page 4 kitsapweek Friday, February 14, 2014
A lot of Silverdale history in 128 pages Community’s early life documented in photo-history for published as part of Arcadia’s ‘Images of America’ series By RICHARD Walker Kitsap Week
latest book in Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series – one he book’s format is of 8,500 books in the familiar: The sepiaArcadia stable and the toned cover, fourth on a Kitsap the introductory community. paragraphs, and A team of volCover the 200-orunteers from the so historical Kitsap County Story Historical images over 128 pages. Society produced But from coverthis book over an to-cover, the book is 18-month period: Patricia unique, telling Silverdale’s Drollet encouraged the story in a way that only a project; Claudia Hunt, book like this can. Randy Hunt and Carolyn “Silverdale” is the Neal selected images and
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wrote text; Nina Hallett edited; Eric Dahlberg and George Willock assisted; Carolyn LaFountaine located rare images; and 35 others shared photographs and stories that filled in the gaps. The result: A cram course in Silverdale history, a keepsake worthy of personal library and school shelf. The book is neatly organized into three chapters: Old Town: 1857-1920; Middle Town: 1921-1945; New Town: 1946-1989. The authors do a masterful job of summarizing Silverdale’s history in a two-page introduction — from pre-treaty times to the settlement era; the agricultural
era to the demographic changes brought by two world wars; and the community’s rise as the retail center of the Kitsap Peninsula. Among the oldest images: Steve Wilson (Suquamish) and his wife in their canoe at Steve’s Point, now Erland’s Point, in 1895; William Littlewood, the first non-Native settler in Silverdale, at his cabin; an early logging camp; and a group of Fourth of July revelers at a downed 21-foot diameter tree named Admiral Dewey, in honor of the hero of the Battle of Manila Bay during the Spanish-American War. Photos depict local
life in its various phases: The Schold family dressed in their Sunday finest, posing with their musical instruments. C.W. Gustafson leading a horse with his wife and two children in the buggy. A hayride in 1908. A group of young people on an outing in 1903. Residents socializing on the dock in 1910. A dance around the maypole at Silverdale School in 1914. An Old Maids’ Convention — featuring popular music and dramatics to raise funds for community projects — in 1913. A group swimming in 60-degree water on the beach in front of the Bourg home in Dyes Inlet. The Brandlein family fishing off the shore near their home. There’s so much more. Each caption provides engaging detail about the image and helps the story flow from chapter to chapter. You learn some fascinating stuff about Silverdale.
It was originally known as Sa’quad, meaning “spear it,” by the Suquamish people. Dyes Inlet was named by Capt. Charles Wilkes in honor of John W.W. Dyes, the assistant taxidermist on the 1841 Exploring Expedition. (Gee, what community was named after the lead taxidermist?) Settlers wanted to name their community “Goldendale,” but downgraded to “Silverdale” after learning that their first choice was already taken. Silverdale’s competitive spirit is depicted in images of the 1917 community baseball team, the 1913 Silverdale High School See Silverdale, Page 5
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