Now & Then Mar ch 2014
Inside this issue: Whidbey Sketchers Visit Museum
2
Annual Meeting to
3
Come Watch Whales & Support our Museum
feature Senior Curator of Hibulb Cultural Center from Tulalip Waldorf Fourth 4 Graders Look at Local history Volunteers Needed
4
New Web Site about to be Launched
4
Have You Renewed Your membership? your Membership South Whidbey Historical Society
312 2nd St. PO Box 612 Langley WA
4
On Saturday Afternoon of April 19th, a fund raising whale watching trip will be held to support our Museum and Historical Society. Come take a comfortable cruise aboard the Mystic Sea and travel the waters of Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound. Watch the gray whales as they take their spring break off of Whidbey Island on their annual migration northward. Snacks and refreshments will be available. The boat will leave and return from Langley and will last about three hours. The cost is $50.00 of which $17.50 is tax deductable. To purchase tickets call the Museum at 360 221 2101. Leave your telephone number on the answering machine. In that the office is not manned someone will get back to you within a couple of days. You may also purchase tickets at the museum in Langley when we are open on Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM..
Historical Document found in Society While reorganizing the society’s archives, an intriguing document signed by Ulysses S Grant emerged. The document grants 170 acres of land to Charles W Sparks in Island County, Washington Territory, October 1st 1875. Peter Van Giesen, a retired surveyor offered to research the document to ascertain its validity. He questioned the seal in the lower left hand corner because it was not embossed. Also, the use of red ink on the document and the land description was not written properly. His research validated the homestead grant to be accurate. The next questions included where is this 170 acres and who was Charles W Sparks? The property is located between Maxwelton and Bayview north of Ewing Road and Southwest of intersection between Ewing road and Sills road. Charles W Sparks was born in Maine in 1822 and died May 15 th, 1906 in Port Ludlow. He was active in pioneer movements that perpetuated early History. His grandson Floyd Sparks who lived between 1894 and 1966 was an Indianapolis race car driver. The document itself is not an original but a copy and not actually signed by the President of the United States. Even though it may not bring high value on the Antique Road Show, it is an invaluable piece of Island history.