News Files
COMPILED BY CAROL SCHMIDT
EARLY HISTORY
Jens Fjerlie of Norway arrived in Stanwood in 1890, had two brothers, Ole and Nels. Alice and Warren Smith of Nebraska arrived here in the 1890s, and later their daughter, Edna, married Millard Snelson in Florence, 1903.
100 YEARS AGO (1910)
Elias Brue, who came to Stanwood from Norway in 1870 at age 4, later owned the steam threshing machine that made the rounds of farms during harvest time before and after 1910. He also operated a pile driver that prepared the way for many early construction projects.
90 YEARS AGO (1920)
Jack Johnson of Silvana joined the Marines. Margaret E. Pierce was born May 10, 1920 in Mount Vernon, later married Glen Johnson and had Margaret’s Beauty Shop in Stanwood for over 30 years. M. F. and Laura Augusta Brown maintained a shingle mill at Utsaladdy since 1913; he was once an Island County commissioner.
80 YEARS AGO (1930)
Eighth grade boys and principal Gregory climbed Mt. Higgin’s summit. East Stanwood Commercial Club discussed extending telephone service into the Sunday Lake area. The fire siren, stolen from the fire truck three years ago, was returned.
70 YEARS AGO (1940)
Bert Thorpe razed a number of old buildings he owned along the railroad bed opposite the Thompson store in Stanwood. Over 600 people attend the Lincoln High School and grade school exhibit and musical program in the auditorium (now the Senior Center Thrift Store).
60 YEARS AGO (1950)
Property owners on Camano attended a meeting at South Camano Grange to discuss the 10-year plan for roads. The all-county track meet was held on O’Connor Field (now the Stanwood Middle School field; it was named for a popular earlyday coach).
50 YEARS AGO (1960)
Rekdal’s Texaco in Stanwood had a contest to win a free trip to Hawaii. Over 50 school directors from all over the county were guests of the Twin City School Board.
40 YEARS AGO (1970)
The American-Canadian Legion’s Pass of the International Friends Gavel took place here, following a parade through town with Stanwood High School band and three bagpipe bands. Rural Mail Delivery was approved for several streets in town: Union, Rainier, Oliver, State and Lindsey, and east end of Center Street.
30 YEARS AGO (1980)
Stanwood Jaycees sponsored a Cystic Fibrosis Bikea Thon. Thirteen parking spaces were wiped out when the new angle parking went into effect in the east side of town.
20 YEARS AGO (1990)
Petitions were circulating on Camano to incorporate the island. Whales were rarely seen in Port Susan but a couple of grays were sighted almost every day, gliding past the pier at Kayak Point.
10 YEARS AGO (2000)
School buses will run non-toxic antifreeze. Stanwood’s Chief Bales praised the city-county law enforcement pact, operating well after 17 months.
