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By Peter Anderson, Director, Mukilteo Historical Society

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, visitors to Mukilteo had several choices of where they could stay that are no longer present here. The first of these was Fowler’s Hotel which once stood on Front Street near where the new ferry terminal is now being constructed. Before joining Morris Frost in Mukilteo, Jacob Fowler had operated a hotel and saloon at Ebeys Landing on Whidbey Island.

When Frost and Fowler started their business ventures in Mukilteo in about 1860, they thought their business would primarily be trading with the Native Americans who passed through and occasionally camped here. They had not planned on providing overnight accommodations, so they only constructed a large building, which was the store, and a smaller building called the Exchange Saloon. Fowler operated the store and saloon wile Frost took care of more administrative duties.

As more visitors came to Mukilteo, Fowler decided to rent rooms upstairs in his store, which then became the Fowler Hotel. He had a house built for himself next to his hotel, and he moved into it in April 1861. The first Mukilteo Post Office was located in Fowler’s store/hotel, with Fowler appointed Postmaster in 1861.

Frost and Fowler continued to increase their holdings through the 1860s, taking advantage of the Homestead Act. However, they found themselves over-extended when depression and panic swept the nation in 1873. They started mortgaging their holdings and their businesses were forced into receivership in 1877-1878. Their buildings fell into disrepair and there does not appear to be anything left of them. The property now lies beyond the U.S. Government fence at the end of Front Street and is occupied by the NOAA Fisheries Mukilteo Research Station.

The second hotel in Mukilteo was the Bay View Hotel, located at the northeast corner of Front Street and Park Avenue. The structure was originally located further northeast in a planned town called “Western New York”. That settlement never took hold, so the structure was moved by barge from there and then by block and tackle to its site in Mukilteo. Today, that site is also just inside the fence to the government property closest to the corner of Front Street and Park Avenue.

One of the early owners, Walter Keyes, promoted the Bay View Hotel as the only First Class Summer Resort on Puget Sound. An 1887 advertisement listed the rate of $2.00 per day for unsurpassed accommodations with such amenities as hot and cold salt water baths and the largest dancing pavilion on the North Pacific Coast. Walter Keyes and his wife Mary were both from Pennsylvania. Mary became a cook at the Bay View Hotel and other members of the Keyes family helped with hotel operations. The Bay View Hotel also contained a grocery store and a second floor restaurant that was a favorite gathering place from the early 1860s through the early 1900s.

Walter and Mary Keyes sold their interest in the hotel to Louise Van Horne Thomas, and later Louis (Lewis) Foster and his wife Mary acquired the property. Louis Foster was born August 1844, in Illinois, and wife Mary was born August 1865, in Scotland. The Foster family lived above the Bodega Saloon (later called Andy’s Place), which was located diagonally across Front Street from the Bay View Hotel. Daughters Elsie and Agnes were born there in 1892 and 1894, respectively. The Foster family ran the Bay View Hotel and its elegant dining room from the early 1900s to about 1914. Although Louis Foster died sometime before 1910, his wife and daughters continued to operate the hotel.

Competition from other hotels and rooming houses in Mukilteo led to a gradual decline of the Bay View, and it became vacant for a while. It was converted into barracks for enlisted men during World War I. After the war, it was used for temporary housing for Crown Lumber Company employees in the 1920s and for an occasional boxing match. It eventually fell into disrepair, was torn down, and the property was acquired by the U.S. Government.

Another early hotel was located across Park Avenue from the Bay View, on the southeast corner of Front Street and Park Avenue (where Ivar’s parking lot is today). Constructed in 1906, the two story building was first known as Smith’s Hotel, but later changed names and ownership several times. It became the Butler Hotel in 1911, then the Mukilteo Hotel, then Sherars, then Dutcher’s Apartments in the 1920s, and finally the Saratoga Apartments before it was torn down. At one time, it had a popular restaurant. It also housed a grocery store at other times. During the periods of the Dutcher’s and the Saratoga Apartments, the establishment provided housing for many of the single female teachers at Rosehill School. (Women were allowed to teach as long as they remained unmarried.)

In her book, “School Belle”, teacher Mary Lou Morrow recalls living in the Dutcher Apartments with her roommates who were also Rosehill School teachers. They lived across the hall from a couple with whom they had to share a bathroom. One night, they heard loud footsteps on the stair stairway leading to their neighbor’s apartment across the hall. They learned the following morning that the couple had been arrested for bootlegging illicit liquor.

Uphill from the Front Street hotels, there was the Klemp Hotel located on 2nd Street between the N. J. Smith General Store and the Gongia home. The Klemp Hotel, with 56 rooms, was built by Edwin Arthur Klemp and his sons. Edwin and his wife Inga Marie were both Norwegian emigrants, arriving in the United States in 1884. In 1902, they came to Mukilteo with their four sons and two daughters from Clark County, Washington. The family busied itself with operating their hotel, doing the cooking, serving as chambermaids and sawing wood for fuel. Hotel guests included sailing ship captains and longshoremen.

The Klemps sold their interest in the hotel to George Carlson, and later the hotel was taken over by Art Richter and family. Art’s wife Bertha and her sister, Louise Peterson, did the cooking. Workers from the Crown Lumber Mill often ate their meals there. Disaster struck in 1926, when an explosion from a little heater in one of the rooms caused a fire that completely destroyed the hotel. The hotel was never rebuilt.

A building known as the Mukilteo Garage was constructed on the property formerly occupied by the Klemp Hotel. This building housed a business operated by Joe Whisman for many years as a Mobil Station with a garage for repair work. Later, the building and property became an Enco Service Station. The site no longer appears to be operating as a gas or service station; however, the building still stands at 807 Second Street with a sign on its façade that reads “Mukilteo Garage.”

Although not formally called hotels, early Mukilteo also had a number of boarding houses and rooms for rent above various businesses. People of Mukilteo also welcomed visitors by opening spare rooms for temporary accommodations. Although the early establishments are long gone, Mukilteo today offers many choice accommodations for visitors and vacationers. The 2018-2019 Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce Business Directory lists four lodging properties offering a total of 334 units ranging from a small 2-room bed and breakfast to a large facility with 134 efficiencies. Today’s innkeepers continue Mukilteo’s long tradition of welcoming visitors with warm their hospitality.

Originally published in the 10/31/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Peter Anderson, Director, Mukilteo Historical Society

About 6:00 pm on September 17, 1930, Mukilteo’s normal tranquility was shattered by two huge blasts. Besides upsetting the normal tranquility, windows in Mukilteo and Everett were shattered, chimneys were cracked and foundations were damaged. It didn’t take long before residents realized that the event they had often feared had occurred: the Powder Plant had exploded!

Fortunately most of the plant employees had left for the day, and no one was killed. It could have been much worse had it not been for the heroic efforts of two men who went back to the plant to keep the fire from spreading. Tony Radonich, a nephew of the mill owner, and Risto Luchich dug a ditch around the main building to keep the fire away from where 65 tons of high explosives were stored.

Although there were no fatalities, there were some serious injuries and extensive property damage. Pieces of flying glass cut one woman’s jugular and caused another to lose an eye. Some of the injured were given first aid by Mukilteo’s Doctor Claude Chandler in his office and drug store; some were transferred to Providence Hospital in Everett. Homes near the plant were demolished. Glass storefronts in downtown Everett were shattered. Telephone service in a large area was disrupted. The shock wave from the explosion created a large ebb in the harbor that lifted boats clear out of the water. Many personal recollections of the day the plant blew have been written. When the mill exploded, Lillian Sullivan had a cup of coffee in her hand, which she spilled down her husband’s back. Grace White had just canned peaches, and they were now smashed on the floor along with the oven door.

Damage to the plant was estimated at $250,000 and another $250,000 in losses to private homes and businesses. Affected property owners discovered their insurance did not cover losses due to explosions. Many individuals and businesses filed claims for damages against the company that owned the plant.

The Puget Sound and Alaska Powder Company was organized around 1906, and established the powder mill located in a gulch near the Everett/Mukilteo border. The plant employed about 30 people and had a monthly capacity of about 400,000 pounds of dynamite that was used for clearing land, logging, mining and railroad work. Advertisements for the company’s trademark Vulcan dynamite featured the slogan “Kick in Every Stick”.

A theory emerged in the aftermath of the event as to the cause of the fire and subsequent explosions. Clarence Newman, a worker at the powder mill mixing shed, was given the job of recycling “dud” dynamite sticks that had been returned to the company because they had failed to explode. As a cost cutting measure, the company had cut down on the nitro content and substituted ammonia powder. This led to a less effective explosive mixture used in the dynamite sticks and hence more duds. The initial safety recycling procedure called for another employee to sweep the spilled mixture from the failed sticks into a sack and carry it down to the shore of Puget Sound where it could be safely burned.

There came a time when the company changed the recycling procedure to further economize their operations. Instead of wasting the spilled explosive, Clarence was instructed to recycle it also. Apparently, the company was oblivious to the fact that, when the ammonia powder soaked up moisture from the floor, it would become extremely volatile. On the fateful evening of September 17, 1930, spontaneous combustion caused the explosive mixture to flare up. There was no fire extinguisher in the building, and no hose outside. While Clarence dashed from the mill to spread the warning, flames raced to the ammonia-impregnated wooden walls of the mixing shed.

The first blast occurred when 9,000 gallons of nitroglycerin ignited, hurling a fireball into the sky. Witnesses first reported seeing dark smoke coming from the plant, and then, after the blast, a yellow/gray mushroom-shaped cloud formed that could be seen for miles. The second blast that occurred shortly after the first was most likely due to 100 cases of stump-blasting
powder exploding. The road between Everett and Mukilteo soon became jammed with vehicles, pedestrians and fire apparatus. Some were fleeing the scene in fear of more explosions and some were curious onlookers trying to see what had happened. Police could barely manage to keep the road open enough for fire engines to pass as drivers abandoned their cars or careened out of control into ditches or up embankments on the sides of the road.

Puget Sound and Alaska Powder Company president, Peter David, vowed to rebuild the plant at Powder Mill Gulch. However residents in the area strongly objected and the plant was never rebuilt. There have been various proposals to develop the site, but it has remained relatively untouched. There does not appear to be any visible remnants of the mill ruins, and, after more than 88 years, the area has become overgrown with brush and trees. Perhaps the only visible reminder of the site location is the blue street sign about seven tenths of a mile into Everett on Mukilteo Boulevard opposite Seabreeze Way.

Lower Powder Mill Gulch, where the powder plant was located, extends northward from the sign on Mukilteo Boulevard down relatively steep terrain to the water. The property has been subdivided into single family residential lots on either side of Powder Mill Creek. The rear of the parcels extends down into the lower gulch, and the front of the parcels faces either Baker Drive or Gardner Avenue.

In recent years, the City of Everett Parks & Community Services Department proposed a Powder Mill Gulch Trail System in the upper gulch area that extends southward from Mukilteo Boulevard to Seaway Boulevard. There is an existing path here that runs along the creek through about 55 acres of City-owned undeveloped land. The trail was not completed all the way to Mukilteo Boulevard due to the lack of a parking area at that end.

Originally published in the 1/2/2019 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Peter Anderson, Director, Mukilteo Historical Society

Newcomers to Mukilteo may be unaware of the storied history of the property at 710 Front Street, now known as Ivar’s Mukilteo Landing. Although we have not found ownership records prior to 1923, it’s possible the property changed hands multiple times during earlier periods of Mukilteo’s boom and bust. After Mukilteo’s founding in 1860, speculators bought large tracts of land and divided them into many smaller lots expecting to sell them at big profits. The Depressions of 1873 and 1893 forced many property owners into receivership.

In 1923, Howard Josh bought the property where Ivar’s now stands from Ottilie Herzog and John and Mary Gunnarson. Ottilie Herzog had previously inherited a 50% interest in the property from Jacob Klein. A 1909-1910 Oregon and Washington Gazetteer and Business Directory lists Elmer D. Ward and Jacob F. Klein as proprietors of a saloon in Mukilteo. John and Mary Gunnarson owned the other 50% share. In 1924, Howard Josh put up a small lunchroom on this property next to the ferry landing for the enjoyment of commuters and vactioners to Whidbey Island.

In about 1925, the Josh family built a large house next to the small lunchroom. In 1926, the small lunchroom was moved to the other side of the ferry dock in order to make room for a larger building. The smaller building was converted into accommodations for fishermen, while the larger building served as a restaurant and store for fishing supplies. It had cases of fishing tackle and candy and a small ice cream fountain. As demand for temporary accommodations increased, several rooms upstairs were rented to vacationers.

Howard Josh was a member of the Fraternal Order of Eagles and decided to name his restaurant the Eagle Lunch Room. It served ferry passengers, fishermen and townsfolk alike. It also provided meals for longshoremen when extra gangs were called in to help load ships. In 1929, the Blackball Ferry Line installed a ticket office and waiting room inside the Eagle Lunch Room.

Depression again in the 1930s brought new owners to the property. Mr. and Mrs. Jack Burke bought the property and renamed it the Ferry Lunch Room. Sometime during their tenure, a “mysterious” explosion caused considerable damage to the interior. In 1934, the Baker family took over from the Burkes. The Baker brothers had been operators of the Regis Café in Stanwood for many years. A news article appearing in the August 2, 1934, Twin City News reported that Van Baker had just sold his interest in the Regis Café to Frank Obenhofer of Stanwood. It seems likely that Van Baker (aka Wilson Vanhorn Baker) used the proceeds of the sale to buy the Mukilteo property. His 1942 WW II Draft Registration card lists him residing in Mukilteo and self-employed at Ferry Lunch.

In 1944, Ed Taylor Sr. and his wife, Mildred, bought the property from the Baker family. Born in Wisconsin in about 1892, Edgar Taylor Sr. came to Everett in 1903. After he had completed his education, he worked in a shingle mill for a time and later for the Lake Stevens Trading Company. In 1914, he established the Independent Truck Company, and operated a very successful business in Everett for many years. In 1917, he married Mildred Leo, a school teacher, and they had two sons, James Richard (“Dick”) and Edgar Jr.

The Taylor’s friends were quite skeptical when the Taylor family decided to buy the Ferry Lunch in 1944. The Taylors had no experience managing a restaurant. At the time, the Ferry Lunch was still a relatively small lunch room catering to ferry travelers and fishermen. Mrs. Mildred Taylor would cook clam chowder and other specialties in her own kitchen, and then take them to be served in the restaurant next door. As the business grew, the Taylor sons, Dick and Ed Jr., joined in the operations, making several additions and improvements. In 1962, a dining area was added out over the water so diners could watch the ferry and other waterfront activity.

Ed Taylor Sr. died in 1951, at the age of 58, and his wife, Mildred, died in 1969, at the age of 78. Their sons Dick and Ed Jr. continued to operate the restaurant and make improvements. After the death of their parents, Dick and Ed Jr. tore down the family house next to the restaurant, added a new large cocktail lounge in this area and changed the name to Taylor’s Landing. They retained part of the space for a gift shop, fishing supplies and a sidewalk lunch counter for ice cream and short order items.

Taylor’s Landing became a very popular spot, and Dick and Ed Jr. were active in community affairs. Ed was instrumental in starting the annual Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival as well as the Mukilteo Boys and Girls Clubs annual luau fundraiser. Dick was on Mukilteo’s first City Council , was the City’s second mayor, and went on to serve in the state legislature. In 1979, Dick and Ed were jointly named Mukilteo Citizens of the Year.

In the 1980s, Dick Taylor retired to the family beach home on Whidbey Island with his wife, Irene. Taylor’s Landing continued as a family business operated by Ed and subsequent generations until the property was sold to Ivar’s in 1991. Ed’s son, Tim Taylor, was running the restaurant at the time it was sold to Ivar’s. A reunion of former Taylor’s Landing workers was held in 2015.

The most recent chapter in the property’s story was written on February 25, 2016, when Ivar’s Real Estate Associates LP sold the property to MSI Mukilteo LLC. The sale did not affect restaurant operations. MSI (Martin Smith Inc.) owns and manages a portfolio of historic office and retail buildings in the greater Seattle area. Interestingly, the company is led by H. Martin Smith III, whose father, H. Martin Smith Jr., was a cousin of Ivar Haglund, the founder of Ivar’s restaurants. Although we don’t know what lies in the future for the Mukilteo property, it’s probably best to heed the advice from Ivar’s motto: Keep Clam!

Originally published in the 8/1/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

Note: Portions of this article extracted from a “Scenes from the Past” article by Opal McConnell previously published in the Rosehill News

Did you know that:

• Regular Mukilteo-Clinton passenger ferry service began in 1911?
• Car ferry service started in 1919?
• The ferry dock was once at the foot of Park Avenue?
• Before the viaduct over the railroad tracks was built, cars waiting for the ferry lined up from Park Avenue along Front Street?
• The current ferry dock was last updated in the 1980s?
• The Mukilteo-Clinton ferry carries more vehicle traffic than any other in the state?
• The new multimodal terminal is scheduled to open in late 2019?
• Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the United States?

Mukilteo Historical Society archives contain a newspaper article with the above picture of the first car ferry and a letter from the widow of the first man to drive his car and family aboard.  In her 1967 letter to the Mukilteo Historical Society, Mrs. Frank Hatten describes how she, her husband, and their three children drove their touring car on July 19, 1919, onto the maiden voyage of the first car ferry from Mukilteo to Whidbey Island.  She recalls the ferry skipper telling her husband that this was the first trip across, and asking if he had any doubts of safety for his family, to look things over and decide for himself.  In the skipper’s own words: “You’re on your own.”  Mr. Hatten thought for a second and said, “It looks good enough for me”, and turning to wife, said “It costs a lot of money to go into a venture like this, and they don’t look like playboys to me.”   After understanding the risks, the Hatten family drove the first car aboard the ferry and enjoyed a safe crossing on a beautiful day.

One of Mukilteo historian Opal McConnell’s articles, “Scenes from the Past”, published in the Rosehill News, mentioned the dock at the end of Park Avenue. It was very important in the early days of the first settlement recorded by J. D. Fowler. It was to this dock that boats would bring mail and supplies for his trading post. Passengers would also be transported to and from Mukilteo, boats and canoes being the primary means of transportation. In later years, the Mukilteo high school students would go to this dock to take one of the small boats, The Island Flyer, or the Norene to Everett where they attended High School.

Before the Speedway viaduct over the railroad tracks was built in 1941, car ferry traffic crossed the tracks at Park Avenue and lined up along Front Street waiting for the ferry.

The Mukilteo ferries operated for many years under the Black Ball Line of the Puget Sound Navigation Company. Financial difficulties led PSNC to sell its domestic operations assets to the state of Washington’s Department of Transportation for the sum of $4.9 million in early 1951. This created the Washington State Ferries (WSF) in May of that year. It began with an eclectic mix of vessel types and WSF has since systematically modernized its fleet. It currently operates 22 ferries on 10 routes in and around Puget Sound. The largest vessels in the fleet carry up to 2500 passengers and 202 vehicles. WSF is the largest ferry system in the United States and the fourth largest in the world.

The Mukilteo ferry dock underwent a significant reconstruction in 1952, with a new trestle built next to the old one, and further modernization was done in the 1980s.  The current ferry terminal was not built to withstand earthquakes, and the layout makes it difficult for passengers to enter and leave the terminal, so WSF has embarked on a $139 million project to build a new multimodal terminal facility on the former tank farm site about one-third mile to the northeast of the existing terminal.  This new facility is expected to open in late 2019, with the existing terminal removed in early 2020.

Originally published in the 6/6/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.