The Ferndale Record proudly presents its 3rd annual
of Whatcom County
FEATURED FAMILIES EBE | FULLNER
|
SHEETS & MABERRY
A supplement of the Ferndale Record July 2013
|
SLATER
The Ferndale Record is proud to welcome you to its 3nd annual Pioneering Families magazine. We proudly highlight some of the families that helped to shape this amazing place we call home, Whatcom County. These Pioneering families live amongst you in Ferndale, Custer, Everson, Lynden, Sumas, Birch Bay and Bellingham. They experienced many hardships and struggles along the way, mixed with great joy and much success. It’s hard to imagine how they accomplished so much with what we today would consider so little. Please take this chance to learn more about some of your neighbors and friends; we hope you enjoy our stories and tribute to these remarkable men and women.
Publisher
Contributing Writers Mark Reimers Brent Lindquist Calvin Bratt Tim Newcomb
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Layout & Graphics Leah Hathaway Advertising Sales Rachael Dawkins Jan Brown
3
Engineering the
Oscar Ebe found the farm he was looking for in 1919. At the corner of what is now Enterprise and Sunrise roads, Oscar and his wife, Lena, located their family home on the farm. They didn’t know it would also turn into their family legacy.
Oscar planted his first potatoes on the farm right around 1919. Now, a couple of generations later, Oscar’s son, Leonard, and Oscar’s grandson, Greg, have some of the world’s finest seed potatoes filling the ground of about 650 Whatcom County acres, including at the original corner where potatoes have been growing for 90plus years. 4
The Ebe story is one of perseverance and realization. Oscar was born in Germany, but moved as a boy to the United States in 1913. His family landed in Kansas to start, but he eventually moved west to Portland and then north to Goldendale, Wash., where he worked on a wheat farm. The best part of the farm, though, was the farm-owner’s
daughter, Lena, whom Oscar married. The couple started looking for a farm of their own, something they could take ownership of. And while Leonard never learned exactly why, Oscar and Lena settled on Lynden, soon trying their hand at potato farming. Continued on pg 5
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
perfect seed potato: An Ebe family tradition By Tim Newcomb
Above: This photo gives a good representation of the hard labor early potato farmers dedicated to their crops. THE NETHERLANDS-CIRCA 1904-Historical postcard from 1904 with farmhands who are digging up potatoes on the isle of Terschelling in the Netherlands. Continued from pg 4
The early years of the farm weren’t so successful, but through the advice of farmers in the area, Oscar persevered through potato disease, finally ridding his crops of poor seeds and growing the farm into solid sales by the 1930s, just a few years after Leonard was born in 1927. Farming was a way of life for the Ebe family, which eventually consisted of Leonard, one brother and five sisters. But it really only stuck long-term for Leonard. By age 8 he was working hard on the farm, mixing in school at the two-room Sunrise schoolhouse and later Lynden High School, where he graduated from the in 1940s. He ventured off to Washington State University and took a two-year agriculture certificate course. “Half the stuff wasn’t any
good,” he said. Graduating in 1948, Leonard was right back on the farm. He married Idamae in 1949. Just like his father when he married, Leonard was ready for his own farm. But he kept the new venture in the family, buying land and working with Oscar in the potato-growing world. The father-son team worked together for a number of years, until Oscar finally stepped aside in the early 1970s. What started at 100 acres grew exponentially, now with 650 acres farmed for potatoes. The Ebes also have other acres they swap with local berry farmers. By mixing in new crops onto soil—for potatoes, having four to five years of berry growth is ideal—the land regenerates the best potato-craving nutrients.
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Leonard and Idamae had eight children, but when the time came for someone to take over the family business, there weren’t a lot of takers. Greg, the second youngest, had already made a name for himself. Outside of potatoes. Following graduation from Ferndale High School, Greg pursued an engineering degree from Seattle University. He successfully cofounded Reichhardt & Ebe Engineering in 1992 and was soon landing large civil contracts for the company. While Greg enjoyed engineering, he kept his hand in the farm, helping his dad as he could, the only one of the eight siblings to stay heavily involved in the farm. But that wasn’t a sustainable process, for Greg or Continued on pg 6
5
Leonard (2nd generation) and son Greg Ebe (3rd generation) of Ebe Farms. Continued from pg 5
the family business. One business venture had to go. He “retired from engineering” just three years ago. “I was doing both, but I enjoyed farming,” Greg said. “It’s in my blood.” That revelation gave him the opportunity to take the load off Leonard, continue to grow the farm and even use his engineering know-how on the farm. “There is a lot of overlap out in the fields,” he said. “My background in engineering has benefited the farm.” Of the eight children of Leonard and Idamae, Greg’s the only involved with the farm and only one of two even still living in Whatcom County. His sister, Teresa Kats, works for the Lynden School District. The tradition of spreading wings is another Ebe family trait, as Leonard’s two living sisters both live out of the area and only two of them stayed helping on the farm. His 6
brother, Alois, “didn’t want anything to do with running the farm.” For those who stayed, north Whatcom County makes for a perfect place for potatoes because of its isolation from disease that the rest of the country offers. Add in perfect soil conditions west of Lynden and an ideal climate, Greg said, and you’ve got a mix for family farming that stretches close to 100 years. Life on the farm is a constantly moving array of work that starts each April and May with planting. Then the family stays busy through the summer cultivating, irrigating and spraying, preparing for a five- or sixweek rush of harvesting that begins near the end of August. “That is an intense stretch,” Greg said. From there, the winter stays hectic with shipping and rating potatoes, right up until the next planting season. As Leonard said, “It doesn’t slow down.”
In the early days of the farm, the Ebes were selling mostly white rose, Pontiac red and eventually russets via train cars to California. Without winter storage, it was a rush to get the potatoes south before the weather struck. Now the farm grows 30 different varieties — white rose is no longer in the mix, however. King of the day is red potatoes, a new influx of fresh varieties out of Europe, mostly yellow, and a few purple and fingerlings from New Zealand. Picking by hand, as was done until the 1950s, was a time-consuming process that required rounding up “quite a crew,” Leonard said. As crews picked, the potatoes were shipped into Lynden for storage in the cow and horse barns at the Northwest Washington Fair. But they wouldn’t last the winter, so they had to get on a train by Thanksgiving. Forunately for the Ebes, they have plenty of on-farm storage now. Continued on pg 7
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Continued from pg 6
Leonard remembers fondly the days of pure excitement when the family welcomed a two-row planter to the farm. Now six-row planters steer themselves with GPS systems and diggers are rummaging up potatoes four rows at a time. As Greg manages the farm with the help of Leonard every afternoon (his expertise is key in walking the fields to inspect growth), there’s a fourth generation of potential Ebe farmers coming up through the Ferndale school system. With three children between Greg and wife Mary, ages 15, 14 and 12, Greg hopes they take a similar path to his, even if their summer vacations will be filled with life on the farm. “I’d like them to get an education and explore other options,” Greg said. “But I’ll always hope they’d be interested (in coming back).” Even if it takes a while, maybe they’ll find farming is their blood too.
Yarn, needles, books & patterns.
Mon - Sat 11 to 5 • Sun 11 to 4 Classes available upon request
360-371-0332 7620 Birch Bay Drive, Birch Bay beachbasketyarns@comcast.net
Above: Antique potato planter. From the 1880s onwards, the agricultural engineering firm of Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies in Ipswich, England began to manufacture horse drawn potato planters at their Orwell Works on the docks. One such machine, made from 1890, was known as the Ipswich Potato Planter, which was capable of planting on previously ridged soil. Photo credit: www.planetipswich.com
CONSTANTIN CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC RESTAURANT HOURS Monday - Friday 11:00 am - 8:30 pm Saturday 12:00 pm - 8:30 pm Sunday closed
(360) 312-9433 5685 3rd Ave. Ferndale WA 98248 www.LuxeThai.com Dine In or Take Out
Enjoy good health everyday with benefits of chiropractic care
In Ferndale:
In Blaine:
Pierre Constantin DC Pierre Constantin DC Christopher Andruscavage DC Susan Constantin DC Meghan Andruscavage LMP Mia Clare LMP Denise Santamarina LMP 2017 MAIN ST.
245 H ST.
(360) 384-4611
(360) 332-1086
Birch Bay’s first resort still serving you! Biggest Mexican Restaurant in Whatcom County
Our Building - 1895 … Our Candy Stove - 1915 Our Oven - 1916 … Our Confections - Timeless!
Candy Shop · Bakery · Deli · Pizzeria Open Daily 11am-10pm until Labor Day The C Shop · 4825 Alderson Rd · Birch Bay, WA 98230 360-371-2070 · www.thecshop.com
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
CATERING AVAILABLE
Open Daily!
Daily 2pm-5pm & 8-Close drinks & appetizers specials
5694 Third Ave., Ferndale • 384-5820 • chihuahuarestaurant.net
7
From the pages of the Ferndale Record circa 1889-1920. Our original advertisers.
8
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Keeping track of the past One couple’s quest to track down their roots By Brent Lindquist
pile
r years to com
ve worked fo eryl Fullner ha Merle and Sh mily history. the Fullner fa
Carl Fullner, seated in the center, was the first of the Fullners to travel to the United States from Germany, eventually settling on Abbot Road near present-day Lynden.
EVERSON — Having the same last name doesn’t always mean two people are necessarily related. For Merle and Sheryl Fullner of Nugent’s Corner, however, this is not the case. “All the Fullners in the county are
our relatives,” Sheryl said. The Fullners are a sixth-generation immigrant family in Whatcom County. Merle’s family line consists of the Fullners, of German descent, and the Goodings, of English lineage. The Fullners came from Germany while the Godings hearken back
to the United States’ colonial times. Merle’s family in the U.S. began with Carl Fullner. “Carl was the German immigrant with his wife Lousa,” Sheryl said. “Louisa came over in steerage with her three children that were born in Germany, and he Continued on pg 10
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
9
This tree shows how the Gooding and Fullner family lines came together. Continued from pg 9
came over ahead of time. I don’t know what it would be like to have your wife and your three little children, toddlers, in steerage.” The Fullners farmed, first in Stanton Neb., and then in 1890, the family purchased a farm in Lynden on Abbot Road, just a year after Washington was incorporated as a state. They were well known in the area as successful farmers and homesteaders. On the Gooding side, Harvey Smith Gooding and his wife, Heady, came over to the Pacific Northwest when Washington was still just a territory, as they worked
their way west. The Goodings founded New Whatcom Soda Works, a very popular bottling company at the time. While the Fullners are associated with Lynden, the Goodings are tied to the area formerly called “New Whatcom.” “New Whatcom is from before Bellingham was Bellingham,” Sheryl said. “There were three little communities on the bay. New Whatcom was the seashore. You’d go there and buy a shell as a souvenir. We don’t think of it here as really being a seashore, but they had all kinds of imported shells that said new what com on them.”
Merle’s family line was forever changed in the 1920s when the great flu epidemic hit the New Whatcom area. “They lost the father, Harvey Smith Gooding, and two sons, Jesse and Charles, in the flu epidemic. That was all over Whatcom County. Families were just decimated,” Sheryl said. That’s where, as Sheryl puts it, “It gets weird.” Harvey’s son, Charles Gooding perished in the great flu epidemic, leaving his wife, Ada. “Charles died,” Sheryl said. “Ada had eight children to support. Over here, Continued on pg 11
10
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Continued from pg 10
Carl Fullner and Louisa had a son named Paul.” Paul married a woman named Fern, but when she was no longer with them, Paul was left with two children to care for. “Paul has two children,” Sheryl said, “ and Ada has eight, and they marry each other. Then, they’re all different ages, some are quite young, one even being born after Charles dies. “They’re all living together if they haven’t moved off, so Merle’s dad Loraine and Ada’s daughter Eileen are sort of thrown together, they’re step brother and sister. “They marry.” Loraine, Merle’s father, was a logger by trade before moving into the dairy industry. “A bunch of the family went over toward Forks, but the people who stayed here went from logging to dairy in the 1950s,” Merle said. “That was when they still did horse-plowing for farms. There were a few carryovers in the early 1950s with horses. Sheryl said many people used horses for logging, and Loraine continued the use of horses when he went into farming.
Merle’s mother, Eileen, trapped fur animals and sold them for shoes and school clothing. “Merle’s mother remembers that she trapped fur animals and sold them for shoes and school clothes,” Sheryl said. “It wasn’t a guy thing. It didn’t matter what kind of fur animals. She did skunk, she did whatever showed up in the traps.” The Fullners said it’s interesting to look back on the line and see the commonalities between generations. “They’re basically all really interested in hunting, fishing and they’re qualified as guides,” Sheryl said. “They’re really good at that. That’s part of the Fullner heritage because one of Merle’s great greats was a gamekeeper.” Merle himself is a retired pressman, having spent decades working at the Lynden Tribune & Print Company. Keeping track Sheryl is fascinated with history, especially with the history provided by photographs. She has had several family books made of the old photos and artifacts. Much of this interest stems from a
This bottle hearkens back to the days of New Whatcom Soda Works and its products.
Continued on pg 13
Many of the Fullners went into the logging and shingle mill business. This photo of one of these mills is framed by wood from one of the mills worked on by the Fullners.
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
11
Merle and Sheryl Fullner have blown up and displayed a few of the labels used in the production of New Whatcom Soda Works’ products, including these three. New Whatcom Soda Works was founded by Merle’s great great grandfather Harvey Smith Gooding.
ete’s Auto Repair, LLC Bill Magas Agent/President (360) 734-0416 (360) 734-4051 Fax bill@magasinsurance.com
2615 Meridian Bellingham, WA 98225 www.magasinsurance.com
A Partner of the Advantage Group
Western Travel Sales • Sales & Service: New & Used Travel Trailers, 5th Wheels & Park Models
• Accessories, Storage, Parts • Trailer Hitch Sales/Installation
360-354-4477 1800-481-4504
• Full-Service Repair Shop • Mobile Service
8165 Guide Meridian, Lynden, WA • westerntravelsales.com
12
rofessional Car Care Call 380-CARS (2277)
www.petesautorepair.net
Continuing the Family Pioneering Tradition Pete Harksell, Sr. 1969-1992 Pete’s Ferndale Exxon Now Carrying on the Tradition Pete & Nita Harksell, Jr. 1991-Present Pete’s Auto Repair, LLC Located at 6209 Portal Way, Ferndale
Our ASE Certi�ied Technicians are trained and tested to perform Recommended Maintenance & Service, Diagnostics, Brakes, Exhaust, Oil Changes, Electrical, Clutches, Repairs and more
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Continued from pg 11
group of mysterious photographs passed down by Merle’s family. Depicting women in the 1800s, the photos were not marked or named. “The German guys, Merle’s great great grandfather, they had these old pictures at their house,” Sheryl said. “They were passed down for over 113 years. I got on the Internet and I found a match to one of them. It was a woman Fullner who married and became a Newman. There wasn’t any way I could’ve found her under Fullner because I didn’t have her maiden name back in the 1890s. We’re corresponding with people who are the direct descendants of those people.” Back when writer Alex Haley published “Roots: The Saga of an American Family,” a novel based on his family’s history beginning in Gambia in the 1700s, people began to follow suit, collecting their own family histories. “People got interested in their history,” Sheryl said. “Who was grandpa, who was great grandma? So then Ancestry.com came along. People would put what they knew down. And I thought when my last
grandmother died, I thought that would be the end of me finding out, but other people keep putting little pieces in.” The Fullners have held on to many of the artifacts over the years, including a variety of photographs and items from their history. Sheryl, whose family in the United States dates back to the 1600s, has had more trouble tracking down her family. “My family just had no history to pass down,” Sheryl said. “Nothing belonged to them. Merle’s family kept things.” One of these artifacts from the past is an old soda bottle dating back to the days of New Whatcom Soda Works. The Fullners keep it under glass as a reminder of the past, and Sheryl is still compiling the family’s history as she finds it, through Ancestry.com and other tools. She has used everything from tin types to photos to documents and more to connect the dots. “Once you find somebody else who’s got a tin type or a photo with a name, and all of a sudden you’ve got a family,” Sheryl said.
Downtown Ferndale since 1937 “We Make Cars & Drivers Happy!” Computer Diagnostic and Repair to Oil & Filter Service 2040 Vista Dr., Ferndale
384-1584
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
13
Timeless
Ferndale School District Education is Timeless!
www.ferndale.wednet.edu 360-383-9207
129 Years
Morse Steel
3002 W. Illinois St. Bellingham, WA 98244 360-756-6200
90 Years
Parberry’s NW Recycling Oldtown-1419 C St. 1515 Kentucky Bellingham, WA
128 Years
123 Years
Ferndale Record
Banner Bank
2004 Main St. • P.O. Box 38 Ferndale, WA www.ferndalerecord.com 360-384-1411
1815 Main St. Ferndale, WA
www.bannerbank.com 360-384-3300
84 Years
77 Years
Sanitary Service Company, Inc (SSC)
Cargill Ferndale Grain
Recycling & Garbage Collection - FoodPlus! Shredding • Jobsite & Event Services
nwrecycling.com • 360-733-0100
www.ssc-inc.com • Facebook / sscinc Twitter @sscinctweets
77 Years
76 Years
Whatcom Educational Credit Union
5659 Barrett Rd., Ferndale, WA www.wecu.com 360-676-1168
67 Years
Chevrolet-Cadillac Of Bellingham
3891 Northwest Ave., Bellingham, WA
www.BellinghamChevy.com 360-733-7997
61 Years
Les Schwab - Ferndale
14
5744 3rd St. Ferndale, WA
360-384-1101
75 Years
Willand’s Tech-Auto
Western Roofing
2040 Vista Drive, Ferndale, WA www.willands.com 360-384-1584
3705 Irongate Rd., Bellingham. WA
66 Years
64 Years
Northwest Propane
5494 Barrett Rd., Ferndale, WA www.nwpropane.net 360-354-4471
57 Years
Overhead Door
www.westernroof.com 360-734-1830
Ferndale Dental Clinic
Dr. Richard V. Tucker • Dr. Ronald D. Dahl Dr. Anthony A. Gardiner • Dr. Braden G. Miller
100+ Years of Experience (360) 384-1271
56 Years
Jensen’s Ferndale Floral
1731 LaBounty Dr.
202 Ohio St., Bellingham, WA
Ferndale, WA
Est. 1921 Hartford, IN
2071 Vista Dr., Ferndale, WA
360-380-4660
360-734-5960
360-384-1611 Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
47 Years
44 Years
Reinke's Fabrication
Pete’s Auto Repair 6209 Portal Way Bld.2 Ferndale, WA www.petesautorepair.net 360-380-2277
5825 Aldrich Rd. Bellingham, WA 360-398-2011
33 Years
Ferndale Mini Storage 5480 Nielsen Ave. Ferndale, WA
32 Years
Stevenson, Mcculloch CPA’s, Inc., P.S.
360-384-3022
1951 Main St., Ferndale, WA www.alcpa.com 360-384-0088
23 Years
23 Years
Smith Mechanical Inc.
6146 Portal Way, Ferndale, WA
Cedarwoods Canine School
360-384-3203
6497 Woodlyn Rd., Ferndale, WA Most recommended dog trainer 360-384-6955
19 Years
8 Years
U-Haul Moving & Storage Of Ferndale
5484 Barrett Rd., Ferndale, WA 360-733-5555 www.uhaul.com
3 Years
Imhof Automotive
2869 W. 63rd Ln., Ferndale, WA Over 30 years in automotive experience 360-393-8938
36 Years
Ferndale Mini Market 2085 Main St. (Downtown) Ferndale, WA 360-384-0497
25 Years
F.J. Darby O’neil, CPA 2080 Alder St. Ferndale, WA 360-384-1421
20 Years
Cruisin Coffee
1976 Kok Road • 360-318-1919 5885 Portal Way • 360-384-8100 www.cruisincoffee.com
7 Years
2nd Avenue Sports
Heston Hauling Service
360-312-9698
Towing service available
2026 Main St., Ferndale, WA
6397 Portal Way, Ferndale, WA 360-312-8697
3 Years
Final Touch Auto Spa
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
1916 Iowa St. Bellingham, WA 360-734-3840
2 Years
Carol’s Cake Designs 2016 Main St., Ferndale, WA 360-778-2390 www.carolscakedesigns.com 15
Lynden berry heritage began long ago Sheets and Maberry families first to plant large tracts of strawberries By Calvin Bratt
In January 1913 Oscar Sheets, age 26, traveled to Lynden -- by train and boat -- from Van Buren, Missouri, to check out 10 acres that he had been offered in a trade. He saw the property covered in snow, but decided it was good anyway. He sent for his wife Maud and 3-year-old son Manuel to come too. The place was Bedlington’s Corner, today the corner of Berthusen and Loomis Trail roads. Oscar at first worked in the Peters’ sawmill on Bertrand Creek, clearing land to be suitable for agriculture. In that first summer the Sheets family tasted of the blackberries that grew wild in their
new Whatcom County home -- Oscar and Maud picked and canned 101 quarts of the berries, according to son Bert and Peggy Sheets as told in their family story in the (“Treasures of the Past”) book. In 1915 Oscar bought 40 acres west of Bertrand and in 1920 built the Loomis Trail Road house that was to be in the family for the next 60 years. They kept milk cows and 2,000 chickens, as did nearly everyone on rural acreage at the time. But early on Oscar also began to grow gooseberries, rhubarb and strawberries that he peddled to Lynden and Bellingham merchants and to the Kale Cannery in Ever-
son. Consider it the birth of the Whatcom County berry industry. Oscar Sheets was the first of what was to be a migration of Carter County, Missouri residents, many of them related to each other, to the Lynden area to became involved in berry growing. Jake Maberry, who arrived with his family as a 13-year-old in 1943, has a ready answer as to what motivated that movement from hot and humid Missouri. “It was like anything else, I think. They were trying to better themselves,” said Maberry, who is now known for deContinued on pg 17
16
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Left to right: Leonard Maberry (father), Winfred Maberry (son), Jake Maberry (son)
Continued from pg 17
cades of producing the “berry best” in his fields as well as championship basketball teams at Lynden High School. Jake, after whom the LHS gymnasium is named, is now living at Lynden Manor assisted-living. His father, Leonard, had operated an automotive service station in Van Buren. His mother, Blanche, was a half-sister to Oscar Sheets. Coming to the better climate of Whatcom County, which they had once visited before moving, the Maberrys did dairy and poultry farming for a while, but it did not suit them. They followed the lead of Sheets -- who by now had many
acres in strawberries -- in a big way, planting 80 acres of their own on new acreage with oldest son Winfred. Other interrelated families came from Missouri too: Wakefield, Bales, Chilton, Cowen and Cowin, Coleman, Holt, Rhea and Clark. “One way or another, we were all related,” states Dwight Chilton, 79, who came with his family when he was a teen. His acreage on Birch Bay-Lynden Road is now operated by the Enfield family. “Everybody planted strawberries,” Jake Maberry said. “There was no raspberry industry at all,” added his wife, Mon-
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
ey Maberry. This is how the Sheets family tells it in (“Treasures”): “Little by little each family started their own strawberry acreage from Oscar’s plants. The berry industry became quite large, and growers with large acreages built camps for their pickers. Many bused Canadian Indians down to stay in the camps to pick strawberries and, later, raspberries. Mexicans also came.” Thousands of local school children also earned their summer money working in the thousands of acres of strawberries in cultivation by the 1960s. Jake and Money have their own Continued on pg 18
17
Continued from pg 17
unique story to tell of traumatic entry into the berry growing life. After attending and playing basketball at the College of Puget Sound, Jake got his first job teaching and coaching at Central Kitsap. He wanted to be back in Whatcom County, though. So, returning in 1955, he planted 15 acres of strawberries near the Main-Guide Meridian intersection where City Bible Church is now located. That Nov. 11, all in a few hours, the temperature plummeted from 55 degrees to minus-5 degrees, as a Northeaster blew in from Canada. Their strawberry plants, and everyone else’s, were ruined. Fortunately for Jake, he was offered a job teaching and coaching at Lynden starting in 1956 -- and he recovered from the weather disaster to continue to grow strawberries as well. The Maberry clan would eventually acquire extensive acreage on Loomis Trail Road as neighbors of the farm Oscar Sheets had created. In the 1970s change was in the air for the Whatcom County berry industry. Federal law dictated that children should not pick strawberries, market competition with California got a lot stiffer and -- most important of all -- raspberry picking machines were being developed. Raspberry acreage began to expand while strawberry acreage declined. Still, the Sheets and Maberry farms, by now in the hands of a second generation, were at the forefront. Dale Sheets was the first local grower to try an adapted BEI (Blueberry Equipment Inc.) harvester in raspberries, said Marilyn DeVries, whose husband Frank bought Oscar Sheets’ land around 1981 and runs it as Berry Acres. The Maberrys were soon to follow with Oregon-made Littau and then Lynden-made Korvan picking machines. County acreage today in raspberries tops 9,000 while strawberries may not even account for 300. However, blueberry planting is in a surge to rival raspberries. With still naturally growing roadside blackberries, it all adds up to a characteristic earning Whatcom County the label “berry heaven.” Through the changes, it all really started with Oscar and Maud Sheets moving here 100 years ago. And the Missourians kept alive their shared roots with a bountiful picnic, especially known for its delicious berry and apple pies, for many years at Berthusen Park.
18
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
DIVORCE FAMILY LAW General Practice with Emphasis in
Divorce Guardianship Restraining Orders Paternity Protection Orders Adoptions Child Support Custody Domestic Partnerships Also Real Estate • Wills • Probate • Appeals • Contracts EXPERIENCED TRIAL ATTORNEY IN PRACTICE SINCE 1988
DAVID G. PORTER
360-714-9821
103 E. Holly St. Suite 409, Bellingham, WA
Evening & Weekend Appointments Available Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
19
Canned Fruit Label circa 1920’s. Purchased in a small grocery store in Sweden in 1927 by Gus Lindberg, while on a visit to his parents village of Umea, 200 miles south of the Artic Circle
Above: Blaine High Girls Basketball team of 1910. The girls played by the boys rules. Bess Nicoll, Stella Kennedy, Abbe Wilson Simonds, Anna Jenkins, Hattie Gotchie Upper Left: An Everson Logger Lower Left: Mailman, Johm McCarthy, Ferndale, WA, 1910. John traveled from Ferndale to Custer and Mountain View and Back to Ferndale to deliver the mail for Whatcom County. From Hank Henry Collection
20
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Maid for You, Inc. Serving Whatcom County for 30 years Residential & Commercial Cleaning Serving children from preschool through 6th grade Located on five beautiful acres 2377 Douglas Road, Ferndale We love Ferndale! Look for us in the Grand Parade!
360 778 3681
www.pioneermeadowsschool.com
Serving Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
318-1302 1726 Front St. Fairway Center, Lynden
Call Us Today! 360•384•2529
House Keeping to make your life easier!
Present this coupon for
Call us for a FREE consultation! Our work is guaranteed. Supplies provided Monthly billing
$40 OFF
6 Hours Cleaning Time FIRST TIME CLIENTS ONLY
Four Generations In Whatcom County VISIT THE VETERANS MUSEUM at PIONEER PARK and REVISIT HISTORY Ferndale American Legion Post 154
Visit us at www.farewelltributes.com
GET A QUOTE AND RECEIVE A
FREE $5.00 CURB SHOTS COFFEE CARD!
WHO WOULD YOU RATHER RIDE HOME WITH TONIGHT?
Locally Owned & Operated yellowcabinc.com | 1-800-TAXI-CAB
RECYCLING TODAY for a better tomorrow!
Free Continental Breakfast Indoor pool & Jacuzzi Conference Center Mini fridge and microwave in every room Free wireless high speed internet
Locally Owned
360-384-8011 • www.rdsdisposal.com 4916 LaBounty Dr. Ferndale, WA
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK! 7:30-5:30 Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Phone: (360) 384-8881 | Fax: (360) 380-1930 Toll Free: (800) 800-8000 5788 Barrett Ave. Ferndale, WA
www.super8.com 21
Slater family heritage Namesakes of Ferndale-area farmstead have
Ruth Palmer has no idea how many relatives she has in Whatcom County. That should be expected though, for a grandmother whose great-grandfather came here nearly a century and a half ago. But she has a good start. As an active member of the Daughters of the Pioneers of Washington, Palmer invested a good amount of her time researching the family history of her father, George Slater III. Palmer’s history shows that the first George Slater was born in 1826 in a town in Northumberland, England. The area is near the border of Scotland, which accounts for the family’s mixed English and
Scottish heritage. While the first of his family to reach Whatcom County, Palmer acknowledged there seems to be a coincidence of another unrelated George Slater in the area at the same time as her great-grandfather. Still, after five generations, it’s fairly easy to see which family came to Whatcom County to stay. A rough start George, the youngest born into the large and relatively wealth family, had several well-educated older brothers who served in the Church of England.
However, the privilege of education eluded young George when his father died and his mother unwisely entrusted the family finances to investor friends. With no inheritance or chance for education, George determined to relocated to North America and moved to Eastern Canada in 1849. After two years, in 1851, George traveled back home to marry Elizabeth Metcalf, of Durham. On Dec. 31 of that same year, little Annie Slater was born to them. However, when George decided to move the family to Nanaimo (British Columbia) to work as a Hudson Bay Company coal Continued on pg 23
22
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
still being written spent 150 years in Whatcom County By Mark Reimers
On previous page: The first generation of Slaters in Whatcom County was George Slater, pictured here with his wife Elizabeth and large family of children. Slater arrived in Sehome in 1859. He later owned as many as 340 acres of land. His son George II, Ruth Palmer’s grandfather, is pictured as the tallest in the center. Left: George Slater Sr. grew this one crop of flax on his original Slater Road farm.
Continued from pg 22
miner, he did so at the cost of Annie’s life, who died on Oct. 10, 1853, at 21 months, due to the horrible conditions that developed on board the ship Colinda and her general poor health. The Hudson Bay Company was so anxious for experienced workers in its new mines, it had chartered a separate ship to bring them instead of waiting for its own vessels. Not only did the ship, led by a Captain Mills, get a full load of passengers, it also was loaded down with a year’s worth of supplies for the Vancouver Island port. Much of the journey was chronicled
by the ship’s surgeon, a Dr. Coleman, who detailed the harrowing conditions and a portrait of awful abuse and poor leadership from the captain. Mills, Coleman wrote, personally used up many of the precious provisions, did not allow a fire on board until very late into the voyage around South America and behaved loose and drunkenly. To make matters worse, Mills allegedly allowed the ship to take on water, ruining much of the remaining stores. All of this culminated in the ship dropping anchor in the Chilean city of Valparaiso, on Dec. 13, 1853, where the
Captain accused Coleman and the passengers of mutiny, charges he couldn’t sustain in a naval court. The cradle of coal The influx of 40 experienced miners was a boon to the locals, who excitedly offered employment in the newly-formed Lota Coal Company, according to excerpts from newspapers in the area. Two more children, Margaret and George Jr. were born in Chile. George Jr., Palmer’s grandfather, was born in 1856 Two or three years later, George SlatContinued on pg 24
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
23
Continued from pg 23
er moved his family north, as originally intended, making extended stops in California and Oregon before landing in Sehome in 1859. Slater was immediately employed at the coal mines in Bellingham, becoming responsible for prospect drilling and discovering the majority of the coal measures in the area. In 1864, Slater began four years in the Nanaimo coal industry before returning to Sehome and working there until the mine closures in 1878.
Above: George Slater II and his wife Agnes. George died at 41 of appendicitis.
Building a farm, and legacy But even before he finished his mining career, George Slater made his first land purchase in 1872 in the Nooksack River delta. He never looked back. Subsequent purchases made the fledgling farm enormous. So much so that by the time any of George Slater’s children got married, he always gave them a gift of 80 acres. At least one of those original parcels is still intact, belonging to another descendant in Bellingham, Palmer said. While, George had nine children in all, three died more or less young. George Jr. worked with his father closely on the farm for most of their lives. At one point, flax was a major crop for the farm, as is evident in pictures preserved from that time. George Sr., however, would go on to be a leading citizen, known for his elegant penmanship and extensive bible knowledge. He was, according to Palmer, a staunch supporter of the newly-formed Republican Party and was briefly the first school superintendent in Bellingham. George Slater died in 1908 at 82, but not before losing both his wife and George Jr. in quick succession in 1897, the later at age 41 to a case of appendicitis. But George Jr. had three children with his wife Agnes (Ramsay) Slater: Elizabeth, Robert and George. Robert died in a hunting accident at age 15. Palmer’s Aunt Elizabeth was born in 1893 and died in 1983, shortly after granting an extensive interview with the Record newspaper of its day. Elizabeth, who married Otto Brown and remained without children, related how her mother Agnes eventually left the Slater farm for the Smith Road area, where her own parents had settled. The original Slater house is now located on Axton on the east end of Ferndale and is named the Slater Heritage House. Continued on pg 26
Above: Ruth Palmer’s older brothers are pictured here with their grandmother Agnes, who married George Slater II.
24
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Early Whatcom County loggers. Courtesy photo: Ferndale Record.
Dog & Cat Grooming Boarding Day-care Self Serve Wash
We groom all breeds! Cats & dogs
Bellingham, WA
360-318-6411
animalattractionnw.net
WHATCOM PHYSICAL THERAPY
The
Cheese Shop Ferndale, WA
Alan Finston, P.T., O.C.S. Paul Chang, DPT
Practicing in Ferndale 20 Years 2086 Main Street P.O. Box 1313 Ferndale, Washington 98248 Telephone (360) 380-4553 Fax (360) 384-6282
Valerie Jacobsen, MSPT
Monday - Saturday 9am to 6pm 6605 Northwest Road Ferndale, WA
www.appel-farms.com
FERNDALE PT ROBERTS BLAINE 5603 3rd St. 250 G St. 2030 Benson Rd. 360-384-5171 360-332-8167 360-332-8167
Ferndale Mini Storage Inc.
Heston’s Hauling
5480 Nielson Ave. Ferndale, WA (Road to Hovander Park)
(360) 384-3022
9 AM - 6 PM Mon-Sat 10AM - 4PM Sun Facility Hrs: 6AM-10PM
www.ferndaleministorageinc.com Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
360-312-TOWS (8697) 6397 B Portal Way, Ferndale www.HestonHauling.com
We Will Only Tow If You Need It! Our Focus Is Customer Service
• Towing • Recovery • Tire Change • Fuel Delivery • Lock Out • Jump Start
Serving All Of Whatcom County
24 Hour Car Rentals
25
Continued from pg 24
George Slater III was devoted family man, as daughter Ruth Palmer, pictured here, could testify as his youngest child.
George Slater III After the death of his father, Palmer’s father George Slater III quit school in Grade 8 to help with farming. “He liked to blow up things,” Palmer said. “There were always plenty of stumps that needed clearing.” Palmer remembers well the times her father would take her along to watch the show. “He would say ‘Run run!’ and then blow those things so high,” Palmer said. “He loved the 4th of July. You had to get up early that day otherwise a fire cracker would go off under your bed.” The explosives were such a part of the family that the home became a regular gathering place for that holiday. While George Slater III eventually became a contractor, building many bridges and other structures in his day, he was always the consummate family man, in love with all of his babies, Palmer said, admitting, as the youngest, that she benefited much from his attention. His sensitivity was most apparent at the most surprising moments, Palmer said. “One we were in a store together and 26
he yelled ‘Hey brat, time to go” and two old ladies got upset with him and gave him an earful,” Palmer said. He was shaken and when we got in the car asked me if I was upset with him and tried to make sure I knew he loved me. I wasn’t upset — it was just a term of endearment.” In 1925, Slater married Alice Ruth Councilman Slater, with whom he spent much time courting and honeymooning at Heather Meadows. Their four children were George (Hal), born in 1926, Donald, born in 1928, Virginia (Jean Fralick), born in 1931, and Ruth, who was born as late as 1939. Palmer suspects that her father’s love for babies prevented Jean and herself from getting along while children, since Ruth had taken Jean’s place as the youngest. “During WWII, she would take me out in the yard and have me stand on a bucket and ‘watch for enemy airplanes’ in order to get me out of her hair,” Palmer said. But after Jean married, the two became fast friends and still spend much time together here in Whatcom County. Dad George was also a perpetual bird
Alice Ruth Councilman Slater, married to George Slater III.
Continued on pg 28
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Ugly Roof Stains?
Congratulations Old Settlers on your 118th year!
The safest, most effective Roof Cleaning method available. Saves you thousands off the cost of roof replacement. Biodegradable & Environmentally friendly.
10% off
when you mention this ad
Jeff Ashmore - Owner, Centsible Services | 360-436-6069 | nwRoofShampoo.com WA License # CENTSS*892NK | jeff@nwRoofShampoo.com
l Fina
ly
RIPE & READY
All Stands & U-Pick Open The Northwest’s Finest Hoods & Shuksans
Raspberries ready soon...
Stands open at Lynden Fairway Center Raspberry Ridge, Bellingham and the Farm.
7655 Melody Ln, Ferndale Off Willeys Lake Rd. (360) 384-1260
We offer a safe, friendly and educational environment
Mon-Sat 9-6 Sun 10-4
FERNDALE BILINGUAL MONTESSORI Pre-School & Kindergarten
380-2457
FerndaleBilingualMontessori.com est. 1995
U-Pick • We Pick 6211 Northwest Road Ferndale, WA
(360) 380-2699
Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Flowers & a variety of homegrown vegetables
boxxberryfarm.com
y NORTHWEST RECYCLING r r e b r a P In 1923, Louis H. Parberry, Sr. opened Parberry Iron & Metal, which would someday become Northwest Recycling. Mr. Parberry was an entrepreneur with very diverse interests. Not only did he run a successful scrap recycling business, he bought and sold used furniture and other household items. The scrap business eventually evolved to include new steel sales and the scrap yard was moved to its current location in Downtown Bellingham. During the 1950's, Louis H. Parberry Jr. took the reins from his father, further diversifying the business to include a retail hardware store and other retail ventures in Old Town. He was known to the locals as "Mayor Lou" and his generosity and support of the community are still felt today. In the early 1980's, Louis Jr. brought Northwest Recycling to Downtown Bellingham. Northwest Recycling now serves as the operating business of Parberry's, Inc. Northwest Recycling and Parberry's, Inc. are managed by Louis' son, Brad Parberry, and Louis' grandsons, Marty Kuljis and Louie Kuljis. With the help of family members Carol Parberry and Louis Parberry III, Northwest Recycling proudly provides recycling services for Bellingham and Whatcom County.
1419 C Street, Bellingham, WA 98225 | 360-733-0100 | www.nwrecycling.com Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
27
Top Left: Bird hunting was a proud obsession of George Slater III, who was always ready to bag one at a moment’s notice. Middle Left: Sisters Virginia (Jean) and Ruth as the young daughters of George Slater III. Bottom Left: Sisters Jean and Ruth, in more recent years, are still good friends living in Whatcom County.
Continued from pg 26
hunter, and was often ready at a moment’s notice with his shotgun to take one down. It kept Palmer on her tows, especially while learning to drive with him in the passenger seat. He’d yell for her to stop and throw his shotgun out her window. “I’ll never forget watching the shell pop out of the side of the gun right in front of me,” Palmer said. Family life was good for this Slater household, Palmer said. George kept a big garden which was often shared with neighbors, and the Filbert trees made for wonderful evening snacks. “If mom was gone for a day or two, dad would cook,” Palmer remembered. “We would have eggs and toast for breakfast...and lunch and dinner.” Palmer’s mother prioritized education, going so far as to insist that her brothers learn to type while in high school. It served Hal well when he was drafted late in the war. He was immediately assigned a desk job once he arrived in Manila, Philippines. George Slater died July 27, 1964 at about 69 during Old Settlers Picnic week an event he loved never missed. All of George’s children have children of their own. Both George Hal and Don have since passed away, however, and Palmer has had sporadic contact with their descendants. Don, who ended fishing up in Alaska, still has children who carry that business. Hal had several children, one named Spencer George in Oregon. His son is a Sean George, born in 1979, and makes up the sixth direct generation in the line of Georges. Virginia Jean never had any children. Palmer has three, one son in Bellingham and a daughter on Smith Road. Her other son lives in Montana working in the oil business. 28
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Sigurd O. “Sig” Aase Phone: 360-656-5459 Fax: 360-778-3893 Cell: 360-303-2539 Serving all Whatcom County Cemeteries Accepting all pre-paid funeral plans and offering guaranteed funeral plans through Purple Cross Funeral Insurance 809 W. Orchard Drive Suite 5, Bellingham WA 98225 email: sig@sigsfuneralservices.com www.sigsfuneralservices.com
Family owned and operated since 1947
Lynden 8450 Depot Rd
Mt. Vernon 420 Suzanne Lane Ferndale 5494 Barrett Rd.
354-4471 or Toll Free 800-254-4471
GET INFORMED LOCAL NEWS-LOCAL REPORTING
From business cards to business directories, pens to A-boards. We offer great prices and great service!
Whatcom County Residents 1 year $32 2 years $54
Seniors Citizens 1 year $30 2 years - $50
Call Rachael to find out about our competitive pricing!
Snowbird
Student
$38
$23
Out of County
Online
$32 for 1 year
1 year $44
Out of State 1 year $48
Great Subscription Rates!
360-384-1411 | 2004 Main Street | ferndalerecord.com | find us on Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
29
Support these Community Minded Businesses Bellingham’s Best Marine Store! 1977 Somerset Street Ferndale, WA
383-0747
$PIP 8BZ #FMMJOHIBN t s r
r
TM
Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen 360-752-3377 601 W Holly, Bellingham All Ages Welcome!
The
Cheese Shop Ferndale, WA
www.LFSmarineoutdoor.com
A great place to start your small business!
360-961-6986
CANINE SCHOOL, INC DOG OBDIENCE TRAINING NURTURING THE BRILLIANCE IN EVERY CHILD
Celebrating 25 Years! Discovering your child’s path to success. Enrolling for Fall 2013 360-312-1103 ¡ www.whatcomday.org
Sam & Steffi McGrady (360) 384-6955
cedarwoods-k 9.com 6497 Woodlyn Rd Ferndale
Open Mon - Sat 9 AM to 6 PM appel-farms.com
6605 Northwest Road, Ferndale, WA 98248
384-5142
bakerseptic.com | 360-383-0013
45 Years of Experience 6078 Neevel Road Ferndale, WA 98248
360-380-1561 | coastconst.com 8WZ\IT ?Ia Œ .MZVLITM WA CON. #COASTC*053L8
30
Pioneering Families of Whatcom County July 2013
Best Prices on Tobacco and Liquor in the area! I-5 Exit 260, under the big sign! 4940 Rural Ave, Ferndale, WA 98248
(360) 778-3029
Outside Dining Call-Ins Welcome Hard Ice Cream Shakes
Ferndale
2254 Douglas Rd. (360) 922 0335
Look for our
Lynden
1945 Front St. (360)318-8599