Boat Building - Port of Everett

125
Boat Building
Boat Building
Everett’s North Waterfront played a
role in the significant changes in the
boat building industry
126
Boat Building
Companies
Fishermen’s Boat Shop
F
ishermen’s Boat Shop first
appears in the 1944 Polk City
Directory. It is located at the
foot of Bond Street and is listed
as a boat builder and a facility
for boat repair. Carl S. Anderson
and Matt Jokinen are shown
as the proprietors. By April
1947, Fishermen’s Boat Shop
had notified the Port of Everett
about the need for enlarged
quarters. The firm requested
priority consideration for space
Originally located at
and facilities being proposed at 14th Street, which was a better strategic location. The
the foot of Bond Street, commercial fishing fleet was now moored in the 14th Street basin and in the years
Fishermen’s Boat Shop to come, the pleasure boats would move there, as well. By September 1947, a new
boat shop for Carl Anderson was under construction at the 14th Street site near the
moved to the 14th
waterfront. Within a few months, Fishermen’s Boat Shop was in its new quarters, which
Street Dock area in the
included the new building plus the carpenter shop that had been moved from the Bond
late 1940s. Later it was Street site. Carl Anderson was now listed as the sole operator of the firm. In the new
sold to Todd Shipyard. site, Anderson’s major emphasis was repair work, but he also built both pleasure craft
and fishing vessels. The latter were built for local commercial fishing families—two of the
Photo courtesy
small purse seiners were the Melvin II and the Dawn. By November 1951, Anderson was
Lawrence E. O’Donnell
doing business as both Fishermen’s Boat Shop and Anderson Boat Building Company.
127
Boat Building
In October 1959, Dick Eitel bought Fishermen’s Boat Shop from Carl Anderson. It had
been basically a repair facility for wooden boats, but that changed in the 1960s as Eitel
got into steel work, as well. One of the first steel vessels of any size was a 45-foot tug
built in 1964 for Everett’s American Tow Boat Company. A great deal of maintenance
and repair work was needed on fishing boats, tug boats, and pleasure craft. For instance, Pictured on boat buildAlaska set a 58-foot length limit on purse seiners, which meant that many of the boats
ing section cover, a
had to be shortened to meet the requirement. Fishermen’s Boat Shop was involved in
Cruise-A-Home
many of these alterations, which consisted of changes to the bow, stern, and rudder.
Photo courtesy
Over the years the shop was altered and enlarged as the business expanded.
Increasingly, Fishermen’s Boat Shop began to take on larger and more complicated work.
They successfully bid on government contracts with such agencies as the U.S. Coast
Guard, U.S. Navy, University of Washington, and the Washington State Department of
Transportation. A $240,000 contract in January 1976 to build sewage holding systems for
two state ferries, and an April 1978 contract to construct a $226,000 floating breakwater
for the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor research laboratory were lead-ups to
even bigger projects. Later there would be multi-million dollar contracts, such as those
for renovating Washington State Ferries, constructing floating bridge segments, building
barges, and assembling a dry dock gate for use at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard. These
larger projects required a great deal more space than that available at the original boat
shop site; Fishermen’s Boat Shop was leasing space at several different Port of Everett
locations. At times up to 120 employees worked on various projects. Reflective of this
changing role, in 2001 the company name was changed to Everett Shipyard, Inc.
Lawrence E. O’Donnell
collection
Along the way, fascinating projects developed. One of the most challenging was the
construction and delivery of a 120-foot ferry in 1981 for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Named the Columbian Princess, the car ferry would be used on the Colville Indian
Reservation, running on Lake Roosevelt in Eastern Washington between Inchelium and
Gifford. In a 2008 interview, Dick Eitel still had vivid memories of the Columbia Princess
saga. “What a story,” he recalled. “We got it built, then had to run it out the straits,
down the coast, up the Columbia and then the Snake River. The last stage was getting it
across the wheat fields to the lake. I understand it’s still operating,” he continued. “It’s
the largest vessel we ever built at the shop.”
For nearly a half-century, the Eitels — Dick, and then his son Nick — operated the
company. In March 2008, an era ended when the family-owned firm was sold to Todd
Shipyard, Inc. who continued work under a subsidiary named Everett Ship Repair and
Drydock, Inc. In 2010, the company relocated its operation to the foot of Bond Street
where it began 66 years before.
128
Boat Building
Everett Engineering, Inc.
In the late 1960s, Dick Eitel, president of Fishermen’s Boat Shop, faced a problem. Both
of the machine shops that offered critical support to his business had closed. “I knew
something had to be done,” Eitel recalled in a 2008 interview. “I contacted Dan Martin
and asked him if he would join with me in starting a new machine shop.” Martin, in
2008, still remembers his response. “I told him I couldn’t build a fire because I couldn’t
afford the matches. But Dick came up with the $10,000. I left Noble Engineering to
partner with him.”
The pair built a 40- by 60-foot building at 1420 Norton Avenue, adjacent to Fishermen’s
Boat Shop. The new firm, called Everett Engineering, Inc., opened in the fall of 1968.
Martin was president, Eitel was vice president, and Dale White, secretary-treasurer.
The company, offering a variety of machine shop services, became indispensable not
only to Fishermen’s Boat shop, but other firms and individuals as well. They designed
and built winches, propeller shafts, gear boxes, and countless other products. Within
two years, Martin and Eitel had enlarged the original building by another 1,600 square
feet. To accommodate an ever-increasing business, they added a second building in
the early 1980s and then another which they moved to the site from the Western Gear
complex when that company closed. By the 1990s, approximately 35 employees worked
in facilities that covered close to 17,000 square feet. In June 2007, Everett Engineering,
Inc. moved to 26 East Marine View Drive, the former Weyerhaeuser Kraft Mill site on the
Snohomish River. As of 2008, they continued as a full-service custom design machining
and fabrication facility; Martin and Eitel were still the owners.
The Morris Brothers and Morris Boats
129
Boat Building
J. Paul and Walter “Walt” Morris were the only sons of J.O. and Almeda Morris. J.O.
was the vice president of Everett Packing Company, a cannery near Pier 1 on the Everett
waterfront. Because of their father’s work, the brothers spent a good deal of time on
the water as boys. Early on, both had a fascination for the sea and for boats. Both were
dreamers and, as children, they designed model boats. After their schooling, the young
men moved on to making real boats. Eventually both married. Paul and Faith (Kellogg)
had three daughters, Sidne, Gretchen, and Julie; while Walt and Barbara (Shangle) had
two sons, Kelley and Jack.
The Morris Brothers,
Paul (right) and Walt
Photo courtesy
Morris family collections
The brothers’ dream to one day build boats came true in 1947 when they opened a
boat building plant in Bellingham under the name Morris, Inc., building boats for a
company named Norseman. After about a year, they decided to move to Everett. On
January 5, 1948, the Port of Everett Commissioners approved the transfer of the lease
of the Scholl’s 14th Street Marina building to the Morris brothers. They also received
permission to use a portion of the 14th Street Dock for their operation. Morris, Inc.
then relocated the boat building plant from Bellingham to Everett. They actually
disassembled the buildings in Bellingham and moved them to 14th Street Dock where
they reassembled them for their boat building enterprise. (As of 2010 this was called the
Mall Building.) After the move they built small wooden pleasure craft under the Morris
name. They were all-plywood boats, the first being 12- to 16-foot “Runabouts.” By all
standards, their boats were of the highest quality.
At some point in the mid-1950s, Morris began building pleasure boats for Jerry Bryant,
who owned Bryant’s Marina in Seattle. These boats, while manufactured in Everett,
carried the Bryant label. Over the years, Morris produced several different models which
were then transported to Bryant’s for marketing. They were designed for outboard
motor use and the later 18- to 21-foot boats were especially popular. Fast and sleek,
they helped popularize small boating in Puget Sound and other areas. The Morris
130
Boat Building
brothers had a very good relationship with Bryant.
All five Morris children remember the MorrisBryant years with fondness. They enjoyed the
excitement of riding in the boats their fathers
had designed and built, and the water sports
that went with them. In a 2008 interview, Kelley
reflected that they had probably all first waterskied on saltwater.
In the early 1950s, the ban on power boats
for commercial fishing in Alaska’s Bristol Bay
was lifted. Power boats would be allowed but
they could not be over 32 feet in length. Bryant
was one of the companies that began building
the 32-foot gillnetters but soon the demand
exceeded their manufacturing capabilities. Bryant
A Morris Boat (above)
contracted with Morris, Inc., who started producing the fishing craft under the Bryant
Boats were painted in the name. Always a team, both brothers were talented and capable. Paul had a gift for
design and did the drafting work. Walt, a superb craftsman, carried out the construction
building on 14th Street
and technical aspects of the work. Both had an understanding of the entire process.
Dock (right).
The gillnetters were barebones and built quickly, but had the
typical Morris quality. They were the perfect boats for
Photos courtesy
the times. Now there was an assembly line production
Morris family collections
for both the pleasure and fishing boats under the same
roof. Once the boats were built, they went to the paint
shop on the dock west of the factory. The gillnetters went
into the water for engine installation. All boats then went
to Bryant.
The wooden-hulled gillnetters with red cedar planking were designed to operate in
as little as 30 inches of water. They were rugged, fast vessels. With a 290 horsepower
Chrysler engine (one of several types of engines used), they could do 20 knots an hour
without a load and had a comfortable cruising speed of 14 knots. A fully loaded Bryant
Super Highliner, a 32-foot gillnetter model, could carry 4,000-5,000 thousand fish, plus
nets. Most of the early gillnetters were built for Alaskan canneries, which then provided
131
Boat Building
the boats to the fishermen. In those days, a completed vessel, ready to go, could be
purchased for about $10,000 to $12,000.
While the gillnetters were
being built in the east part
of the factory, pleasure craft
were being constructed in the
building’s west section. They
were of plywood, which came
mostly from the nearby Everett
Plywood and Door Company.
Some of it was a high-quality
African mahogany which gave
the boats a very rich look.
At peak production, a crew of
about 80 men was employed.
Depending on the size, they
could produce about three
pleasure boats a day. It took
about a week to build the 32-foot Bristol Bay gillnetter. Initially, both types of craft were
strictly wooden. Eventually, fiberglass came into use, primarily for cabins and decking.
Kenny Kirkland supervised the gillnetter construction for several years and was with the
firm until they ceased making boats. Later he worked for the Port of Everett.
The Robbie is a
Morris-built Bristol
Bay gillnetter, which
in 2010 was still
being used for local
“Bud” Hegeberg, who later started his own boat building and repair shop on the
Snohomish River, was one of the workers on the gillnetters production line. In a 2008
commercial fishing.
interview, he still had vivid memories of his days at Morris. “There was a nearby café
Photo courtesy
called Jo’s,” Hegeberg reminisced. “If you ordered in advance, they would have a rib eye Jerry Solie
steak meal ready for lunch. It cost 90 cents, which was okay because I was making about
$1.70 an hour.” As of 2010, some of the Bristol Bay gillnetters survived, including the
rebuilt Robbie, which was being used by Hegeberg’s son, John, for crabbing.
Around 1963, the era of Morris-built boats for Bryant ended. The brothers went their
separate ways. Morris, Inc. became Morris Boats, Inc., with Paul Morris as president and
manager. Morris Boats, Inc. produced a variety of craft over the next few years. These
included, among others, 36-foot charter boats for fishing at Westport, Washington, and
132
Boat Building
20- to 21-foot wooden-hulled boats for the Air Force, which were sent to Alaska. Paul
Morris repaired boats, as well. He wanted to get into fiberglass construction but the fire
department had a problem with that type of work in the building.
The paint shop pier was deteriorating and the paint shop would have to be demolished.
Sometime prior to 1966 the Port of Everett approached Paul with the idea of putting in
a dry storage facility. The Port offered to lease the land adjacent to Morris Boats, Inc. if
Paul would put in the facility and manage it. Paul decided to restructure the company
and took on partners, thus forming a new company called Boatland U.S.A. The new
company used the same space, but did not build boats. Emphasis was on the marina
function and on boat sales, equipment, and other marine supplies. Boatland U.S.A.
continued operating until about 1971.
In 1966, as Morris Boats, Inc. was winding down. Paul Morris stated he had designed
and produced more than 8,000 small pleasure boats and 250 commercial boats for the
Alaska fishing industry. Paul went on to work for Lockheed Shipbuilding in Seattle, and
finished his career in the real estate business. He died in 1988.
Walt Morris opened a shop near the Morris Boats location and Fishermen’s Boat Shop
on the corner of 14th Street and Norton Avenue. During the war he had been an aircraft
instrument man and tool and die maker. He was an inventor as well as a boat builder.
At his shop he designed a system to blend and spray urethane foam, a revolutionary
material at the time. He also invented two different machines for ships and railroad cars.
J. Paul Morris’ daughters,
Sidne Lamb, Julie Dawson
Stoddard and Gretchen
Haynes are pictured with
the Morris boat that Julie
purchased.
Photo courtesy
Morris family collections
133
Boat Building
Cruise-A-Home
Photo courtesy
Lawrence E. O’Donnell
collection
He finished his career working for Laz Tool and Die in Snohomish, Washington. Walt died
in 1969, the result of pneumonia following an industrial accident.
The Morris brothers left behind a legacy for quality boat building, of which all five
children are proud. Sidne and Kelley still have two-foot models the brothers had built in
their youth. Julie recently purchased a 14-foot Morris Brothers boat and all are happy to
have it back in the family.
Cruise-A-Home
The Cruise-A-Home was a unique vessel manufactured at 1028 Norton Avenue for more
than a decade. It had the comfort of a houseboat, the seaworthiness of a fishing boat,
and the speed of a cruiser. When the Cruise-A-Home was first introduced in 1968, many
thought it a strange looking craft with its one level houseboat superstructure mounted
on a deep-V hull adapted from a fishing boat design. But even the detractors had to
admit the vessel was capable of comfortable, fast cruising in virtually any condition.
134
Boat Building
Warren Jensen was the founder and president of Cruise-A-Home, Inc. He conceived the
idea for a houseboat/cruiser in the mid-1960s and then developed the original drawings.
In a 2009 interview, Jensen and his son Gordon, who also was involved in the business,
explained that their very first Cruise-A-Home was a 37-footer they built in Arlington,
Washington. The boat was an unqualified success at the Seattle Boat Show and the
Jensens knew they had a market for their product. “My friend Ed Reinell found the plant
site on the Everett waterfront,” said Warren. “We formed a small corporation with about
a dozen investors.” The Jensens owned the largest block of stock. Reinell, an experienced
boat builder, became the vice president of manufacturing, and production soon was
under way.
The first production model was a 40-footer (actually 39 feet, 11 inches) with a 270
horsepower Mercruiser engine. All the comforts of home were included, with sleeping
accommodations for up to six people. The company proudly boasted that the CruiseA-Home was the first cruiser hull “houseboat” to be designed and manufactured in
the Pacific Northwest for Northwest cruising. A new one that first year sold for about
$18,500. In subsequent years, power was increased by adding a second engine. Later,
two 31-foot models were introduced. They were the Crusader 31 and Caprice 31,
which had a slightly narrower cabin. The Corsair 40, however, remained the most
popular model. By 1979, Warren Jensen was still president and the firm had built and
sold more than 500 Cruise-A-Homes since its inception. In a July 16, 1979, Everett
Herald article, Jensen said, “We had a lot of success with our cruising houseboats
because they combined a lot of living space with a powerboat hull that could take the
Puget Sound waters.”
Everett businessman Ed Rubatino’s family had two Cruise-A-Homes over the years. The
Rubatinos appreciated the vessel and the attention the company gave to customer
satisfaction. Ed Rubatino recalled the Cruise-A-Home that was customized for Mukilteo
businessmen Dick and Ed Taylor. Dick was 6’ 8” and his brother Ed was nearly that
tall. The cabin height in their craft was increased by six inches to accommodate the
brothers. Bob Newman, sidekick to local TV clown J.P. Patches, had three different
Cruise-A-Homes.
135
Boat Building
By 1979, the firm had expanded to build other vessels and the company name was
changed to Polaris Marine Corporation. An $8.25 million contract was secured to build
75 Landing Craft Personnel Lights (LCPLs) for the U.S. Navy. These 36-foot vessels,
described by Gordon Jensen as “not really landing crafts,” were designed to operate
in shallow water close to shore. Also, the
company landed a smaller contract to build
12, 40-foot utility boats for the Navy. The
Navy work would be in addition to the usual
line of Cruise-A-Home boats. Before 1979
drew to a close, the Jensens received an offer
for their company stock from the second
largest stockholder. Warren Jensen insisted
the prospective buyer purchase all the
company stock, but when he consulted with
the other shareholders, they told him the
offer was fair and he ought to take it. Thus,
Warren and the family sold their stock, giving
the new owner control of the company. Both
Warren and Gordon stayed with the firm for
a short time and then left to pursue other interests. Unfortunately, things did not
work out well under the new regime. The company lost the Navy work and in March
1982, Polaris Marine Corporation filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. By 1983, there
was no Polaris Marine Corporation listed in the Polk city directory and 1028 Norton
Avenue was shown as vacant.
This 2009 photograph
shows Warren Jensen
(right), Cruise-A-Home
founder, and his son,
Gordon, who were
The Wayward Wind
also involved in the
It would be hard to find a North Waterfront project that captured public imagination
more than the Wayward Wind. Jack McWilliams, a custom furniture manufacturer,
spent nearly a decade building a two-masted sailing schooner on a cradle next to
Fishermen’s Boat Shop. His labor of love project also became a love affair for the
community. Slowly, but surely, McWilliams pieced together a craft that weighed
56.5 tons, was 65 feet long on deck, 85 feet long overall, and had a 17.5-foot beam.
People kept tabs on the construction from the beginning, marveling at the exquisite
craftsmanship and the boat’s beauty. The Wayward Wind even had an organ. One
veteran boat builder noted that McWilliams had installed an organ in a hull and then
built a boat around it.
Anacortes home.
company, in Warren’s
Photo courtesy
Lawrence E. O’Donnell
collection
136
Boat Building
McWilliams’s dream was to take the vessel on a year-long cruise around the world. Then,
he and his wife Ruth would live on the Wayward Wind the rest of their lives. When
launching day arrived on July 11, 1972, a crowd estimated at well over 1,000 braved
the rain to watch the event. Workmen struggled to pull the cradle to the Fishermen’s
Boat Shop ways. After two hours the effort was abandoned. The next evening, when the
“skids were greased” (literally), hundreds of spectators watched the vessel slip into the
water. The traditional bottle of champagne was broken on the bow and the Wayward
Wind was afloat. A little more than two months later, about 100 well-wishers were at the
dock to watch the schooner slip out of its berth and past Everett’s Jetty Island with an
escort of pleasure craft. A month later, the McWilliams were in Long Beach, California,
thinking they might have to sell the boat because of Jack’s health concerns. However, in
December, they were sailing off again, with the world voyage idea trimmed to a three- to
six-month cruise to the east coast of South America. They were still planning to live the
rest of their lives on the Wayward Wind.
Morris-built
Bryant boat
Influence of North Waterfront
Boat building on the development of everett
Photo courtesy
Morris family collections
137
Boat Building
While North Waterfront boat building was never a dominant Everett
industry, it did leave its mark on the community. Fishing is one
industry that is indebted to Fishermen’s Boat Shop (later Everett
Shipyard) for the vessels and services that company provided. The
racy Bryant runabouts and other boats produced by the Morris
brothers helped launch a post World War II small power boat craze.
The boats were sleek, fast, fun, and best of all, affordable. A whole
generation rushed in to buy them. Morris also impacted the fishing
industry with the 32-foot Bristol Bay gillnetter. At least one of those
vessels, the Robbie, was still in use as of 2010 by an Everett fisherman. Cruise-A-Home
caught the fancy of the recreational boater who wanted comfort, space, speed, and
safety. And how many Everettites were inspired by the Wayward Wind? It proved that
dreams can come true. Everett is known as a city of boat owners and boat lovers. Fishing
boats and pleasure craft occupy the Port of Everett marina, which is the largest public
marina on the West Coast. Everett is a boating capital and the North Waterfront firms
helped make it happen.
special features in
the north waterfront
The Equator is shown in
1967 near Fishermen’s
Boat Shop shortly after
it was recovered from
Jetty Island.
Photo courtesy Bob Mayer
The Equator
T
his historic vessel on display at the southwest corner of Craftsman Way and
10th Street once carried famous author Robert Louis Stevenson on South Pacific
voyages. The Equator was built in 1888 as a two-masted schooner by renowned
San Francisco boat builder Mathew Turner. In 1889, Stevenson sailed from Honolulu to
the Gilbert Islands. While aboard he conceived of, and began writing a novel,
The Wreckers.
138
Special Features
The Equator received an engine in 1893 and later served as a tender to an Arctic whaling
fleet. She was completely renovated in 1923 and served until the mid-1950s as a Puget
Sound tug. She was left on the Port of Everett’s Jetty Island the week of August 15, 1956,
as part of a breakwater with other discarded vessels. Local dentist Eldon Schalka led an
effort that finally saw the Equator rescued from its breakwater fate the week of June
26, 1967. He dreamed of once again seeing the Equator seaworthy. Dick Eitel, one of
Schalka’s comrades in salvaging the craft, stored the boat at his 14th Street Fishermen’s
Boat Shop for several years. The two were centrally involved in the Equator Foundation
that was created to restore the 87-foot vessel. They were encouraged when the Equator
was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 14, 1972. It was the first
Everett property to receive this designation.
There were starts, stalls, promises, and hope; but the funds necessary for a full
restoration were not acquired. The boat, essentially just a hull, was moved in 1980 to
a location in the Port’s new Marina Village and then later placed in its location near
the 10th Street Boat Launch, where it remained as of 2010. The Equator rested under
a protective structure. The National Register plaque is there, along with an interpretive
sign that tells the craft’s history, and another sign listing the 42 individuals and firms who
have contributed materials and service to the Equator Foundation.
Weyerhaeuser Office Building
The ornate red-roofed structure on the northwest corner of 18th Street and West
Marine View Drive is one of the few reminders as of 2010 that the Weyerhaeuser
Company was, for many years, Everett’s largest employer. Ironically, none of the
company’s Everett mills was in the North Waterfront, nor was the office building
originally located there. The structure was erected in 1923 at Everett’s first
Weyerhaeuser plant, which was on the bayfront about a mile and a half south of the
office building’s location as of 2010.
139
Special Features
It was designed in Gothic style by noted Northwest architect Carl Gould to showcase
the use of local woods, particularly fir and hemlock. In 1938, after the original plant
was converted from a sawmill to a pulp mill, the office building was barged from its
first site up to Mill B, Weyerhaeuser’s enormous sawmill on the Snohomish River. It
served as Weyerhaeuser office space even after the mill closed in 1979. Finally, in
1983, it was abandoned and donated
by Weyerhaeuser to the Port of Everett.
In 1984, the building made its second
voyage, this time down the river channel
and across the protected yacht basin,
where it would become the headquarters
for the Everett Area Chamber of
Commerce. Chamber member Jack
Walkley of Cobra Construction
spearheaded the all-volunteer move. As
it had the first time, the effort captivated
public interest. People marveled at the
logistics of transporting a 6,000-squarefoot, one-and-a-half story cargo that
weighed 350 tons. Once the building
was placed on its new foundation, the
Chamber could move in. Through the
Weyerhaeuser Office
efforts of people like county preservation planner Brent Lambert, the Weyerhaeuser
Building
Office Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Though
the structure was vacant as of 2010, its beauty was evident to those who traveled along Photo courtesy
Port of Everett
West Marine View Drive. In 2010, the Port undertook an extensive restoration project
on the building.
Charles Jordan Marine Park In 1970, Richard Haag, an internationally known landscape architect, completed the
design for a Marina Park at the 14th Street marina. Located on the south side of 13th
Street near the west end of the 14th Street fill, the park was to be a haven for nonboaters. On November 10, 1970, the Port Commission awarded the construction
contract to Sanford Wright with a total project cost of $59,995.50. The Commissioners
accepted the project as complete on May 11, 1971. The park was square in shape with
approximately 300 feet on each side. A concrete stairway ascended a 20-foot-high main
grassy mound on the south side that provided a view in all directions. Smaller berms
ringed the other three sides. Seating was built around planters. Poplars, magnolias, and
rhododendrons were planted around the perimeter.
140
Special Features
Interestingly, the 48th Parallel of Latitude passed
through the site. The space was dedicated as
the Charles Jordan Marine Park during the
Salty Sea Days celebration of 1971. Jordan, a
beloved citizen activist, had served as the Port
of Everett’s attorney for 25 years. When Jordan
died in 1983, former Port Commissioner Paul
Kinnune remembered Jordan’s dedication to the
Port. “He wanted to see the Port prosper,” stated
Kinnune. Hailed as a grassy respite in the middle
of industrial area by some, the park was dubbed
“Mt. Montezuma” or the “Missile Silo” by others.
As of 2010, all that remained of Jordan Park was
the aggregate sidewalk entrance on its east side
and a lone magnolia tree.
Charles Jordan
Marine Park, above
Surf II
At right, Surf II was
The distinctive steel sculpture, located just south of
the 10th Street Boat Launch docks, was Everett’s
first piece of public art when it was formally
dedicated on July 8, 1976. However, Surf II was
initially installed on the east side of Colby Avenue
close to California Street in downtown Everett. It
was part of a plan to rejuvenate and beautify the
downtown area, particularly Colby Avenue. The
sculpture was designed by Stanley Wanlass of Astoria,
Oregon, who was selected from about 40 artists for the commission.
Standing 14 feet at its highest point, the steel piece features nine fingers-like pieces that
jut upward to create an abstract shape. Sculptor Wanlass said the design was inspired
by his love for water and trees. The sculpture weighs 40,000 pounds and cost $18,900.
At the Colby site, it sat in a small pond surrounded by a mini amphitheater. Surf II was
controversial in its early days. Some defended it as a downtown focal point that would
help Everett strengthen its identity. Other dubbed it “Big Foot” or “Whale’s Tail” and
scoffed at it as a waste of money. One disgruntled group even hung the mayor in effigy
on the sculpture. Around 1983, Surf II was moved to its North Waterfront site, where its
abstract wave shape seems more compatible with the marine environment.
created for downtown Everett and
moved to the 10th
Street Boat Launch.
Photos courtesy
Port of Everett
141
Special Features
Hulbert Mill Fire,
August 1956
Photo courtesy
Everett Public Library
Fires and Fire Fighting
The North Waterfront has had no major fires for more than four decades. In the earlier
years, however, there were truly spectacular blazes. Fires at Jamsion Lumber and Shingle
Company in 1928, Clough-Hartley Shingle Mill in 1937, Pilchuck Shingle and Jamison,
again, in 1967, were among the most damaging. Perhaps the most memorable of all was
the August 2, 1956, fire that destroyed about $500,000 worth of buildings and lumber
at the William Hulbert Mill Company site. A tremendously hot blaze, it buckled railway
tracks and completely consumed the neighboring Jamison Mill office in five minutes.
Firefighters fought the fire for four hours; they also had to protect adjacent businesses
and homes on Grand Avenue. Two Everett firemen, a Lowell volunteer and two mill
employees, were injured. Old-timers still shake their heads when they talk about
that conflagration.
142
Special Features
Over the years, two fire stations were located in the North Waterfront. The first, built
in 1927, was at about 1701 Norton Avenue. It was built from materials donated by the
mills and sat on pilings, as did Norton Avenue at the time. That station was replaced in
1970 by a new one at 920 13th Street. The old building lived on as of 2010 as a private
residence on Vashon Island. The new building was in operation until around 2006. As
of 2008, no fire station existed in the North Waterfront. For a number of years, the
firefighters also had a museum at 1002 13th Street in an old paint shop across the street
from the fire station. The museum came into being after the Port Commissioners, on
The stairs from the
waterfront to Grand November 14, 1972, approved a request from the Everett Fire Fighters Local Union 350
to use the building as a look-in museum. The annual rent was set at $25. The museum
Avenue appear in the
became a repository for firefighting equipment and historical records, and served as
background. In the
a center for many fundraising and social events. The building, as well as the second
fire station, was removed in preparation for the site’s mixed use development. The
foreground, sporty
firefighting paraphernalia has been moved to other locations.
Morris-built
Bryant boats are
ready to be trucked
to Seattle.
Photo courtesy
Morris family collections
143
Special Features
The Stairs
The wooden stairs that ran from the bluff top to the bayfront were not technically in the
North Waterfront, but they merit mention because of their importance to the area. No
written record shows when the stairs were built, but there is little question that their
main function was to give the employees of
bayfront companies a way to get to and from
work. Frank Platt, whose family once had a small
grocery store at 1202 Grand Avenue, recalled
in a 2008 interview the stairs that led from
12th Street just off Grand Avenue down to the
water. “I think they were used mainly by Hulbert
workers,” he said. “I know the steps were there
by 1920, probably a lot earlier. When you got
to the bottom, you crossed over to the mill on
a big cedar log that floated in the water. We kids played around the mills and stairs all
the time.”
Other sets of stairs existed at 14th, 19th, and 21st streets, just west of Grand Avenue. In
addition, paths, like an early one at 10th Street, led down to the water. The stairs at 14th
and 19th each had over 100 steps. In the 1999 booklet Collected Memories: Recollections
of Alvin B. Pettersen, there is a short 1966 article by Pettersen, and an old photo with
people sitting on one of the sets of stairs. Pettersen remembered the 19th Street set as
being the longest, with more than 100 steps. Myrtle Lowthian recalled that as a girl she
used to go down and back up 101 steps taking lunch to her mill executive father, but she
didn’t say which set she used. Roland Hublou, retired Everett dentist and commercial
fisherman, lived at 1402 Grand Avenue as a youngster. In a 2008 interview, he still could
picture the 14th Street stairs. “There were 144 steps. My brother used to run up and
down them to get in shape for track when he was in high school.” To the casual viewer,
there was no trace of the stairs as of 2010. It is possible remains are hidden in the brush
along the bank, but searching for them would be quite an effort.
Jetty Island
Like the stairs, Jetty Island is not a part of the North Waterfront, but it is included
because of its significance to the area. The history of this man-made island, also known
as Tract Q, can be traced back to 1893, when the Everett Land Company unveiled
an elaborate freshwater harbor plan for the fledgling city. The scheme consisted of
channeling the Snohomish River along the Everett bayfront and installing locks at the
river’s mouth and upstream, where Union and Steamboat sloughs break off from the
main river. The locks would close as the tide went out, thus leaving the main river
channel always filled with water. Protective dikes would be required on both sides of the
bayfront river channel for the system to work. The Land Company submitted the plan to
the federal government, which finally agreed to fund a drastically scaled-down version.
A protective dike would be built west of the river channel that would be dredged along
the bayfront. The work began in 1895 when nearly 8,000 feet of a primitive dike was
built southwest of Smith Island. This marked the beginning of what is known today as
Jetty Island. About a year and a half later, the dike was extended another 6,500 feet
southward. The river channel was dredged at that time and the excavated material was
dumped on the west side of the dike. Further work occurred in 1900, including a 2,300foot extension of the dike — or jetty. Over the years, more material was added as the
dredging of the Snohomish River channel continued.
The Port of Everett bought Jetty Island from the Everett Improvement Company after the
Port District voters authorized the purchase on December 1, 1928. The property includes
approximately 1,800 acres, much of it tidelands to the west. Over the years, various
concepts for Jetty Island’s use have been proposed, ranging from industrial parks to vast
144
Special Features
recreational complexes. As of 2010, it was a relatively peaceful retreat that could be
reached only by boat. It is a favorite spot for kiteboarders and those who appreciate the
warm water of the extensive tide flats. Wildlife such as waterfowl, bald eagles, ospreys,
crab, and juvenile salmon have found a welcoming environment. And, not accidentally,
Jetty Island still serves its original purpose of protecting the Snohomish River channel
and the harbor.
Jetty Island
Photo courtesy
Port of Everett
145
Special Features
bibliography
Books, Booklets, Pamphlets, Flyers, and Articles
Boswell, Sharon. August P. Mardesich: An Oral History. Washington State Oral History,
Program; Office of the Secretary of State; Ralph Munro, Secretary of State; 2000
Baker, Loren. Looking Back. Booklet published by First Federal Savings and Loan
Association of Everett, Washington, 1967
Brahnam, Mary Edith, and Hansberry, Vera. 1977 Olympic Bank / 1902 Everett Trust:
A Seventy-Five Year Commemorative Issue. Published by Olympic Bank, Everett,
Washington, 1978
Cameron, David; LeWarne, Charles; May, Allan; O’Donnell, Jack; and O’Donnell,
Lawrence. Snohomish County: An Illustrated History. Kelcema Books LLC, Index,
Washington, 2005
Clark, Norman. Mill Town: A Social History of Everett, Washington from Its Earliest
Beginnings on the Shores of Puget Sound to the Tragic and Infamous Event Known as the
Everett Massacre. University of Washington Press, Seattle and London, 1970
The Coast, Vol. 14, October, 1907. Booklet covering Alaska and Greater Northwest,
Everett, Washington, Feature of this Number, The Coast Publishing Company, Seattle,
Washington
Collected Memories: Recollections of Alvin B. Pettersen. Published by Snohomish County
Museum and Historical Association, printed by Snohomish Publishing Company, Inc.,
Snohomish, Washington, edited by Elise Sheehan, 1999
“Cruise-A-Home 40.” Advertising brochure by Cruise-A-Home, Inc., Everett, Washington,
circa 1970
146
Bibliography
“Cruise-A-Home”, description in internet’s Wikipedia, November 23, 2008,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruise-a-Home
Cruise-A-Home Unofficial Page. November 22, 2008, http:www.geocities.com/ctenning/
index.html?200822
Dilgard, David. Buildings of Early Everett: A Pictorial Survey of the Architecture of the
Everett Boom, 1891-1894. Lowell Printing and Publishing, Everett, Washington, 1994
Dilgard, David. Everett Chronology. Lowell Printing and Publishing, Everett,
Washington, 1992
Dilgard, David, and Riddle, Margaret. Historical Survey of the Everett Shoreline.
prepared for the Department of Community Development of Everett, Washington,
November 1973
Dilgard, David. Unpublished chronology of Everett Lumber and Shingle Mills, 1892 to
approximately 1914
Estes, Bill. “Testing the Cruise-A-Home 40”, article in Family House Boating magazine, A
Trailer Life Publication, April 1975
Everett Elks # 479 Centennial pamphlet, 1999
Everett mayor’s flyer published by the City of Everett, Washington as a legend for Bernie
Webber’s paintings of each Everett mayor, 1893 to 2002
Everett Engineering, Inc. December 29, 2008 http://www.everettengineering.com
Everett, Washington: A City of Industries. Pamphlet published by the Everett Commercial
Club in 1897
Everett, Washington / Puget Sound. Everett Chamber of Commerce booklet, circa 1902
147
Bibliography
Everett Yacht Club Centennial: 1907-2007. Edited by Mildie Morrow, printed by K & H
Integrated Print Solutions, Everett, Washington, 2007
Hasenoehrl, RaeJean, and the Everett Fisherman’s Tribute Committee. Everett Fishermen:
Images of America. Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, SC and other U.S. cities, 2008
Henderson, Charles Z. The Fire Boys: 100 Years of Everett Firefighting History. A project
of the Everett (Washington) Firefighters’ Association, the Donning Company, Virginia
Beach, Virginia, 1992
Historic Everett, brochures for home tours
History of the Everett Clinic. Booklet prepared by the Everett Clinic, Everett,
Washington, 1999
HistoryLink.org Essay 8384. Bellingham’s Croatian Community and Commercial Fishing: A
Reminiscence by Steve Kirk
Hunt, Herbert, and Kaylor, Floyd C. Washington West of the Cascades. S.J. Clarke
Publishing Company, Chicago, Seattle and Tacoma, 1917
The Island of Vis. Generalturist Ltd., Zagreb, Croatia, 2004
Malstrom, Helmer. Memory Lanes of Old Everett and its East Riverside. Published by the
Estate of Helmer Malstrom, Everett, Washington and printed by Packrat Press, 1986
McClain, Owen P. Hooks and Slices: The First Eighty Years at the Everett Golf and Country
Club. Published by the Everett Golf and Country Club, Everett, Washington and printed
by K & H Printers, Everett, Washington, 1992
O’Donnell, Jack. Immaculate Conception Parish - One Hundred Years. Published by
Immaculate Conception Centennial Committee, 2005
O’Donnell, Jack. Unpublished chronology of events in Everett and Snohomish County
O’Donnell, Lawrence E. Celebrating Eighty Years of Service: A History of the Everett
Rotary Club. published by the Rotary Club of Everett, Washington, 1996
148
Bibliography
O’Donnell, Lawrence E. Everett: Past and Present, A Centennial History of Everett,
Washington. Published by Cascade Savings Bank of Everett, Washington, designed and
printed by K & H Printers, Everett, Washington, 1993
O’Donnell, Lawrence E. Everett School District: The First 100 Years. Peanut Butter
Publishing, Seattle, Washington, 1992
O’Donnell, Lawrence E. 75 Years of Serving Youth. A Diamond Anniversary booklet
published by the Evergreen Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, Everett, Washington,
1992
Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic Atmosphere Administration
handout, (Pacific States Marine Fisheries commission 2004. West Coast Marine Fishing
community Descriptions.) (F. Jahns, President, Quality Seafood services, Everett)
Piercey, Paul, unpublished reflections on fishing, 1996
Poehlman, Elizabeth S. Darrington: Mining Town / Timber Town. Gold Hill Press,
Shoreline, Washington, 1979, 1995
Riverside Remembers, Vols. I, II, III. Published by the Greater Riverside Organization of
Everett, Washington, Mary Winspear, project chairperson, 1985, 1986, 1987
Smith, Walker G. The Everett Massacre: A History of the Class Struggle in the Lumber
Industry. I.W.W. Publishing Bureau, Chicago, Illinois, circa 1917 - volume used by authors
is a 1965 facsimile reproduction by The Shorey Book Store, Seattle, Washington
A Stroll Through History, a Self Guided Walking Tour of the Bayside Neighborhood.
Booklet produced by the Bayside Neighborhood Association in cooperation with the City
of Everett, Washington, December 2007
149
Bibliography
A Survey of Everett’s Historical Properties. Booklet prepared by the Everett Public Library
and the City of Everett Department of Planning and community Development, first
printed in 1976, revised and reprinted in 1996
Seventy Years of Service: General Hospital Medical Center. Booklet published by General
Hospital Medical Center, booklet published by General Hospital Medical Center, Everett
Washington, and printed by The Allied Printers, text by Jeanne A. Edwards and Florence
R. Hansen, 1994
Through Their Eyes VII. Booklet featuring interviews of Everett High School graduates,
prepared by David Hastings’ 2002 Honors Government / Washington State History Class,
Everett High School, Everett, Washington, interview of Charles Trask, M.D., by Walker
Stanovsky
Voices from Everett’s First Century. Published by the Snohomish County Museum
and Historical Association and printed by Valco Graphics, USA, Phyllis Royce, project
committee chair, 1994
Whitfield, William. History of Snohomish County, Washington, Vols. I and II. Pioneer
Historical Publishing Company, Chicago - Seattle, 1926
Windermere Real Estate Company, flyers on houses for sale: 2917 and 2919 Nassau
Street, December 2008
interviews & Conversations
Ahmann, Victoria, telephone conversation, January 10, 2009
Almvig, Delbert; Cunningham, Phil; Ericksen Ron; Hublou, Roland; Kast, Bud; Kirkus, Dick;
Solie, Jerry; Zuanich, Frank; group interview, October 24, 2008
Almvig, Dick, personal conversation, December 29, 2008
150
Bibliography
Bannan, Phil, personal conversation, November 20, 2008
Barcott, Joe Jr., e-mail interview, November 2008
Barhanovich, Jerry, interview, December 9, 2008
Barker, Burke, Jr., telephone conversation, November 24, 2008
Benbow, Mike, telephone interview, December 18, 2008
Borovina, Jay, telephone interview, December 14, 2008
Chase, Otto, November 11, 2008 letter
Chase, Stephen, Jr., November 18, 2008 letter
Cameron, David, Ph.D., e-mail, January 2, 2009
Collins, Tom, personal interview, November 20, 2008
Cunningham, Phil, personal interview, December 29, 2008
Dilgard, David, historian, Northwest Room, Everett Public Library, several conversations,
September to December 2008
Eitel, Dick, telephone conversations, December 2008
Elwood, Steve, several conversations and visits to North Waterfront, September to
December 2008
Fitch, Harold; Fitch, Ella; Fitch, Vernon; Ingram, Carole Leigh, personal group interview,
December 5, 2008
Greig, Norma, personal interview, December 27, 2008
151
Bibliography
Hasenoehrl, RaeJean, author of Everett Fishermen, Arcadia, lecture, November 9, 2008
at Everett Public Library
Hegeberg, Brian “Bud”, several interviews, November 2008 - January 2009
Hoban, Tom, e-mail interviews, December 2008
Hoglund, Erv, telephone interview, December 27, 2008
Hulbert, Dave, e-mail conversation, November 2008
Hulbert, William G., e-mail conversation, November 2008
Jackson, Peter, personal interview, December 23, 2008
Kirkland, Kenneth, telephone conversation, December 2, 2008
Lamb, Sidne (Morris); Haynes, Gretchen (Morris); Stoddard, Julie (Morris) Dawson;
daughters of J. Paul Morris; Groenhert, Lindsay, granddaughter of J. Paul Morris.
Personal interview, December 6, 2008
LeMaster, Dennis, Ph.D., e-mail conversation, December 19, 2008
Leese, Jim, telephone interview, December 21, 2008
Leese, William O. and Leese, Charlene, personal interview, December 4, 2008
Mardesich, Wini, personal interview, September 23, 2008
Martin, Dan, personal and telephone conversations, December 29, 2008, (Everett
Engineering)
Martinis, Paul V., telephone interview, December 18, 2008
Morris, Kelley, and Morris, Jack, sons of Walter Morris, telephone and e-mail interviews,
December 2008 to January 2009
Murphy, Thomas W. Ph.D., lecture on The “Nature” of the Jetty: An ethnography on an
uninhabited island, September 21, 2008, Everett Public Library
152
Bibliography
Newton, Henry, conversation on December 16, 2008
Oldfield, Chris, telephone interview, December 18, 2008
Piercey, Barbara, interview, December 19, 2008, and several telephone and e-mail
conversations, September to December 2008
Piercey, Jim, interview, December 19, 2008, and several telephone and e-mail
conversations, September to December 2008
Platt, Frank, several conversations, October to December, 2008
Ramstad, Dave, personal interview, October 16, 2008
Rubatino, Ed, personal conversations, November 13 and 20, 2008
Schindler, George Sr. and Schindler, George Jr., personal interview, November 20, 2008
Sharp, Eugene, personal interview, November 21, 2008
Stephanson, Ray, telephone interview, December 23, 2008
Stuchell, Harry, several conversations in November and December 2008
Tolnay, Stewart, Ph.D., Department of Sociology, University of Washington, Seattle,
Washington, e-mail, December 8, 2008
Van Wingen, Melinda, historian, Northwest Room, Everett Public Library, several
conversations, September to December 2008
Weber, Jim, personal conversation, November 20, 2008, conversation and visit to North
Waterfront, December 3, 2008
Whitehead, Michael, personal interview, December 29, 2008
153
Bibliography
Wright, Deborah, conversations, November 2008
Zuanich, Frank, several conversations, December 2008
Zuanich, Kay, telephone interview, December 23, 2008
Zuanich, Matt, telephone interview, December 21, 2008
Reference Materials
Newspapers
“The City of Everett, State of Washington U.S.A., 1900,” a souvenir edition of The Daily
Independent (newspaper) in booklet form, published by The Daily Independent, Everett,
Washington, 1900
Everett Daily Herald, prime newspaper source, many articles used
Everett Morning Tribune
Everett News
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Port of Everett Documents and Publications
Andersen, R.A., special report to State of Washington Committee on Parks and Natural
154
Bibliography
Resources from the Port of Everett Manager, May 18, 1972
Everett Port Commission meeting minutes, 1918-2008
Historical Chronology: 14th Street Wharf and Adjacent Areas, 1892-1998, Port of Everett
document compiled by Dennis Gregoire
Port of Everett Annual Reports, several from 1954 to 2007
Port of Everett Financial Reports, several from 1943 to 1961
Port of Everett, various maps and documents identifying Port property
Port Side, Port of Everett publication, summer 2008, chronology of Port development,
1892-2008
Welcome to the Port of Everett booklet published by the Port of Everett, September 2008
Government Reports, Directories, Charts, Maps
Birdseyeview of Everett, Washington, 1893, aerial view artist rendition by Brown’s Land
and Engineering Company of Everett, Washington
City Directories for Everett, Washington, 1893-1999, published by R.L. Polk and Company
Folders with articles about significant people in Everett (Washington) history, Northwest
Room, Everett Public Library, Everett, Washington
Maps of Everett in Northwest Room of Everett Public Library: Sanborn, Metsker, Corps of
Engineers, Anderson, Everett Improvement Company, Kroll and Manoa maps
NESIKA, official yearbook of Everett High School, Everett, Washington, several used
United States Census Information, for 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
155
Bibliography
The Authors
L
awrence E. “Larry” (left) and Jack C. O’Donnell are brothers, friends
and neighbors. Born and raised in Everett, they both took similar career
paths as teachers. Larry was a teacher and administrator in Everett Public
Schools for 30 years. Jack taught in schools in Snohomish County for 39 years,
primarily history to children in grades 4 through 8.
Both have a mutual interest in local history, and served on the Everett Historic
Commission. Jack was the longest-serving member and Larry was its first
president. Jack is also a founding board member of Historic Everett.
Their research into the Everett’s North Waterfront was in many ways research
of their own history, of their friends’ and classmates’, and of their hometown.
156
Bibliography
Honoring Everett’s Heritage
“The Port of Everett is honored to have the opportunity to document the history of Everett’s
North Waterfront. Larry and Jack O’Donnell are two of Everett’s finest local historians, and
their collaboration and enthusiasm resulted in a compelling story of Everett’s lumber, fishing
and boat building heritage. We hope you enjoy this account of history.”
John Mohr, Port of Everett Executive Director
2010