This was an interesting article in our Spokesman on 23 March 2015. “Urn artists look for beauty in death.” The article began, “Of all the pieces Julie Moore crafts in her home studio, the most popular is a brightly colored fabric vessel she calls ‘the party jar.’ But in this case, the guest of honor is inside the jar.”  The article goes on to explain that since cremations are up, more people are looking for unusual and beautiful urns for their loved ones’ ashes. Do a Google search for “Julie Moore party jars” to read more about this artist and her project. And what do you think about this?

I thoroughly enjoy old postcards! This one, “Upper Grand Coulee, Columbia Basin Project, Washington,” is undoubtedly of what would become Banks Lake. So named for an engineer on the project, Banks Lake was created to provide irrigation water to the central basin area of Washington.

Way back in Dec 2014, I posted and proposed that our WSGS blog carry members’ queries as long as they pertained to the Pacific Northwest. I crafted a sample query but one which I was curious about. “I would like to know mroe about the U.S. Army’s Balloon Company, stationed at Port Townsend, Washington, about 1920.”

Well, Robert Edwards, friend of Bonnie MacDonald, wrote in January 2015 with an answer to my query!  “(My wife) and I were married at “Memories Vault”, up on the hill at Ft. Worden, and have visited and stayed in the houses there numerous times, and we pass the hangar each time. Here are some websites to check out regarding Donna’s query:

www.fortworden.org/about

www.historylink.org

http://mil.wa.gov/national-guard-museum/official-history-of-washington-national-guard

“In one of the above references, it indicated that the balloons proved not to be suitable for the mission at Ft. Worden, so the project was probably short lived while there….”

“There also may be some helpful information on www.fold3. com,” added Bob.

What a great answer! Even to a make-believe query….although I did really want to know about the Balloon Company. We do welcome queries from YOU regarding your research and your ancestors in the Pacific Northwest. Please send them to Charles Hansen, Roxanne Lowe or Donna Phillips.

Written in 1953, this book was a great read for those of us interested in our area’s history. Below the photos is a book review I wrote for this book.

Nothing In Life Is Free, by Della Gould Emmons, 1953

“A Historical Novel of the Pioneer West”

“Selected as the Official Book Commemorating the Washington Territorial Centennial”

This book tells the story of the settlers to the area in Washington south of Tacoma, the founding of the town of Steilacom, and the trials and hardships they endured to get there.

It was in the fall of 1853 at a meeting in Olympia with Governor Isaac Stevens that the immigrants got the answer to one of their plaguing questions:  “As for the Indian title (to the land) it must be extinguished throughout the length and breadth of this territory. In my judgment under the Donation Law the settler can locate his claim west of the Cascade Mountains.” And so they came.

Jenny and Julius and their wagon train were stalled in Northwest Oregon debating how best to proceed to their goal, the Willamette Valley of Washington. The leaders held council: they could float down the Columbia River to Fort Vancouver and then overland to the north. Or they could go in a more direct northwesterly direction which would take them along the Yakima River and then up and over the Naches Pass. The wagon master had been told that a road had been built for that route and that it was passable for oxen and wagons. He was misinformed.

This “road” turned out to be a myth and the wagons struggled for weeks crawling along the rivers, down cliffs and over Mud Mountain (aptly named). With the rich and timbered lands at the foot of Puget Sound as their goal, the continued on despite been harassed by the Indians and having to chop clear every mile of the way. Jenny’s only shoes wore out and her dress rotted at the hem.

Quoting from the story:  “Rain, which hadn’t bothered then east of the mountains, decided it was due on the west side and had better make up for any time that it has lost. Down it came, emptying huge pocketfuls and as the immigrants pushed aside head-high underbrush they were showered liberally, as though receiving a Puget Sound baptism, without which they could never be true citizens.”

They did finally make it to Steilacom.  Page 221 described how Jenny and Julius measured off their claim by carrying 66-foot chains over and over and over through the dense and dripping undergrowth that is the country in Pierce County.  And Jenny in her long skirt!

Upon their arrival in 1853, the story details how these hardy pioneers became embroiled in the conflict between the U.S. government and the Hudson’s Bay Company over who rightly owned the land. The local Nisquallys, believing the land was theirs, also acted against the settlers. Jenny, now with a young son, lost her Julius and watched her cabin go up in flames but held onto her 160 acres of land no matter what befell.

The Donation Land Act decreed that “all male citizens of the U.S. who immigrated and settled in Oregon after 1 December 1850 and before 1 December 1853, and who should comply with the requirements of the stated law, should each receive, if single, 160 acres of land, and if married another 160 to his wife, in her own right.”

Finally in 1864 most disputes were settled but it took until 1869 for the fighting factors to pull out of the area. The novel continues with the story: it was in late 1866 that Jenny and her new husband went to the Pierce County courthouse in Steilacom to testify for final ownership of her land.

In the story, Jenny finally receives the patent for her land signed by U.S. Grant, President of the United States, and dated February 1875.

The inside cover of this hardbound book shows a map of their travels. How they came from the Midwest through southern Idaho over Emigrant Hill (near Baker, Oregon) and then cut up to re-supply at Fort Walla Walla. They then went west of Pasco and northwest along Selah Creek and Wenas Creek to the 4988’ Naches Pass. Finally over, they followed the White River, crossing south of Lake Tapps to the area around Fort Steilacom between what would become Tacoma and Olympia.

Della Emmons’ sense of poetry shines out of here prose:  “Spring. Dogwood trees bursting stars and new green gowns dressing the bushes.”

This book was a wonderful read and made me so glad I was not placed by God on earth in the 1850s to be an Oregon Trail pioneer!

** As of February, 2015, this book was available via Amazon for about $10.00.

** For $4.00 postage I will send this copy to you:  Donna243@gmail.com.

We can be proud once again of being a Washingtonian!  According to Doug Clark’s column in our Spokesman paper a week or so ago, the genius who invented and successfully marketed the Pet Rock was from Washington! Clark wrote:  “Gary Dahl was living in the Northern California town of Los Gatos and having a drink when…… “the bar talk turned to pets, and to the onus of feeding, walking and cleaning up after them,” it was reported in his obituary in The New York Times. “His pet, “Mr Dahl announced in a flash of inspiration, caused him no such trouble. “I have a pet rock,” he explained. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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My son, Benjamin, recently chided me:  “You’re NOT watching the ISS?”  (International Space Station) So while he was here over Easter weekend, he showed me and WOW is this way cool. When it’s in daylight, there are THREE cameras beaming back photos of the earth. Now how cool is this??  And of course it’s free.  Google “HDEV”  or type the entire website:  www.eol.jsc.nasa.gov/ForFun/HDEV

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Did I include this before?

The Genealogist and Her Son–a Little Genealogy Humor

A widow had “discovered” genealogy and found it a great way to occupy some of her spare time in her retirement. She spent some money, but was judicious in what she spent and was not in any danger of frittering away her retirement. In fact, she stayed well within her genealogy budget.

Her son, thinking that his mother was spending too much time “looking for dead people,” constantly berated her for it and criticized her for spending too much money.

She finally told him that since her genealogy work bothered him so much, she had decided to develop a new past time that might cost less. The local tavern had a weekly “ladies’ night” and she was hopeful that she’d meet a man there would could be her son’s stepfather.

He never complained about genealogy again.

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Interesting tidbit from THE WEEK (a new news magazine) 27 Feb 2015:  “An Indian optometrist has given his elite clients a new way to flaunt their wealth: contact lenses that turn eyes a glimmering gold. Mumbai-based Dr. C.C. said he came up with the idea for the 24-karat eyewear, which sells for up to $18,000 a pair, after his wife had diamonds implanted in her teeth, making him realize that people were prepared to put bling on almost every part of their body. Dr. C. says that anyone who looks into a wearer’s gold eyes will be “mesmerized.”  Will you be ordering a pair??

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Would a picture of the ship that carried your ancestors to America be something you would like to have?  ShipIndex offers just that service.  Do check it out………. this was their 18 March newsletter.

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This was in a recent newsletter (Vita Brevis) from NEHGS (New England Historic Genealogical Society).  I think the talk will morph into a book. I think it would be fabulous reading!

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Stevens County is just north of Spokane County. A local little Stevens County newspaper is “Huckleberry Press” because those delicious berries do grow in the mountains in Stevens County. Always included in this rag are “Fresh Chuckleberries….. warning! Not to be taken internally, literally, or seriously!”  Here are some “chuckleberries” for you:

When we are not happy with others we are not happy with ourselves.

We have all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away but an onion a day will keep everyone away.

As humans we need some food, some sun, some work and someone.

The only time success comes before work is in the dictionary.

The good ole’ days are memories with the pain or embarrassment forgotten.

If the going starts to feel like it’s too easy, you might be going down hill.

Money can buy a dob, but only love will make his tail wag.

Forbidden fruit makes for a very bad jam.

Here are some odd cause of death notes that I found quoted from the New Athens Journal for 19 July 1940, and found in the St. Clair Genealogical Society Quarterly in 1995. These were “real” quotes from “real” records:

• “nervousness from gunshot”
• “auto accident, complicated by hookworm”
• “fractured skull – contributory was mule”
• “auto wreck started it; pneumonia ended it”
• “stab wound of chest inflicted by lady friend”
• “hit over the head with slop jar”
• “leakage of head”
• “frightened to death by deputy sheriff”
• “rubbed to death by chiropractor”

Not living in Texas, or other Southern states, where fire ants are known and feared, I never thought much about these little pests. And they are little. Even their ant hills look rather innocent. But look closely at my foot after ten days and you can still see the itchy red bumps. They are obviously no joke!  Now I understand why my friends in Florida warned me not to go barefoot!

Guess what? New flash! Cyndi Ingle, of wide renown in the genealogy world, is coming to Spokane to be the presenter at the EWGS Fall Workshop. Practically everybody has learned from CyndisList as part of their research and now we get the chance to hear from her face-to-face. I’ve heard her in person several times and she is worth the time, money and effort to come to the EWGS Fall Workshop. Details to be announced, but save the date:  Saturday, 3 October 2015. 

Besides hosting that wonderful show, Genealogy Roadshow, Josh Taylor is president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies. As such, he was a keynote speaker at the recent FGS/RootsTech conference. Toward the end of one of his sessions (a presentation on society management), he said this:  “To help your society take on a new idea and  start it and take another new idea and apply it to something you are already doing and make it better.”  I thought that was sound and wonderful advice and could apply to any group of any ilk.

A genealogy friend who lives in New York once told me that she suffers from Squirrel Syndrome. She explained that just like a squirrel, she gets distracted and side tracked very easily. I can identify with that!  Also with Shiny Object Syndrome……… past EWGS member, Cecily Kelly, explained this malady to me. “I easily get distracted and side tracked by “shiny objects” which in my world are too many websites to click!”

From a brochure I picked up at the Family History Library in Salt Lake:  “The People’s Collection Wales is a contemporary, dynamic and bilingual online experience dedicated to the history of Wales and its people. People’s Collection Wales is a place to discover and learn, contribute your own content and share your story of Wales with the world. Discover. Contribute. Share. To find out more go to www.peoplescollectionswales.co.uk “

The Arecibo Observatory is a radio telescope in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. 

The film shown in the Visitors’ Center at the Arecibo Observatory contained a wonderful quote:  

“Awaken within yourself the fascination of the universe.” 

During our January 2015 visit to this island commonwealth, I spotted many names that “belonged” to the U.S. mainland:  Salinas, San Antonio, Carolina, Virginia, Rio Grande. Point is that it seems quite seldom to find a place name that has not been used more than once, somewhere. Do you know of any?

Bet you did not know that Spokane has a Slavic Newspaper. Slavic Ways “is a publication in the Russian language for Slavic people in Washington, Idaho and Oregon, educating legal immigrants and refugees on how to become productive and independent ASAP in the land of the free, home of the brave.”  Of course, I could not read this newspaper but I could see ads for services and products that might be useful to this community plus several articles which were interesting, I’m sure. Check it out at www.slavicways.com

In early February, 2015, an AP story appeared in our local newspaper:  “Four Magna Cartas united; First-ever event marks anniversary.” The blurb went on to say that a “unification event” was held in the British Library when the four surviving copies of the priceless document were put on display together for the first time, marking the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, which established the timeless principle that no individual, even a monarch, is above the law.” What does this have to do with your family history? It is believed that the Magna Carta influenced not only Thomas Jefferson when he helped draft the Declaration of Independence, but also the writers of the French Constitution and the late South African leader, Nelson Mandela. Perhaps you live freely under the law because of the Magna Carta??

Donna Potter Phillips, until next Friday.