By Peter Anderson, Director, Mukilteo Historical Society

Authors Note:  Portions of this article are taken verbatim from a brochure “The Mukilteo Japanese Memorial” published by the Mukilteo Historical Society.

Next month marks the 20^th anniversary of the dedication of a monument commemorating the harmonious relationships between early Mukilteo residents and families of Japanese workers at Crown Lumber Company.  Located in Centennial Park, 1126 5^th Street, the monument was erected on May 30, 2000, by the Mukilteo Historical Society, the City of Mukilteo, and Mukilteo Japanese Americans.

Dedication Ceremony

On June 9, 2000, descendants of original Japanese immigrants joined with present citizens of Mukilteo to dedicate the symbol honoring the town’s historic example of harmonious race relations.  They gathered around the monument that supports a bronze origami crane, which symbolizes the historic roots and the continuing goal of peace and harmony among all peoples.  Speakers at the ceremony included Mayor Don Doran, Mas Odoi, David Tanabe and Beverly Dudder Ellis.  Odoi had been born in a humble three-room house in Mukilteo’s Japanese Gulch.

Seattle sculptor Daryl Smith designed and cast the bronze origami crane and commemorative plaque for the monument.  The $10,000 sculpture was paid for by private donations and gifted to the city by the Mukilteo Historical Society.  The bronze plaque on the base of the monument includes the words peace and happiness written in English and Japanese.  The monument continues to stand as a tribute and memorial to those early Japanese mill workers who came to Mukilteo seeking a better life.

Japanese Mill Workers

In the early 1900s, many Japanese men came to Mukilteo to work for the large lumber mill here.  In many parts of the region, competition from these foreign workers was not welcomed by American workers who were moving into the territory from the east.  In nearby Everett, for example, some local citizens organized in 1904 and 1907 to drive out Japanese workers from the Clark-Nickerson Mill.

Although there was some initial resistance in Mukilteo, efforts to drive out Japanese workers here failed because of the strength of the Crown Lumber Company which needed these workers.  In 1905, our population was estimated at 350, of which 150 were Japanese families who lived in Japanese Gulch and whose breadwinners worked at the lumber mill.

Crown Lumber had one employee called the “book boy” who represented the Japanese employees in all matters related to their work, recruitment, families, and housing.  The company considered their Japanese mill workers to be industrious and trustworthy employees who needed very little supervision once they were instructed in their jobs.

Common labor rates for Mukilteo’s mill workers in the early 1900’s were $2.00 to $2.50 per 10-hour workday.  The mill operated 6 days a week.  In 1918, unions succeeded in obtaining an 8-hour workday and, by 1930, the labor rate had increased to $3.50 per day for 8 hours work.

Mukilteo’s historic Pioneer Cemetery contains grave markers honoring three Japanese employed by Crown Lumber: Tokumatsu Shirai, who was killed when a large log rolled over him in 1908, Goro Wadatani, who died of apoplexy in 1908, and Rikimatsu Okamura, who died in 1913.  Although no marker has been found, a baby girl, Kaijo Tamai, died of crib death in 1918 and is also believed buried here.

Life in Japanese Gulch

With support from Crown Lumber, Mukilteo’s Japanese community built a village in a ravine just above the lumber mill.  The village comprised a number of unpainted dwellings situated about 600 feet along each side of a plank and dirt road.  A creek ran down the ravine from large reservoirs higher up in forested land.  Deep pools along the creek’s mile-long course provided fish for consumption. Japanese elders built a large community center for programs, movies, games and other recreations.

Over time, the residents of Mukilteo and Japanese Gulch began to reach out and learn from each other.  As they did, their initial prejudices and mutual suspicions began to wane.  One important step was the decision by the Japanese to buy their goods locally instead of importing goods from merchants in Seattle.  Many of the Japanese quickly recognized the importance of learning English and trying to understand American customs.

During her school years, Clara Kane remembers teaching Japanese people to read, write and converse in English.  She met with the men three days a week in the evenings and women and children in the afternoons.  The women also wanted help in sewing, cooking and baking American style.  Clara continued teaching the Japanese up until Crown Lumber closed in 1930.

The Japanese children were very good students in the Rose Hill School and Everett High School.  Realizing they were not taxpayers, the Japanese wanted to make contributions to the Rose Hill School.  They paid for one of the utilities, bought the curtain for the stage, and donated two busts – one of Washington and one of Lincoln.

Sad and Difficult Times

Mukilteo’s economy was inextricably connected to its lumber mills, so their closure in 1930 had a devastating impact on the community.  The Great Depression forced Crown Lumber to close, and all the Japanese mill workers and their families moved away to find work elsewhere.  The thriving village that had been at Japanese Gulch became abandoned.

Mukilteo’s Odoi family moved to Nahcotta, in southwestern Washington in 1931.  Their twin sons, Mas and Hiroshi Odoi, graduated from Ilwaco High School as co-valedictorians in 1939.  Mas was in his third year of study in electrical engineering at the University of Washington when Imperial Japan struck Pearl Harbor. 

The bombing of Pearl Harbor led to terrible consequences for Japanese Americans.  The U.S. Government immediately labeled them “national security risks” and placed a curfew on all Japanese living on the Pacific coast, regardless of whether they were American citizens or not.  Soon thereafter, all persons having Japanese ancestry living on the Pacific coast were evacuated to “relocation centers” enclosed by barbed wire in remote areas of the U.S.  They could only bring what they could carry, with just 72 hours to get ready.  Everything they owned had to be sold cheaply, given away or stored in warehouses during the war.  Most ended up losing everything.

The entire Odoi family, including Mas, who had to give up his UW studies, was forcibly moved first to the Puyallup Assembly Center and then to the Minidoka Relocation Center in Idaho.  Minidoka was one of 10 isolated war relocation centers in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.  These were built in response to an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in February 1942.  Some of the camps were still being finished as the detainees arrived.

Minidoka imprisoned people from Oregon, Washington, and Alaska.  The camp was constructed on Bureau of Reclamation land which was designed to turn the high desert of Idaho into arable farmland. The entire camp extended over 33,000 acres, although only 900 acres were used as residential areas.  Minidoka had 36 residential blocks.  Each block had 12 barracks, a mess hall, and a latrine. Each barrack was 120’x 20’, which was then divided into six units. Each unit would house a family or a group of individuals.  Each unit had a single lightbulb and a coal burning stove.  The walls dividing the units did not extend to the ceiling and the barracks had no insulation.  There was little to no privacy for anyone.  At its peak, Minidoka held 13,000 detainees.  It is now a National Historic Site, although few of the original structures remain.

Loyal Americans

Despite their mistreatment during the war years, most Japanese who had lived in Mukilteo’s Japanese Gulch retained good memories of their lives there and became solid citizens.  As soon as restrictions were lifted, twin brothers Mas and Hiroshi Odoi volunteered to serve in the U.S. Army.  After training in 1944, they both joined the famed 442^nd Regimental Combat Team and fought in the European Theater.

The 442^nd RCT is best known for its history as a fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry (Nisei) who fought in World War II.  Beginning in 1944, the regiment fought primarily in the European Theatre, in particular Italy, southern France, and Germany. Many of the soldiers from the continental U.S. had families in internment camps while they fought abroad.

In March 1945, the 442^nd RCT was secretly shipped to Italy to breach the Nazi Gothic Line in the Apennine Mountains.  During the opening attack in the early morning of April 5, 1945, a mortar exploded behind Mas Odoi, riddling his leg and body with shrapnel.  Though painful, they were not as serious as the artery injury on his throat where he could feel a spurting stream of blood.  He temporarily lost consciousness, but woke up and staggered to his feet, limping to a tent hospital a few miles to the rear.  Mas received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star, and spent the rest of the war in military hospitals recovering from his wounds.  At war’s end, he returned to his unit to work with his brother on nominations for medal citations.

The 442^nd RCT is the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. military history.  The unit earned more than 18,000 awards in less than two years, including 9,486 Purple Hearts and 4,000 Bronze Star Medals.  The unit was awarded eight Presidential Unit Citations (five earned in one month).  Twenty-one of its members were awarded Medals of Honor.  In 2010, the Congressional Gold Medal was awarded to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and associated units who served during World War II.  In 2012, all surviving members were made chevaliers of the French Légion d’Honneur for their actions contributing to the liberation of France and their heroic rescue of the Lost Battalion.

A high percentage of Japanese-Americans from Mukilteo served in the army during WWII.  Besides the Odoi twins, those in the 442^nd RCT included Toku Wakabayashi, Yukio and Bob Takeuchi, and Hideo Onada.  Those who served in the Pacific Theater included Shigeo “Conk” Takeuchi, Yasuo Onoda and Roy and Isao Hada.

Reparations

Despite the unconditional loyalty and heroism shown by Japanese-Americans during WWII, the nation was slow to recognize and repair the injustices they had endured as part of President Roosevelt’s 1942 Executive Order.  There was some opposition to the incarceration, leading to several court cases attempting to overturn the executive order.  Despite these efforts, the Executive Order was not overturned until late 1944, with the case of Ex parte Mitsuye Endo in which the Supreme Court ruled the Executive Order unconstitutional.   The court’s ruling noted that two-thirds of the population being incarcerated were Japanese Americans who were United States birthright citizens and were stripped of their rights as citizens because of their ethnicity.

Even with the Supreme Court ruling, it would take a long time for reparations and appropriate recognition.  In 1983, almost forty years after the war ended, the federal Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians found that there had been no military necessity for the mass imprisonment of Japanese Americans and that a grave injustice had been done.  Finally, in 1988, Congress enacted the redress bill, HR 442, that awarded $20,000 to every Japanese-American evacuee, along with a presidential apology.  On October 5, 2010, President Barack Obama signed a bill granting the Congressional Gold Medal, collectively to the Japanese-Americans in the 442^nd RCT and the Military Intelligence Service for their extraordinary service in WWII.

Return to Mukilteo

After the war, Japanese-American soldiers returned to many different parts of the country.  Mas Odoi moved to Chicago and started a TV repair business.  There he met and married his wife Frances, and together they had two sons, Gary and Richard.  Mas spent many years, first in Chicago and later in Los Angeles before returning to the Puget Sound area around 1990.  Here he became an active member of the Mukilteo Historical Society, driving to many meetings and events even in bad weather.  He was a popular speaker at various local venues, relating his life experiences after growing up in Japanese Gulch.  The University of Washington awarded him an honorary degree as part of its program to recognize Japanese-American students that had been removed from their studies and sent to Relocation Centers in 1942.

Mas Odoi was instrumental in getting the Japanese Memorial built in Centennial Park.  He wrote letters as early as June 1989, proposing a memorial and worked tirelessly with the Historical Society for over 10 years to bring his proposal to fruition.  The words “Peace and Happiness” that appear on the monument plaque reflect his philosophy of life and fondness for the people of Mukilteo.  He was named Mukilteo’s 2008 Pioneer of the Year and participated in that year’s Lighthouse Festival parade and reception.

Mas Odoi died July 28, 2013, and was buried with full military honors at the Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA.  His nephew, Steve Odoi is an active member of the Mukilteo Historical Society, continuing the family’s tradition of community support.  Steve spends most of his time in Alaska, but is currently visiting Mukilteo, so be sure to say hello if you see him.  The monument in Centennial Park stands as a reminder of the contributions made by Japanese immigrants and their descendants to the community spirit we share today in Mukilteo.

Originally published in the 5/27/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By John and Anne Collier, Mukilteo Historical Society

In early 1966, a handful of members of the newly incorporated Mukilteo Historical Society (MHS) were searching for some way to increase awareness of the history of Mukilteo while also raising money for a future museum.  Some members recalled the popular clambakes of the early 1900s that brought together many residents of the tiny mill town of Mukilteo.  It was from these nostalgic memories of simpler times that an idea for a new event emerged:  the Mukilteo Pioneer Festival.

The first festival occurred on September 10, 1966, and it exceeded expectations in every way, except financially.  Men grew beards to win prizes:  the longest, the fullest, the fanciest, or the one that demonstrated the greatest effort with the poorest result!  Old bathing suits were taken out of moth balls for a swim suit contest, and prizes were awarded for the best period costume.  There was a children’s Pioneer Parade, dinghy races, a host of “old time games” for adults and children, and dance presentations by Native Americans.

State Senator Jack Metcalfe participated enthusiastically as the chief chef of the salmon barbeque (a tradition he continued for many years).  An invocation was offered by Rev. Phillip Laurie from the Mukilteo Presbyterian Church, and a speech on the signing of the Point Elliott Treaty was given by Harriette Shelton Dover from the Tulalips.  Among the honored guests was Mrs. Pearl Hatten of Yakima, who had accompanied her husband and three children in the first car to cross on the ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton in 1919.  A resounding success, the festival ended with a street dance featuring the “Dixiecat Jazzland Ballers.”

Success is said to have many fathers, but in this case it was the women of Mukilteo who led the way.  Men were involved, of course, but the names of those most remembered as leaders of the effort include Virginia Phipps, Opal McConnell, Beverly Ellis, Randall Bump, and others.  While all could see and bask in the positive impact of the first festival, not everyone noticed the toll taken on the volunteers.  As talk began for the next one, even before the first one was over, the Seattle Times quoted “one busy mother” moaning that “we’ll be lucky if we live through this one.”

The Historical Society organized the next two pioneer festivals, but by 1969 the organization reluctantly reported that it was unable to continue as the prime organizer.  MHS did not have enough volunteers and the event had not become the moneymaker they expected.  In fact, the 1970 festival, organized by the city with help from MHS and other groups, lost money and appeared to have been beset with internal conflict.   The challenge had become obvious. Festivals are expensive and require enormous amounts of volunteer time and talent.  In 1971, the festival was cancelled (although this decision was somehow not communicated to the Everett Eagles Band which suddenly showed up, resulting in a scrambling for chairs and an impromptu concert near the Ferry depot).

The disappointing failure to hold a festival in 1971 led to increased soul searching among the citizens of Mukilteo.  Fearing legal liabilities, the city stated adamantly that it would not sponsor the event and that it could only offer “moral support” in view of its financial condition.   Eventually a pattern emerged in which a private, non-profit organization was created specifically to organize the festival, and the city, businesses, organizations, and individual volunteers would provide whatever organizational and financial support they could.  This format has worked well for the most part, although there have been hiccups.  In 2004, when the city was unable to come up with an expected $35,000 (a bond levy failed and funds were desperately needed for emergency services), others had to rally around to save the festival.

The spirit of festival has remained robust throughout the past forty plus years, even as the name has changed from the original Mukilteo Pioneer Festival to the current Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival; the timing has fluctuated between August and September and from one day in length to nearly three; and many of the selected sites, parade routes, and various arts, crafts, entertainment, and other activities have appeared, disappeared, and reappeared over time.  In 1970, a newly created Festival Committee named a “Man of the Year,” but when Clara Kane was chosen for the honor in 1972, the title became “Citizen of the Year,” as is the case today.   At the beginning MHS honored the oldest living pioneer, but in 1982 the title became “Pioneer of the Year,” a tradition that has continued ever since.

Pioneers, politicians, parade marshals, and princesses have come and gone over the years.  But the spirit of families, friends and neighbors coming together for a good time persists, and is remarkably similar to that of those Mukilteo clambakes of a century ago.

Originally published in the 9/5/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By John and Anne Collier, Mukilteo Historical Society

Military Base or County Airport?

Paine Field Airport was begun as an airport for Snohomish County in 1936.  It was a part of the federal effort by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to combat unemployment during the Great Depression by building ten “super airports” around the country. 

Located on unincorporated county land between Mukilteo and Everett, the site was initially selected because the area was so unpopulated and relatively free of fog.  Initially, 640 acres were purchased from the timber interests of Merrill Ring Logging, and Pope and Talbot.   By the time the airport was completed, some 2.5 million cubic yards of earth had been moved in massive clear-cutting, excavating, and leveling operations.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the fledgling county airport was rapidly transformed into an army air base to provide air defense and refueling facilities for the Pacific Northwest.  It also served as a training site for pilots and other personnel prior to deployment.  The primary interceptor aircraft based at the newly named Paine Field were P38s, P39s, and P40s.

Topliff Olin Paine

Paine Field was named for Topliff Olin Paine, a veteran of World War I.   Born in Ohio in 1893, “Top” Paine moved with his family to Everett in 1903, and was graduated from Everett High School in 1911.  He attended the University of Washington, worked as a U.S. Forest Ranger, and then served in the 12^th Company of the Army Infantry in Everett.

After his discharge in 1919 from the Army Air Corps, Paine became a civilian pilot employed by the U.S. Air Mail Service.  He inaugurated a treacherous airmail route from Rock Springs, WY, to Salt Lake City, receiving national acclaim on several occasions when he survived storms or landed his plane where it was thought to be impossible.  His luck ran out, however, when he was killed by an accidental gunshot wound in 1922.  The name of the Snohomish County Airport was changed by the army in April, 1941 to honor Second Lieutenant Paine.

Max Whitcomb, Jr.:  Mukilteo’s Own Hero

During World War II, some of the many training flights from Paine Field were not successful.  On Sunday, March 23, 1942, Robert W. Neel crashed his plane some 600 yards off Nakeeta Beach in Mukilteo.  Fourteen-year-old Max Whitcomb, Jr., saw the P-38 go down into the choppy waters.  Without hesitation he and his younger brother, Paul, carried their 12-foot row boat to the shore. Max rowed into the teeth of the storm and managed to pull the pilot into the boat in spite of Neel’s injuries and heavy clothes.

Max Whitcomb put Mukilteo on the map that week.  Following interviews on KOMO and KIRO radio stations, he was honored by a full military review at Paine Field.  He was allowed to bring one guest, so Max chose his younger brother to stand beside him and the commanding officer of the base, Col. A. C. Strickland.  When Eddie Richenbacker came to Paine Field the next day, a meeting was arranged between Max and the legendary pilot of World War I.  According to one account, Col. Strickland brought them together with the following words:  “I want an old hero to meet a new hero.”

Paine Goes Civilian Again as the Air Force Goes South to McChord

In October 1945, the airport reverted back to Snohomish County, only to be reactivated for military use again in 1949, this time for the newly created Air Force.  During the Korean conflict and later during the build-up for Vietnam, Paine Field was used for both civilian and military purposes.  For a time in the 1950s, the site was named the Paine Air Force Base, and its operations were dominated by the military.  In the mid-1960s, however, the Air Force and Defense Department turned their attention toward McChord Air Force Base and the Paine property was returned to Snohomish County’s jurisdiction, where it has remained ever since.

The Boeing Company Comes to Paine Field

As the interest of the Air Force waned, Snohomish County increased its efforts to promote private enterprises around the airport.  Low-cost leases and tax breaks were granted to small start-up companies to increase usage of the airport and bring in more jobs.  By the late sixties, some sixteen firms filled the airport’s industrial park, including charter flight services and flight instruction. 

It was the Boeing Company, however, that became the dominant influence in the area when in 1966 it selected a site just north of the airport for the manufacture of its new and revolutionary 747 airplane.  Boeing expanded its gigantic plant in 1978 to build the 767.  Then it expanded again in 1992 when additional space was needed for the new 777 aircraft.  Boeing’s continuing success spurred more economic activity, such as, for example, Aviation Technical Services, which operates one of the largest aerospace repair facilities in North America.

Mukilteo and the Future of Paine Field

Mukilteo has benefitted significantly in the past from the nearby presence of Paine Field.  The airport’s expansion during World War II, for example, was a major contributing factor to the growth of Mukilteo and its incorporation as a city in 1947.  The economic benefits of Boeing and all the related manufacturing and service companies are obvious to all.  Often overlooked has been the surge in tourist revenue in the area from all the aviation-related museums now flourishing around the airport.

The overriding question remains as to whether these considerable benefits will be outweighed in the future by the airport’s increasingly negative impact on Mukilteo.  Media coverage of the start of regularly scheduled commercial passenger flights has been overwhelmingly positive. Supporters of this change seem to be channeling the original 1930s vision of a “super airport.”  

But the area is no longer remote and unpopulated.  Despite the current hoopla, deep-seated concerns remain among many residents regarding aggravating noise, traffic congestion, air pollution, lowered property values, decreased personal safety, and other quality of life issues. Residents are already hearing from friends and relatives regarding “park and fly” possibilities at their homes!  Will these “downs” outweigh any economic “ups” in the future?

Originally published in the 6/5/2019 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Peter Anderson, Director, Mukilteo Historical Society

When the first permanent settlers arrived in Mukilteo, they were surrounded by an abundant supply of timber that could be used for building materials.  Plenty of tall Douglas fir could be cut and formed into lumber used for joinery, veneer, flooring and construction.  Tall native cedar trees were abundantly available for making roof shingles and exterior siding.  There was more than enough of these forest products to satisfy local building needs, so logging camps were soon established to harvest timber for export to other regions.

Trees were cut by hand and, early on, pulled by oxen along rudimentary skid roads from the logging camps to the water where the logs could be floated to sawmills.  Logging crews used peeled logs to fashion primitive rails or skids to make it easier for the oxen or horses to pull heavy timber.  Workers would walk ahead of the animals to apply oil on the skids, giving rise to the expression “greasing the skids.”

In 1881, John Dolbeer invented the donkey engine that revolutionized logging.  It replaced animal power, which was slow and could not negotiate steep terrain.  The donkey engine consisted of a single-cylinder steam engine connected to a horizontal capstan mounted on several log skids.  By wrapping cables around the capstan, the engine could pull huge loads that would otherwise have required animal power.  The first donkey models pulled the logs toward the engine.  When it was time to move to a new area, the cables were attached to a tree, stump or other strong anchor, and the engine would drag itself to the next logging site.

As logging operations moved farther inland, logging railroads were built for transporting the cut timber to waiting ships or coastal sawmills.  These early railroads used grooved wooden rails that had been patented by Blackman Brothers.  In 1883, Blackman Brothers boasted having the first “locomotive” in Snohomish County near Mukilteo and Marysville.

Sawmills were established to cut logs into finished lumber.  The Mukilteo Lumber Company, established in 1903, was purchased by the Crown Lumber Company in 1909.  The $800,000 purchase price included a modern mill, 3,400 acres of timber, interest in 3 vessels and a lumberyard in San Francisco.

One of the largest sawmills on Puget Sound, Mukilteo’s Crown Lumber could produce over 200,000 board feet of lumber in a single 10-hour workday.  The mill was built over a wharf where, because of its deep-water harbor, ocean-going ships could tie up and load lumber cargo.  Small steam schooners could carry about 400,000 board feet in a single load; 3, 4 and 5-masted sailing ships could carry 500,000 to 1.6 million board feet, and larger, steel-hulled freighters could carry about 5 million board feet per load.  In 1928, one ship was reported to have carried a record 8 million board feet.

Mukilteo’s lumber mills occupied about 20 acres of waterfront property where the new ferry terminal is now being constructed.  Besides Crown Lumber, there was also the Yukon Lumber Company (aka Mukilteo Manufacturing Company) and the Mukilteo Shingle Mill.  The mill operations employed about 200 persons, with work for another 30 to 60 longshoremen and many more in related fields.  Common labor rates in the early 1900s were $2.00 to $2.50 per day for 10 hours work.  The sawmill operated six days per week.  In 1918, unions succeeded in obtaining an 8-hour workday.  When the mill operations closed in 1930, the common labor rate was $3.50 per day for 8 hours work.

The lumber mills were a huge part of Mukilteo’s economy.  Nearly the entire population was somehow connected either directly or indirectly to mill operations.  Mill workers were paid monthly.  Their families shopped in Mukilteo stores.  Seasonal workers such as longshoremen or loggers stayed in Mukilteo hotels or rooming houses.  They dined in Mukilteo restaurants, drank in local saloons and saw movies at the Hadenfeldt Theater.  Thus, it was a major shock to the town when the Depression hit and the mills closed.

The Mukilteo Shingle Mill had been destroyed by fire in 1929, and the Crown Lumber and Yukon Lumber mills closed in 1930.  Many of the mill workers (including almost all the Japanese workers) left town in search of employment elsewhere.  Mukilteo nearly became a ghost town.  The resilience of those that remained during the Depression is a tribute to Mukilteo’s survival.  Many residents had gardens for raising vegetables, potatoes and chickens.  Bartering for goods and food became commonplace.  What remained of the Crown Lumber Mill was destroyed by fire in 1938.

Mukilteo’s economic downturn lasted for nearly a decade.  Salvation came in the form of the U.S. Navy, which built a large ammunition facility on the former Crown Lumber property.  Constructed in the early months of WW II, the facility included a barracks and massive pier, and provided jobs for about 600 workers.  The property was later used by the Air Force for a fuel storage facility before becoming available for Mukilteo’s new ferry terminal.  The old Navy barracks building was taken over by NOAA and will soon be replaced by a more modern facility.  Although no longer a lumber town, Mukilteo’s rich history remains deeply rooted in our lumbering legacy.

Originally published in the 4/22/2020 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Joanne Mulloy, President, Mukilteo Historical Society

When Mukilteo Historical Society (MHS) volunteers weed the gardens at the Mukilteo lighthouse, they always receive compliments and thanks.  The flower beds are well known for their beauty because the community of gardeners over the years put much thought, planning and hard work into them.  The community gathers there for celebrations, including weddings and proms, with photographers capturing this backdrop for the happy couples.  This wasn’t always so and came about by accident. 

When the lighthouse was owned by the United States Coast Guard, the flower beds were filled with red rock, as a low maintenance method to keep the weeds away.  In 1997, the City of Mukilteo took over ownership and maintenance of the gardens and grounds.  MHS moved from the old Rosehill School to the lighthouse grounds in 1999.  One Sunday, a volunteer working in the gift shop was bothered by the weeds along Quarters B and took action.  Since no one stopped her, she continued and others joined in.  The City Manager then told the MHS President that they could weed along the buildings but to leave the row of beds leading to the lighthouse.  At that time, there was a fence along both Quarters A and B to create privacy for the families living there.  Soon, the fence needed painting, as it is prone to do, and MHS members volunteered to paint it.  This was the first of many fence painting parties to come.  This earned the gardeners the trust of the City to expand their weeding. 

Over the years, planters brought cuttings, bulbs or seeds from home that are still there today:  day lilies in the raised bed, black-eyed Susans in the sunnier beds and crocosmia and daisies in the lilac beds near the Losvar condos.  Others took plantings or seeds home and the old fashioned holly hock seeds were shared with many. The lilacs were planted by Coast Guardsman Kurt Betz and his wife Michelle when they lived in Quarters B.  Plantings in remembrance of those who had passed include:  the striking lacecap hydrangea outside of the gift shop for Glee Shaver; the red azaleas in front of the lighthouse for Ralph Loree; the rugosa rose for Digger Dan Caley and the Paul’s Glory hosta in honor of Paul Winters.  People still take the rosehips from the rose bush as a memory.  When the National historical places marker and rock were placed, two Korean lilacs were planted near it.

George McConnell would purchase a bag of 300 daffodils each year at Costco and slip them to President Ellen Koch to plant so he could see the blooms from his home.  At George’s memorial, his son had a bag of daffodil bulbs for Ellen, since George bought them before he passed away.  Eleven years ago, a friend of Ellen’s grandson needed a service project, so they planted 75 red tulips. Bulbs have not been planted on the lighthouse grounds since and yet they continue to come up each year.

The lighthouse gardens were known for their bright red, beautiful poppies, known as “lighthouse poppies”.  The seeds were shared in little packets to take home for planting.  This went on for some time until a volunteer’s policeman neighbor warned they be destroyed because they were opium poppies!

A lot of work was done by these early teams of volunteers to establish the gardens.  Years were spent removing red rock, the soil was replenished and many annuals were purchased to fill the flower beds. During that manual labor, long term friendships were formed through fun and laughter.  There was a gardening shed on the grounds with flower boxes on each side that was later moved to the community garden.  A garden party was held in the shed and all the women wore hats.  The raised flower bed near the seawall was originally smaller and built from railroad ties.  In 2001, a volunteer and the City created the existing raised bed and the railroad ties were removed.  A significant number of gardening projects were completed that year and the fences were removed, somewhat reluctantly.

Before mass planting day began, plants were purchased and planted over weeks in the summer.  Inspired by Forest Park’s mass planting and as an effort to get younger people involved, the annual event began.  The early gardeners made the perfect decision to have red, white and blue flowers along the paths leading to the lighthouse.  Petunias were planted for a while, but they required too much deadheading.  The switch was made to red geraniums, white alyssum and blue lobelia.  Calendula was planted which volunteered into several beds.  Impatiens were selected to go with the tobacco plants along Quarters B.  There is a tradition of using augers to dig holes the size of the pots so planting is quick.  This started with an electric drill and now battery operated augers are used.  The pots are placed where they will be planted, those running the augers go behind and dig holes, then, planters follow behind and fill the holes with plants and soil.  Sheila McGillivray was the greeter for the mass planting for many years until she passed away last year.  She is missed.

The annual mass planting for the lighthouse grounds will be held on Saturday, June 1^st.  The public is invited to join in planting.  If you would like to become a member of MHS, here is a link to an application, including volunteer opportunities:  https://mukilteohistorical.org/support-shop/membership/

Originally published in the 5/1/2019 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Joanne Mulloy, President, Mukilteo Historical Society

A small group of dedicated Mukilteo residents drew up Bylaws for the new Mukilteo Historical Society (MHS) in 1965 as a step towards incorporation in 1966.  In 1967, letters were written to Senators Warren G. Magnuson and Henry M. (Scoop) Jackson requesting a site for a museum on the lighthouse property, which was then owned by the United States Coast Guard.  Both replied that they would look into it.  During those early years, there were not many minutes of meetings held in private homes.   Opal McConnell, the author of “Mukilteo Pictures and Memories” was secretary in the seventies, joining the organization after her kids were grown and left home.  She got up at 4am with her husband and wrote her book while her husband went to work at the Boathouse, their boat rental business.  They lived in a storage loft above the Boathouse as newlyweds. 

Prior to 1977, the City of Mukilteo established a Historical Commission with the purpose of collecting and recording historical facts and photos.  The City purchased a fire proof file cabinet to safely store these records (which is still on the property today).  The charge for the Commission lines up with the current MHS mission statement, which reads: Locate, acquire, restore, preserve and exhibit any and all articles, documents, photographs, papers, artifacts and other items of historic, cultural, educational, or scientific value which pertain to the City of Mukilteo and its environs.  MHS still collaborates with the City of Mukilteo to carry out this purpose.

In 1977, Opal’s book was printed.  Two years later, a museum space was created in Room 201 of the Rosehill School.  Bev Ellis was President for 5 years during this time.

In 1991, the City of Mukilteo leased the lighthouse from the Coast Guard.  The following year, Mim Loree became President.  Lighthouse tours provided by MHS started on May 14, 1992.  The beginning gift shop started out as a small display cabinet/counter inside the lighthouse.  In 1992, the museum was moved from Rosehill School to a portable.  In 1997, the gift shop moved to the garage and a fundraiser for purchasing floor tiles in the lighthouse and Interpretive Center was launched.  These tiles are a popular attraction now as people try to find the tiles their family purchased or inquire about buying a new tile.  The tiles sold out in 1997 so this is not an option.

In 1999 under President Chris Wilson, MHS headquarters moved to the light station.  Volunteers started maintaining the gardens.  Funds were raised to restore 17 headstones at Pioneer Cemetery.  In 2001, the US Coast Guard gifted the lighthouse to the City of Mukilteo.  MHS currently has a facility use agreement with the City to staff the lighthouse and plan events.

Over the years, MHS administered and maintained the gift shop and archives, created themed parade floats, supported the Lighthouse Festival on many different levels, developed historical exhibits and grew their membership.  Staffing the lighthouse expanded to provide special tours and support weddings.  The League of Snohomish County Historical Organizations (LOSCHO) honored MHS with their Malstrom award (named for local historian Helmer Malstrom) several times for projects in support of local history, including this year for the mapping of Pioneer Cemetery and the accompanying book authored by Margaret Summitt.  Work was performed to get the lighthouse added to the State and National Historical Registers. 

The Archive Team catalogues the collection of over 3,000 photographs of historic places, people, and events. This year alone, data on 569 photographs was entered into a searchable museum-quality database program called PastPerfect.  This work is slow and labor intensive and will continue in 2019 and beyond. Portions of the resulting database were uploaded to an on-line website, allowing public access to over 2,400 photos. These photos can be viewed and ordered at:  https://mukilteohistorical.pastperfectonline.com/.

The current activities and accomplishments of MHS are only possible because of the foundation built for the organization many years ago by its leadership and that of the City of Mukilteo.  The gifts of their talents, skills and idea continue to benefit the Mukilteo community.  Many of the challenges of the early years still exist today.  Membership and turnover are still challenges.  Numerous strong women kept the organization moving forward.  Volunteers still maintain the gardens and paint the fence when needed. Friends were made and traditions were carried down through the years.  This rich legacy will continue to grow.

The 2019 MHS Board has been elected to continue to support the community and the City of Mukilteo:  Joanne Mulloy, President; Sally Morrison, Vice President; Al Friedrich, Treasurer; Margaret Summitt, Secretary.  Directors include:  Peter Anderson, Craig Fisher, Eric Richstad, Sharon Sutherland, and Mark Sutherland. 

If you would like to become a member of MHS, here is a link to an application, including volunteer opportunities:  https://mukilteohistorical.org/support-shop/membership/.

Originally published in the 12/5/2018 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.

By Al Friedrich, Treasurer, Mukilteo Historical Society

Good news!  The yellow caution tape surrounding an area of the Mukilteo Light Station (MLS) is finally gone.  But wait, why all the fuss?

A casual glance skyward would have revealed a broken antenna atop the wooden pole.  Now the antenna has been replaced and the yellow caution tape is no more, not to mention all the orange safety cones.

We know the MLS is home to two active United States Coast Guard (USCG) Aids to Navigation.  The first, a light encased in a Fresnel Lens which was made by opticians in Paris, France in 1852.  Visible for 10-12 miles on a clear night, the signature flash is every 5 seconds (2 seconds on and 3 seconds off).  The light is listed in USCG publications and shown on navigation maps.  The MLS has the only active Fresnel Lens in the State of Washington.  The second, a fog horn that can be activated by the USCG on those “rare” foggy days.  The signature sound is a 3 second blast every 27 seconds.

But did you know that the MLS is also home to a communications system which is part of the USCG Vessel Traffic Service?  In the words of the USCG at the Navigation Center website (navcen.uscg.gov):

“The purpose of a Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is to provide active monitoring and navigational advice for vessels in particularly confined and busy waterways.  VHF-FM communications network forms the basis of most major services.  Transiting vessels make position reports to a vessel traffic center by radiotelephone and are in turn provided with accurate, complete, and timely navigational safety information.  They encompass a wide range of techniques and capabilities aimed at preventing vessel collisions, rammings, and groundings in the harbor, harbor approach and inland waterway phase of navigation.  They are also designed to expedite ship movements, increase transportation system efficiency, and improve all-weather operating capability.   The Coast Guard operates 12 Vessel Traffic Centers (VTC):  Prince William Sound, Puget Sound, Valdez, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles/Long Beach, Houston-Galveston, Berwick Bay, Louisville, Saint Mary’s River, Port Arthur, Tampa, and New York.”

The communication system at the MLS is part of the Puget Sound VTC located at Pier 36 in Seattle.  The Puget Sound VTC monitors the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Rosario Strait, Admiralty Inlet and Puget Sound south to Olympia.  The MLS system provides valuable communications to/from vessels passing through Possession Sound (Whidbey Island and the coastline of Mukilteo and Everett).

Since 1979, the USCG has cooperated with the Canadian Coast Guard in managing vessels traffic to include areas north of the Strait of Juan de Fuca through Haro Strait to include Vancouver B.C..  The relationship with Canada is invaluable in their mission to protect vessels in Puget Sound and the Salish Sea.

In summary, the USCG, the City of Mukilteo and the Mukilteo Historical Society are pleased to cooperate in the preservation and maintenance of the Mukilteo Light Station whose mission is to serve as an Aid to Navigation for all vessels sailing the Possession Sound.

Originally published in the 10/2/2019 issue of the Mukilteo Beacon.