Site founded Sept. 1, 2000. We passed 4.5 million page views on Nov. 29, 2010
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.

Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
700 total Free Home Page Stories & Photos
(Also see our Subscribers Magazine Sample)
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

Dick Harris poem:
in memory of Jim Harris (and Jim's obituary)

I began "This River Sings" while sitting on the banks of the Skagit River at Rockport, the day of Jim's Celebration of Life in August 2009. It will appear in soon to be released Reimagine: Poems, 1993-2009, and in Upriver Images, when it is completed.
I always envied my "little" brother's his knowledge of the Upper Skagit and storytelling skills. Also when I needed verification of family or upper valley stories I was writing, I turned to Jim.
Anyone interested in Reimagine can contact me at mtnpond@comcast.net. —Dick Harris, Bellingham.

This River Sings for Marvin L. "Jim" Harris, 1937-2009 Snow, avalanche, and scree;
creeks, ponds, and seeps,
collect in reverberating rush,
cascade in mountain pools,
eddies glazed undercurrents.

Mosquitoes and deerflies,
humorless protein,
psalmic multitudes
survive winter's minus.

Spring, tempered and wet,
its creeks quicken and swirl.
Tawny duff and flecks of sun
conceal newly dropped fawns.

Eagle, salmon, and raven
sing this river's song —
sing as it flows —
dammed,
tunneled,
diverted!
This river sings as it
sprays cool mist,
splashes rocks with
syncopated rim-shots.

Cottonwoods rustle in tenor,
maples in baritone,
as softly this river sings
through mist and fog.

Softly, its spirits sing
of a mountain's ashes
rising in evening drafts.

Wild and free, this river sings.

Jim Harris

Jim Harris, Rockport and Illabot Creek Skagit Valley Herald, July. 28, 2009

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. And subscriptions to our optional Subscribers Online Magazine (launched 2001) by donation too. Thank you. Thank you.

Marvin L. "Jim" Harris left this earth on June 21, 2009, to hike the hills of heaven. A lifelong Skagit Valley resident, Jim was born October 2, 1937, in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. He was the third child born to Alvin B. Harris and Sarah M. (Eggleston) Harris. Jim will be missed by so many but his stories will live on as will his infectious love of the Skagit Valley and the North Cascades. Friends and family are invited to gather to celebrate his life by the social hall and log cabin at Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Rockport, Washington, on Sunday, August 16 at 2:00 PM. Stories to share are welcome.
Jim spent most of his youth across the Skagit River from Rockport. He attended two-room Rockport school. When he was a teen, his family moved to "town" (Concrete), where he played football and basketball, and played trombone in the concert and festival bands at Concrete High School. He was Senior Class President of the Class of 1955.
After some time logging, Jim enrolled at Washington State University and participated in the ROTC. He then transferred to Western Washington College (University) and graduated with a BA in Industrial Arts and Biology. He returned for additional time to complete his teaching certificate. His first assignment was head teacher of a two-room school in Marblemount.
Jim moved to the Upper Skagit with his new wife Joyce E. (Northup) Harris in 1961. The Harrises welcomed their daughter Valerie in 1962 and son Dan in 1963. In 1969, they adopted two-year-old daughter Regina. During this time, Jim also taught in Newhalem and Concrete, as well as working as a seasonal employee for the U.S. Forest Service.
Jim left teaching and joined the U.S. National Park Service when they opened the North Cascades National Park. He returned to school and received an AA in Skagit Valley College's Forest Ranger Program. This launched a career for which "Ranger Jim" was well known. While he served many roles within the North Cascades National Park, he was best known for his wonderful fireside programs and his extensive research and local knowledge of the peoples and history of the Upper Skagit. Although he retired in 1999, much evidence of his work as a naturalist and interpretive specialist throughout the park and Upper Skagit remains today.
Jim helped raise three stepchildren with his second wife Ellen Hand. He became a grandfather in 1983. He enjoyed a total of eight grandchildren and one great-grandson, as well as the five grandchildren of his longtime life partner, Sally Grant of Bellingham.
Beside his children and grandchildren, his brother, Dick Harris, of Bellingham, and a cousin, Sally Anne, who was raised by their family, and numerous other relatives, survive Jim. His parents, his sister, Loretta, and two infant brothers preceded him in death.
Jim's love for the mountains and the valley were pervasive throughout his life and evident in everything he did. He was a hiker, published author, poet, storyteller, speaker, educator, "bear wrangler", logger, farmer, carpenter, and local school supporter. His retirement years were filled with doing what he loved: hiking, biking, and traveling with Sally, and even a few new skills like dancing!

Journal ed. note: You can read another marvelous memorial to Jim Harris at this North Cascades Institute website, which includes memories from several of his friends.
We thank Dick for this fine poem and we look forward to reviewing his upcoming book. All rights to this poem are reserved to Dick Harris.

Links, background reading and sources

You can read Dick Harris's beautiful poem, "This River Sings," at this Journal site. His book, Reimagine: Poems, 1993-2009 is now published. You can read about it and how to obtain it at his website.
Another Dick Harris poem.
The late Jim Harris's Christmas memories of 1948.

Story posted on March 13, 2010 . . . Please report any broken links so we can update them

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 new weekly 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. You can also subscribe to our optional Subscribers-Paid Journal magazine online, which enters its tenth year 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: Cygnus Gallery, 109 Commercial St., half-block uphill from Main Street, LaConner. Open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 5 p.m., featuring new monthly shows with many artists, many local. Across the street from Maple Hall, 1886 Bank Building and Marcus Anderson's 1969 historic cabin. Their website will be up in early 2010.

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

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

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?

Please sign our guestbook so our readers will know where you found out about us, or share something you know about the Skagit River or your memories or those of your family. Share your reactions or suggestions or comment on our Journal. Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit our site.

View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook

Email us at: skagitriverjournal@gmail.com

Mail copies/documents to Street address: Skagit River Journal, 810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, WA, 98284.

Skagit River Journal

Dick Harris poem: in memory of Jim Harris (and Jim's obituary)

Dick Harris poem:
in memory of Jim Harris (and Jim's obituary)