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Skagit River Journal

of History & Folklore
Free Home Page 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

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

Mortimer Cook slept here & named the town Bug

Howard and Butler Log Camp, somewhere between Edison and Bow. This photo was taken on July 12, 1892. It was not taken by Darius Kinsey, as some have attributed. See the story about their camp here and here.

We will eventually write our own complete profile of the little town of Bow, which is one block long, but which was at one time a market crossroads in Skagit County. Meanwhile, we refer you below to links about Bow and the surrounding towns in the Samish River watershed. We encourage reader memories and suggestions

Links, background reading and sources

Read Ray Jordan's story of Bow/Brownsville, including his own early memories.
A profile of Bow from the 1906 book, Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties.
A profile of Bow founder, William J. Brown.
Read about Dan Miller's quest to save and restore the Bow General Store, the last structure left in town that dates from the pioneer days of the late 1900s. Several photos included; part of our extensive series on the towns of Bow and Edison.

Equality Colony

Read Ray Jordan's 1976 story of Equality Colony, located in northwest Skagit County from 1897-1906. Issue 7.
Catherine Savage Pulsipher recalls the mill her father owned at the Equality Colony near Edison in 1898, life at the Colony and her brother's wedding there. [Both stories shared from optional Subscribers Edition. The Pulsipher story is from our old domain, so the links there may not work; it will be updated later in 2006.]
Chuck Easton's history of Equality Colony near Bow

More links about Bow, Edison, Blanchard/Fravel, Samish and area

We have completely updated a profile of Euphronius Watkinson, who was one of the earliest pioneers of Edison along with his brother, Melbourne, and who was also a pioneer settler of the town of Allen. New photos from descendants and more genealogical information, and still more will be updated later in 2007.
Introduction to the multi-part section on the history of Edison.
This site about Samish Island History is a veritable feast of well researched information about the whole Samish River watershed as well as the island itself. It features a history timeline, Indian points of view, wonderful photos and a full bibliography.
We hope that a reader will have more photos of Bow and its early settlers and the folks who stayed on to settle the area. We are also adding profiles of other towns in the area, so please send us information and scans of photos of your family's town. We especially want to find descendants of William J. Brown and Ben Gardner and other early pioneers. We especially want to see copies of early newspapers. We do not need your originals; photocopies will work just fine.
A list of all the stories about Blanchard, Fravel, Oyster Creek and Edward R. Murrow.
Albert S. Howard and Silas Butler, key loggers and sawmill owners in the area.
When you visit the Bow area, we recommend that you visit the Rhododendron Cafe, which has become a Bow landmark for almost 20 years. Owners Don and Carol Shank opened their restaurant on April 4, 1984, in the building that the Coble family originally opened as a Red Crown Service Station in the 1920s. Through several incarnations, the building was also a restaurant before, called the Kallstrom Place. Next door, you will find the Rhody Too gallery and gift shop, where Lois Bertolino, nationally known silver jeweler, displays a collection of Northwest Art and Artists Wednesday through Sunday, and bicyclists can find their espresso fix. While in the area, you might also want to see the Japanese garden created by Deymian LeSar at Karma Place Japanese Garden and Nursery between Bow and Edison on Chuckanut Drive.

Bow's pioneer newspaper, Northwest Skagit Advocate

Deanna Ammons shares the long-lost, rare inaugural issue of Bow's newspaper, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908. Part One: Publisher's plans, local news and a recap of early pioneers of the Fidalgo Island area.
Part Two, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: early days of town of Bow and environs.
Part Three, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: early days of town of Edison, at the delta of the Samish River.
Part Four, the Northwest Skagit Advocate, Oct. 10, 1908: advertisements of Samish Valley towns. Includes the newly discovered explanation of the names of the railroad stops and towns of Roray and Allen.

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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 has entered its seventh 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.

Story posted on May 19, 2006, last updated April 30, 2007

See this Journal website for a timeline of local, state, national and 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? We welcome correction and criticism.

Please report any broken links or files that do not open and we will send you the correct link. With more than 550 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 read the history websites about our prime sponsors:

Jones and Solveig Atterberry, NorthWest Properties Aiken & Associates: . . . See our website
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

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

Oliver Hammer Clothes Shop at 817 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.

Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery-Cafe at 823 Metcalf Street in downtown Sedro-Woolley, 82 years.

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.

DelNagro Masonry Brick, block, stone — See our work at the new Hammer Heritage Square

Are you looking to buy or sell a historic property, business or residence?
We may be able to assist. Email us for details.

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 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?

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