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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Subscribers Edition Stories & Photos
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 (bullet)

810 Central Ave., Sedro-Woolley, Washington, 98284
Home of the Tarheel Stomp (bullet)

Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug

Portal to Anacortes/Fidalgo Island/Deception Pass/outlying islands

This photograph shows a view from Bowman's Point, looking northeast across the Guemes Channel towards the Skagit County mainland, with the tip of Guemes Island to the left. The photo is courtesy of this find Windemere Real Estate website, which supplies more background on the modern island.

Introduction to Amos Bowman's writing: Before and After — the Anacortes founder publishes an 1879 letter predicting the boom and follows up with an 1890 article answering his own predictions. Includes brief profile and timeline for Amos and his wife, Annie (Curtis), namesake of the town.
Capsule profiles of Anacortes and Fidalgo Island pioneers, businesses and place names, Part 1: A-L
Capsule profiles of Anacortes and Fidalgo Island pioneers, businesses and place names, Part 2: M-R
Capsule profiles of Anacortes and Fidalgo Island pioneers, businesses and place names, Part 3: S-Z
Anacortes Historic Photos from the files of author Paul Dorpat; publisher Wallie Funk, the old Puget Sound Mail newspaper and other collectors. And details of the Funk photo exhibit at the Anacortes Museum, shown from now to 2008.
The birth and boom of Ship Harbor and Anacortes and the Seattle & Northern train that finally chugged into Woolley in April 1890, the second of three rail lines in town. Transcripts from the 1906 Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish counties. From Subscribers-Paid Journal Issue 4. This feature is from our old domain and has not yet been updated, so some of the links will not work.
Features coming in June-July 2006: Preparations from the early 1870s-on for a future railroad terminus, and the Oregon Improvement Co . . . .The Seattle & Northern Railroad arrives on Nov. 27, 1890, as the Anacortes boom wanes . . . George F. Kyle and the Anacortes Hotel . . . Bill Lowman and his pioneer family and the beloved Bobo . . . Bill Mitchell's cut-out murals that define and illustrate Anacortes social history . . . William Munks, his ghost hotel and his two wives . . . Carrie White's 1998 essay — "Anacortes Before the Boom"
Many more features and transcriptions of rare documents and photos, plus family descendant memories, will be posted starting in June 2006.
The Anacortes History Museum and Carnegie Gallery's official site, is possibly the best such website in the state. It includes photos, history and the context of the Anacortes boom of 1890 and the attempts since then to establish a viable economy through the ups and downs of the ensuring 11 decades. The museum is located in the original Anacortes Carnegie library. We also highly recommend the museum's extensive and well organized research library. If you have questions or want to make an appointment to research, you can email to coa.museum@cityofanacortes.org or write to 1305 8th St., Anacortes, WA 98221 or phone 360-293-1915. Director Garry Cline, Curator of Collections Judy Hakins and Educator Terry Slotemaker and the knowledgeable staff are very helpful. Slotemaker's research and database are very impressive as are his own writings. An exhibit of the Wallie Funk collection of Fidalgo Island and Anacortes photos opened at the museum in April 2006.
This map from Mapquest will show you the big picture of the area of Skagit County and the San Juan Islands west of I-5.

See this Journal website for a timeline of local, state, national and international events for years of the pioneer period.

You can click the donation button to contribute to the upkeep of this site at a time when we may be forced to cut it back for lack of funds. You can also subscribe to our optional Subscribers-Paid Journal magazine online, which is about to enter its sixth year with exclusive stories, in-depth research and photos that are shared with our subscribers first. If you like what you read, t hank you in advance for whatever support you can provide.

Story posted on June 30, 2006
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You can read the history websites about our prime sponsors:
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Jones and Solveig Atterberry, NorthWest Properties Aiken & Associates:
please let us show you residential and commercial property in Sedro-Woolley and Skagit County 2204 Riverside Drive, Mount Vernon, Washington . . . 360 708-8935 . . . 360 708-1729 . . . See our website
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Schooner Tavern/Cocktails at 621 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, across from Hammer Square: www.schoonerwoolley.com web page . . . History of bar and building
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Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.
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Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery-Cafe at 823 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.
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Check out Sedro-Woolley First for links to all stories and reasons to shop here first or make this your destination on your visit or vacation.
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DelNagro Masonry Brick, block, stone — See our work at the new Hammer Heritage Square
See our website www.4bricklayers.com
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Are you looking to buy or sell a historic property, business or residence? We may be able to assist. Email us for details.
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Peace and quiet at the Alpine RV Park, just north of Marblemount on Hwy 20
Park your RV or pitch a tent by the Skagit river, just a short drive from Winthrop or Sedro-Woolley

Did you find what you were looking for? If not, please email us and tell us what you seek and we will put it on our list to research. The more details, the better. 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.

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Remember, we welcome correction and criticism. Please click on the email slot at the right to report any problems with these pages or to suggest ideas for future stories. This is a completely free site. We fund it by providing an online magazine for paid subscribers. If you are not already a subscriber and you would like to help support our considerable research costs, you can subscribe for just $20.00 per year. As a paid subscriber, you will receive eight yearly issues plus many rare treats between times, including scans of photos and documents that illustrate local history, before they are shared with anyone else. You can go here for Subscription details and you can read the preview edition to see examples of our in-depth research. You may also order gift subscriptions for friends, family or clients who are interested in local history or students or military people who are away from home. Or you can email us for more details. Do you have scanned photos to share? Or you can mail us copies. See addresses to the right.

Email us at: journal@stumpranchonline.com

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