. One source says that Alexander still owned the whole operation and just leased it to both the Gillis brothers and to Ketchum. But both of those publishers insisted they were the owners. Maybe the sale was never completed to either one.
From the start, other editors all over the Northwest remarked what a boon Ketchum was for Woolley, most agreeing with the assessment of the editor who insisted he was both a "wit and a poet," the latter mostly in honor of his reworking of a favorite poem of the day. He earned hundreds of rounds of whiskey for his brilliant rendition of "Wandering Willie Waterhouse from Walla Walla Wash," when he had actually stolen the kernel of it from the original author before applying his Ketchum full-court press. Frontier headline-news, including town-booming and mergers and such, sold a lot of papers so people all over the state followed the merger with great interest, and if there was any doubt as to the outcome of the fevered betting on the planned vote, Alexander figured he had his glorious ace in the hole. His timing was excellent also because he arrived at nearly the moment in time when Sedro-Woolley climbed out of the crushing nationwide Depression, which had drug on for nearly five years, and became a fat, rich marketplace. Besides the gold dust that came back in the pockets of local boys, local farmers, especially, brought in much-needed cash from the produce, meat, butter and other products that the Klondike miners craved and demanded. For the next roughly 14 years, Sedro-Woolley was the place to make money — and soon Skagit County in general — and Seneca was finally garnering all that applause — even from the bourgeois capitalists, and a decent salary, both of which had escaped him in the past.
By 1902, the year of these transcripts, the actual editor or publisher is not apparent because the masthead does not list the name of either, an odd lapse. One source claimed Ketchum was out of the picture by 1901. But we knew that was wrong when we found the April 2, 1903, Times issue, with Ketchum obviously the publisher. After seeing his mercurial relationships with owners of other newspapers where he edited, however, we concede it is possible that Ketchum was fired or suspended, maybe by the real owner Alexander, maybe more than once. What we know for sure is that he died Aug. 20, 1903, age 39, of a severe case of bottles of John Barleycorn to the mid-section. He may have cleaned up his act by Woolley time, but the damage of two decades imbibing a lake full of booze was too much, even for his constitution.
His successors as Times publishers are just as confusing, time-wise, because of contradictory records. These are the candidates. The 1906 History claims that to A. C. Edwards bought the paper in 1901 and in turn sold it in December 1902 to "W.H. Pilcher, a Kansan, who is the present publisher and editor." The Feb. 7, 1901 Times masthead lists Seneca G. Ketchum & Gus B. Leach as co-publishers, the same masthead as Feb. 22, 1900, yet we find no other record of Leach in the area. We bet our money safely on Pilcher as the immediate successor because the 1905-06 Polk Directory recorded Wallace H. Pilcher, editor and publisher, with George Ragsdale, partner. Pilcher faded away from mention very quickly, but we do not know why and we wonder why his wife, Annie, continued here as a photographer for nearly another decade. Wallace died in Chicago in 1916. In the March 22, 1906, Times issue we found George B. Ragsdale as the publisher — "recently secured control of the Times," with J.B. Stowers as editor. Although Ragsdale stayed here for at least another decade, a 1949 Courier-Times commemorative issue noted that John B. Stowers died here in 1920 after editing the Times for 13 years, from 1907 onwards. Frank Evans bought the Times on Jan. 31, 1918, (his family then owned it for six more decades) and then merged it with the Skagit County Courier on May 20, 1920, to launch the Courier-Times brand, which still exists in name only in 2011.
That leads to the last important note. Yes, there was a competing newspaper in town. Nearly every Western, market town of 1,000 population or more had competing newspapers as a rule back then, one Republican, one Democrat. Back in 1901, the rising local Republican kingmaker, David Donnelly, backed the Courier secretly, so well masked that even old-timers were shocked when they read Catherine McClintock's 1935 Courier-Times profile of Donnelly and discovered the details of the arrangement. For the rest of their existence, both papers were located in Woolley, just three blocks apart. New Sedro had disappeared by then, due to fire or the business owners packing up and moving to Woolley. Even though Junius B. Alexander was very much of the moneyed class, he was a loyal Democrat — and the Times stood that way, because his family originally hailed from Virginia, back many generations, and they were enmeshed with the Democratic regime. The Courier seems to have been less prominent and profitable than the Times, but again we are not sure because not a single volume of Couriers survives. Indeed, we do not know if Evans even received them.

June 12, 1902
A nearly complete transcribed issue
Headline stories
Sedro-Woolley Iron Works

This is where Skagit Steel and Iron Works was born. The Sedro-Woolley Iron Works foundry and railroad-repair shop stood directly south of the Seattle & Northern Railroad tracks where they crossed Puget Street.

John Anderson, of the Sedro-Woolley Iron Works, was in this city a few days this week in the interests of the company. The building is now rapidly nearing completion and the new company will be incorporated in a few days and ready for business. The present indications are that the company will have a large business from the start. . . . A carload of new machinery for the Sedro-Woolley Iron Works arrived the latter part of last week and is now being installed in the company's new foundry. . . . A carload of new machinery for the Sedro-Woolley Iron Works arrived the latter part of the past week and is now being installed in the company's new foundry.
Banker in Jail
Charles H. Lyon, until recently president of the First National bank of Mount Vernon, is now confined in the county jail charged with having attempted to wreck the bank of which he was president.
He was arrested in Spokane last Friday by Sheriff Wells and returned to Mount Vernon the following day. Preliminary hearing was waived and the accused was lodged in jail to await trial.
For several days prior to Lyon's arrest he had been closely watched . As his actions in attempting to collect money from the Mount Vernon bank on drafts had aroused suspicion. Cashier Hansford refused to cash the drafts. Lyons [sic] claims he was trying to raise money to purchase a bank at Moscow, Idaho.
Smith is now Register

J. Henry Smith, the newly appointed register o the Seattle land office, left Monday for Seattle to assume the duties of his new position. He was in Seattle Saturday and made all arrangements to begin with the duties of the office Monday. Mr. Smith expects to move his family to Seattle in the near future, but will retain his interest in his law and insurance business at this place, which will be in charge of his partner, Mr. Wilbra Coleman, during Mr. Smith's absence.
Ira Brown appointed
Ira Brown appointedWord is received in this city Monday to the effect that Ira Brown had been appointed postmaster of the Sedro-Woolley postoffice, to succeed Ira J. Stiles. Mr. Brown has been a resident of this city for a number of years, is thoroughly capable of filling the position and will make an excellent official. [Journal ed. note: Brown and his family came to Skiyou area east of future Sedro in the 1880s as part of the Charles J. Wicker circle from Chillicothe, Iowa.]
New School planned
New School plannedF.F. Willard, clerk of this school district, has posted notices calling for bids on the new school building to be erected near the present Central school building. The notice specifies that the building shall be completed by September first, which will be in time for the opening of the coming term of school. [Journal ed. note: Originally built for the overflow of the rapidly growing population of grade-school-age children, a high school evolved in this new building, soon named Irving School, while the graded school became known as Franklin, for the inventor. Over the next decade the building became more dedicated to a high school, until another larger, brick high school opened in 1911 on Bennett Street.]
Baseball
Articles of incorporation of the Sedro-Woolley Base Ball association were filed I the auditor's office last week. The capital stock of the association is fixed at $2,000, divided into two hundred shares of the par value of $10 each, nearly all of which has been taken.

We only discovered the brith of the Pioneer Hotel by reading this article. It is at the far left in this photo, which shows Ferry Street, as we look east, circa 1913. The Forest House Hotel is just beyond on the left, and the Vendome Hotel is across the street. The relatively new Wixson Hotel (now the Gateway) is at the left rear. Ferry Street was hotel row in those days.

New Hotel
The new business block of Mr. Shea on Ferry Street is rapidly nearing completion. The property is well situated and will always demand a good rental. The removal of the Northern Pacific depot [to a location on Eastern Avenue across the street, from Northern Avenue before] having considerably enhanced the value of property on that street and made it one of the business centers [Pioneer Hotel on upper floor and retail on the ground floor].
The new platform has been built at the Northern Pacific depot, and is a decided improvement to the place. It is about 300 feet in length and 19 feet 2 inches wide at the widest spot.
Boarding House
J.H. McClure has commenced the erection of a large two story building on Northern Avenue, between Metcalf and Murdock streets, which he will occupy as a boarding and lodging house. The building when complete will contain about twenty rooms. Mr. McClure, assisted by his wife, both of whom are well known in this city, will have personal charge of the business. [Journal ed. note: do any of you old-timers here recall that very old two-story building west of Murdock that the forestry service used much of the time, especially as a dormitory and cookhouse for volunteer firefighters? You're your editor was seven, in 1951, his brother bunked there while fighting fires south of the river. Could that be the same building as in this news?]
Local author
The many friends of Mrs. William T. "Jessie" Odlin, of Anacortes, will be glad to learn of her success in a story writing contest of the Black Cat Publishing Co. Mrs. Odlin's story is entitled "the Town that Took Treatment," and is given high rank among the many stories entered in the contest. Al little more than a year ago another story written by Mrs. Odlin appeared in the Black Cat and was one of those drawing a prize.
Communicated
In a recent issue of the Courier I notice what appears to be an unjust reflection against our board of county commissioners in general and more particularly against the member from this district; this in connection with alleged neglect of duty on the part of the board in failing to task the proper preliminary steps for the construction of the so-called Sterling canal.
It is stated in the article in question that the canal would solve the problem of water navigation to Sedro-Woolley and the conclusion is obvious that Commissioner [David D.] Donnelly is in default for neglecting a matter of so much important e to our city; now the fact of the matter is that the canal would be of an earthly benefit to navigation on the Skagit of very little to property owners along the river, with the single exception of the Great Northern railway; under the circumstances it would seem that the request for the canal should be fathered by the railway and not by the business men of Sedro-Woolley, and it is especially unfair that our hard working commissioner should be indirectly censured for his failure to act in the matter.

As Others See Us
Featured in magazine
The Seattle Trade Register in a recent issue pays this city and some of its business men a few nice compliments in the following article.

There is much of the Seattle spirit among the business element of the growing young city of Sedro-Woolley, and the results o that unity are patent to any observer. Some five years since the spirit of progress began to manifest itself, and today the future of the place seems brighter than ever. Among the business advances and changes the following may be mentioned.
Coddington and McGowan [their store earlier in LaConner was McGowan and Coddington] have opened a large dry goods and furnishing store.
F.L. Hemingway has built a new store and opened with a stock of cigars, confectionery and fruits. [Journal ed. note: Frank Hemingway opened one of the first nickelodeons in town, in 1905, ironically in the back room of W.B. Pigg's competing confectionery. We have few details about that business, and we recently discovered that there may have been an earlier nickelodeon, owned by pioneer Emil Runck, located on Northern Avenue, across the track from the G.N. depot and cater-cornered from Hemingway's. Ray Jordan, Chapter One, Yarns.]
The Lamont Hardware Co. is this week opening a new store on Ferry Street with hardware crockery, paints, oils, glass, door and sash, in a newly enlarged building, 20x80 feet, with a large warehouse addition.

We originally thought this was the original Union Mercantile store, which the company occupied from 1903. But later we found the photo below that is probably that early location. This photo was taken sometime before the 1911 Woolley Fire. The second story referred to below is the building on the left, which the partners also owned. Photo courtesy of Susan Parker Swetman, great-granddaughter of David Parker, the son-in-law of George Green, the founding partner of The Merc.
Green & Hammer have added a second story to their already very large store, the second story being devoted to their hats, men's and boys' furnishings, ladies suits, cloaks, etc. [Journal ed. note: as you can read about in the Ray Jordan Yarns transcription in this issue (and other stories), just six months later, George Green, Emerson Hammer and F.A. Hegg merged their operations by incorporating the new Union Mercantile, the first department store in town, on Jan. 10, 1903. Emerson Hammer, W.W. Caskey, A.W. Davison, F.A. Hegg were the officers. As we know from photos of the Hegg store and the "Merc" building next door, all at the southwest corner of Ferry and Metcalf streets, Hegg took over the older two-story structure for groceries mainly, and the dry goods and other items were sold in the one-story newer building.] . . . F.A. Hegg, a large dealer in groceries, dry goods and shoes, now east on a visit to his former home in Iowa, also shows a large increase in stock with an acute trade.
Ernest Fritsch is at present building a new store, which he will open with a stock of confectionery, cigars and bicycles. [Journal ed. note: we have not yet determined if he was another brother of the famous Fritsch Hardware brothers, or even if they were related. We do know that another brother of theirs, August Fritsch, did set up a separate business selling bicycles.]
A.M. Devener, the old established furniture, paints etc. is doing the business of the city in the furniture line. [Journal ed. note: Besides being prosperous and established in his line, Devener was also undertaker for the area. In those days, on the frontier, the undertaker most often also made and/or sold the coffins for funerals. LaMont would also be competing with Devener for part of his business. We are still puzzled that we have not discovered his name anywhere besides this instance.]

This photo shows the front of an even older Union Mercantile building. We know that the company evolved from the George Green Shingle Co., which included a sawmill at Cokedale Junction, northeast of town, and a dry goods business. The earlier business was owned by Green and his son-in-law, Emerson Hammer. Read about their families and the amazing migration of people from Lincoln Center, Kansas, to Sedro-Woolley.
Boynton & Son have about doubled the size of their former store and made corresponding increase in the size of their dry goods and grocery stock. [Journal ed. note: thus Boynton was a competitor to grocer Hegg, who had been firmly in place in his trade since 1890, back in old Sedro. We note here too that Boynton is one of the most mentioned family names in Skagit County history. Unfortunately we have little record of them, so we hope a reader can share.
A.B. Chapman has opened a cigar and confectionery store on Metcalf Street.
J.F. Mott & Co., druggists, have moved into the new store at the corner of Metcalf and Ferry streets, and their former location has been occupied by T.W. Stranger, with cigars, confectionery and billiards.
W.B. Pigg has opened a store at the corner of Metcalf Street and Railroad Avenue. [Journal ed. note: this seems to disprove the record about Pigg we previously found, that he brought his family here from Missouri in 1900 and opened a confectionery that year.]
Howard & Reynolds [Grocery] have more than doubled their stock of one year ago, both their store and warehouse being now filled to the utmost capacity and their trade is still growing rapidly.
The industrial question is receiving the full attention of the business people as is shown by the establishment of the Sedro-Woolley Foundry Co., which is now constructing a plant and will employ 12 to 15 men. . . . [text cut off there]
. . . practically solid, white of such immense size, the large cedars being quite generally hollow to quite an extent. At any rate, if any shingle mill can show up a bigger cedar, one that would scale more or even as much, it would be pleasing to hear from it.
The streets of Sedro-Woolley are fast being improved and are really a credit to the place. Roads are being opened up to outside points. At present an important road is being constructed eastward to Lyman, Hamilton, etc., and will be of much benefit to the trade interests as all the country along the Skagit Valley is highly productive and is being rapidly settled up and put into good ranches, now that much of the timber is off.
When it is considered that this article pertains to the progress of Sedro-Woolley during the past year only, and that in addition thereto there have been many good residences built during that time, with a goodly number now under construction, it shows beyond question that the place and surro9unding country are gratifyingly prosperous.

General news

H.J. Strickfadden and Frank C. Teck, the former owners of the Fairhaven Times and Maple Falls Leader, have dissolved partnership interests. Mr. Teck will continue to publish the Times and Mr. Strickfadden the Maple Falls Leader. Both gentlemen are well known in the newspaper field.

Mrs. Jesse Cary [family very early pioneers of Hamilton] possesses a unique relic in the shape of a newspaper, the "Upper County Gazette," printed at Kingston, N.Y., and which bears the date of Jan. 4, 1800. The paper contains an account of the death of Washington and though old and yellow with age, is still in a good state of preservation.--Hamilton Herald

The rapid progress of Sedro-Woolley is almost a constant topic of conversation for visitors in this city. When compared with, other small towns it is stated that the number of new buildings being erected is about 5 to 1 in favor of this place. Yet Sedro-Woolley is experiencing no boom and the business blocks and dwelling being erected are substantial. There are several reasons for the rapid growth of the town. It is full of business and its business compels it to grow. Besides it has many natural advantages.

Every year considerable damage is done by forest fires, the most of which originate through carelessness of campers and prospectors. The statutes providing punishment for such offences are strict and should be enforced to the full extent of the law. If some few were made examples of it would doubtless deter many others from leaving their camp fires in such condition that a general conflagration might result. The small fires that are built by the campers for use could be easily extinguished and if this was done many thousands of dollars worth of property would be saved annually.

Monday was the name as a holiday for Clear Lake. The residents of that place concluded to take in the show that exhibited here and the number reaching a like [unreadable] being so large as to prevent the running of the big mill; it was closed down for the day. The employes hied themselves to this town, took in the show and enjoyed themselves in general and continued to have a good time but they can have a better one by visiting this place July Fourth.
City News

Mr. and Mrs. E.R. Harcourt left Monday noon for California. They expect to go to the Sacramento Valley to make their home but have not definitely [sic] decided in what town they will locate for the present. Both are well known here, Mr. Harcourt having been employed in the machine shop of Fritsch Bros. for the past several years, and Mrs. Harcourt, formerly Miss Beall, having been in the office of W.J. Munro for some time past. Their many friends wish them the best of success in their new home.

Messrs. A.J. Starr & Son are engaged in giving the opera house a much needed coat of paint. The change in appearance of the building will be welcomed by the citizens of the town.

The LaConner ball team defeated the Mount Vernon team only a few weeks since. Sunday Sedro-Woolley defeated LaConner. What will Sedro-Woolley do to Mount Vernon July Fourth.

Hon. F.O. Ehrlich and wife and [County] Commissioner David M. Donnelly and wife were among the visitors from this city to LaConner Sunday.

Charles S. LaForge, of the Day Lumber company of Big Lake, was a business visitor in this city Monday.

W.L. O'Connell, a prominent lumberman of this county, was a business visitor in this city Monday.

Miss Theresa Elliott Reno, of Seattle, is visiting with her sister, Mrs. J.C. Plant.

C.E. Bingham made a business trip to Arlington Monday. Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Bingham and Mrs. William Kirby returned from Seattle Sunday.

Harley LaPlant, of Hamilton, spent Sunday in this city visiting with friends.

Miss Hilda Vaeth, of Tacoma, is visiting with her aunt, Mrs. C.E. Bingham.

Lawrence [also spelled Laurence] LaPlant, [lately] of Dawson [City, Alaska], arrived in this city Sunday and is visiting with his brother, Col. J.C. LaPlant.

The innovation of the street sprinkler was somewhat I the nature of a surprise to many of the people of this place but wholly agreeable and serves a good purpose.

A dance will be given at the Opera House on Saturday evening, July 5th for the benefit of the base ball club of this city. A good time is promised and a cordial invitation extended to all to be present.

Services at the M.E. [Methodist Episcopal] church Sunday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Evening subject "Our Nation's Birthday. The choir will furnish good music and the male quartette will sing.

Manager [Homer H.] Shrewsbury states that the LaConner ball club has canceled its date with the team at this place, which was to have been played here next Sunday. He has, however, secured a game with the Whatcom club, which will be played at this place next Sunday afternoon. The Whatcom team is playing good ball and an interesting game is expected.

Services at the M.E. church [Methodist Episcopal] Sunday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Evening subject "Our Nation's Birthday." The choir will furnish good music and the male quartette will sing. A cordial invitation is extended to all.

Miss Kathryn Hammer returned to Sedro-Woolley Wednesday to resume her position in the office of W.J. Munro.

Prof. Fowlie, principal of the Sedro-Woolley high school, was in Mount Vernon a short time Saturday night, returning Sunday.
West County News

According to the LaConner [Puget Sound] Mail the farmers of that vicinity pooled their oat holdings, amounting at 45,000 sacks, the last of the 1901 crop, and sold the entire lot to the Seattle Cereal company for the sum of $30 per ton. The sale was consummated by Mr. Herbert S. Conner, the accredited agent of the trust, to Manager Albers, representing the Cereal company. The sale created consider4able commotion on the streets, as through the medium of which $70,000 in hard cash was paid over to the farmers. The farmers that held out long enough were very fortunate indeed to have to in on the recent pool, as $30 is the highest price paid for oats here for the last ten years.

F. Blumberg and family visited in Anacortes Sunday.

J.L. Dale, of Edison, called at the county seat Wednesday.

R.H. Ball, of LaConner, was in Mount Vernon a few days last week

William Herbert is building an addition to his residence on First Street.

Prof. Shields, of Seattle, transacted business in Mount Vernon Saturday.

W.W. Robinson, of Seattle, made a flying trip to Mount Vernon Monday.

Al Stephenson, assessor of Snohomish county, was in Mount Vernon Saturday.

D.G. Wakefield, of LaConner, was a business caller in Mount Vernon Thursday.

Mrs. Thomas Smith [Mount Vernon attorney] is very ill and small hopes are entertained for her recovery.

Mrs. J. Gill, of Barberton, Ohio, is visiting her son, Vivian Gill who has been quite ill recently.

Miss Muth, of Everett, attended the dance given by the Mount Vernon social club Saturday night, returning Sunday.

Mrs. C.J. Noyes returned home Friday from Port Townsend, Seattle and Everett where she has been visiting relatives the past two weeks.

Dr. and Mrs. [Horace P.] Downs, Mr. and Mrs. Irwin, Mrs. J. Mulett, Mrs. Dennis Storrs and Mr. J. Pezelberger were among the Mount Vernonites who attended the grand lodge of IOOF [Odd Fellows] at Whatcom the first three days of last week.

The game of base ball between Everett's team and the Mount Vernon boys Sunday resulted in a score of 5 to 11 in favor of the visiting team. A large crowd from every town in the county gathered to witness the game and some fine playing was done.
Advertisements

Woolley Mercantile Company. In the Royal Hotel building, Sedro-Woolley. $1,000 dollars saved. For the people of Sedro-Woolley and surrounding country in the next Fifteen days as we are compelled to make a big cut on all goods in order to raise money for creditors. The following prices will convince you that we mean what we say.
[Journal ed. note: Examples for those of you who are curious about the changes in prices and the products of most interest a century ago.] Jacquard pattern goods, worth 40 cents, for 23 cents. Underwear: French Ballriggan Double Seat Drawers, worth 75 cents, for 40 cents. Men's socks, black or tan, worth 15 cents, for 8 cents. Men's shoes, dancing pumps, worth $2, for $1.25. Men's suits, all serge Cheviot, worth $15, for $8, all serge and worsted, worth $17.50, for $9.95. Women's shoes, kid glove French heel, worth $3.50, for $2. Notions, silk-finish suspenders, worth 15 cents, for 8 cents.

A.J. Cramer, Jeweler, practical watch maker, over 30 years experience, all work guaranteed. Opposite Depot, Sedro-Woolley [Pioneer Hotel Ground Floor, northeastern corner of Ferry Street and Eastern Avenue.

Norris Ormsby, General Transfer and Express, Charges Reasonable, Sedro-Woolley

Get your picture taken at the Kinsey Studio, Sedro-Woolley, we take pictures every day in the year except Sunday

A splendid opportunity. Wishing to dispose of my millinery store I will offer my entire line of millinery goods at half what they will invoice. A rare chance. Mrs. A.J. Steier. [See April issue above for the announcement of her opening. . . . Miss B.L. McPherson who succeeds Mrs. A.J. Steier in the millinery business wishes the ladies to call and inspect her new work.

A. M. Devener. Furniture, wall paper, oil, varnishes, carpets, oil. Undertaking a specialty. Sedro-Woolley

C.E. Bingham & Co., Bankers. Banking, insurance, foreign and domestic exchange, money loaned, fire, life, accident insurance. Sedro-Woolley

Mica Axle Grease. Makes short roads,And Light loads, Good for everything that runs on wheels. Sold everywhere, made by Standard Oil Co.

Tom R. Roberts, special agent and adjuster for the Transatlantic Fire Insurance company, was in town yesterday in the interests of his company.

It would be hard to beat H.F. Huntley on repairing watches. Fine watches, complicated watches, Swiss watches, English watches, all the same to him. On block south of opera house. [Journal ed. note: since the Opera House was located at the head end of Third Street, that would have put Huntley in the vicinity of Third and Warner streets, about where Lemley Mortuary is today. . . . Take your engraving and your watch and jewelry for repairs to H.F. Huntly [possibly a typo] you will be satisfied with the results. [Horace Condy had started his jewelry business in Woolley two years previously and by 1940 he had vanquished all comers. We have read little about Mr. Huntley so he may have moved on. At least one other jeweler, A.J. Cramer, was in town at that time.]

Fir and cedar wood $12.5 per load delivered.--Shrewsbury & McLain

This photo shows the interior of the two-story Union Mercantile building in the photo further above. At this time, circa early years of the century, Grocer F.A. Hegg had folded his own grocery and dry goods business into The Merc partnership. This is the north half of the store, featuring groceries and staples, and the stairway goes to the top. Hegg had started a grocery business here and at old Sauk City in about 1890. Photo courtesy of Susan Parker Swetman.

F.A. Hegg, dealer in General Merchandise, corner Metcalf and Ferry.

Gable & Seabury, attorneys at law, C.P. Gable, I.H. Seabury, practice in all county. Office over millinery store next door to Telephone office [which stood then on the present site of Hammer Heritage Square].

Smith & Coleman, attorneys and counselors, J. Henry Smith, Wilbra Coleman, Sedro-Woolley.

Dr. C.C. Harbaugh, physician and surgeon, office at Residence, opposite bank [mansion of P.A. Woolley; Harbaugh was his son-in-law], telephone 134.
Summonses
[Journal ed. note: These are assorted cases that we could read, obviously excerpted. we include them because we are committed to sharing as many names of pioneers as we can with genealogists.]
— Superior Court of Washington, County of Skagit

State vs. William Wood and ___ Wood, his wife, re: lots in block 29, Town of Sedro. This little item is intriguing because we have been so frustrated in finding information about William Woods, the oldest of the four British bachelors who settled here by the river in 1878. These lots were in his homestead bailiwick, so we were excited. But coincidentally we also just found his obituary, which threw cold water on this case because we think he never married.] I. H. Seabury, Plaintiff's attorney, soon to be city attorney.

State vs. Joseph Dobeck, and his wife, re: lots in block 192 Town of Sedro.
Homesteads

Leone Fishcer. Homestead #17474, lots in section one and two, township 36 north, range 5 east. Witnesses Thomas W. Miller, Saxon, Jacob Rottenbyer, H. Willett and Jacob Huber, Wickersham. Intention to make final proof in support of claim.
Timber notices

Frank Bergeron, of Clear Lake, purchase of lots in section 22, T 35N, R 11 E. Witnesses: A. Carlson of Marblemount, S.J. Neporum (?), F. McDermand and H.J. Schwinn, all of Clear Lake.

Samuel C. Calderhead, of Seattle, for the purchase of lots in section 2, T36N, R4E. Witnesses Joseph J. Hohmann of Seattle, Justin C. Hubbard of Seattle, Edward Canavan Jr. of Prairie, Howard O. Waltz of Seattle.

Ellen C. Shrader, of Seattle, county of King. For the purchase of lots in Section 2 and 11, T36N, R4E. Witnesses Joseph J. Hohmann of Seattle, Samuel C. Calderhead of Seattle, Edward Canavan Jr. of Prairie, Howard O. Waltz of Seattle.[Journal ed. note: two names popped after that page. Mr. Canavan established a farm at Prairie, north of Sedro, and he and his sister, Nellie, became known far and wide for their spectacular gardens. Neither ever married nor moved from their farm. We are curious if Mr. Waltz was the brother of Herman Waltz, who established the first hardware store in old Sedro by the river.]

Charles D. Shrader, of Seattle, for the purchase of lots in Section 11, T36N, R4E. Witnesses: Joseph J. Hohlmann of Seattle, Samuel C. Calderhead of Seattle [see notice above], Edward Canavan Jr. of Prairie; Howard O. Waltz of Seattle.

Maud N. Smith, of Clear Lake, for the purchase of lots in Section 35, T35N, R5E. Witnesses: A.H. Rogers, George Smith, Jacob Bartl of Clear Lake, and A.J. Richford of Seattle, WA.

Lulu H. King, of Seattle, for purchase of Sec 29, T26N, R6E.

See the links above for other 1902 Times transcriptions

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Oliver-Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 89 years.

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Skagit County Times, issues from 1902 Part Two: June 26, 1902

Skagit County Times, issues from 1902
Part Two: June 26, 1902