A view of Mount Rainier from atop Manastash Ridge. A bit of Umptanum Ridge is visible to the left.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
As we reflect on the incredible response to the inaugural edition of 1883 Kittitas County Magazine, we are overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. The feedback, the buzz, and the enthusiasm from our readers confirm that we are on the right track in celebrating and sharing the heart and soul of our community.
Our first edition was just the beginning of a journey to tell the rich and diverse stories of Kittitas County. From showcasing local events and culture to highlighting the incredible individuals and businesses that make this area special, our mission is to provide a platform that connects us all. Hearing from you, our readers, fuels our passion and inspires us to continue delivering content that resonates with you.
We are committed to giving you exactly what you ask for.
Your voices shape this magazine, and we are eager to build upon the strong foundation we’ve started. Let’s continue to connect, collaborate, and celebrate everything that makes Kittitas County extraordinary.
Thank you for your support and for being an integral part of this journey. Together, we will keep bringing the stories of our community to life—because this magazine is as much yours as it is ours.
With gratitude,
Robyn Smith Publisher, 1883 Kittitas County Magazine
Robyn Smith, Publisher
Rod Harwood, Contributing Writer
Andrea Paris, Editor/Designer
Contact us at editor1883kittitascounty@gmail.com
1883 Kittitas County is a publication of Spark Pug Productions. It is a monthly publication. Free editions may be found the last Friday of the month in numerous stores throughout Kittitas County. Those wishing to contribute original stories, story ideas, photographs, illustrations, art or poems, about Kittitas County are encouraged to do so at editor1883kittitascounty@gmail.com.
1883 Kittitas County is politically neutral and will not publish any hate speech against any person or entity. 1883 Kittitas County reserves the right to publish or not publish any submitted items, edit all materials for content and check for accuracy.
— Photo by Michael A. Lundin
Misinformation fuels bogus story Giants
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, hundreds of newspaper articles throughout the U.S. reported about the discovery of the skeletal remains of giants.
Bones of creatures said to have measured anywhere from eight- to twenty-feet in height were uncovered in places ranging from Tennessee (the so-called Williamson County Giant) to Nevada (Lovelock Cave’s Red-Headed Giants).
This giant-mania even reached the Kittitas Valley, where, on May 9, 1912, a man named M.E. Root, who worked for Ellensburg contractor Edward C. Belch, made an unexpected discovery while using dynamite to loosen the hard soil — called “cement rock” in the newspapers — on Craig’s Hill during the construction of a new 24-room apartment house.
After detonating the explosives Root noticed something white and shiny peeking through the soil. He leaned over to get a better look and was shocked to see a human skull half-buried in the rock.
“No effort was made to molest the balance of the skeleton till later in the afternoon, when the small son of contractor Belch was told by his father of the discovery,” the Yakima Herald reported two days later. “With the aid of a pick, he uncovered the perfect skeleton.”
According to news accounts, the younger Belch removed the bones so they could later be studied and identified. Word of the astounding discovery soon reached John P. Munson, a professor of biological sciences at the Washington State Normal School (now known as Central Washington University).
A dapper man with a full beard and thick hair, Munson was a Norwegian-American zoologist and educator who had written a textbook, Education Through Natural Study, and served as head of the school’s department of biology.
Eager to see the bones for himself, he visited the discovery site and while poking around in the soil, “unearthed [another] skull that was broken up by the pick,” according to the newspaper. He studied the bones and pronounced that they were clearly those of a prehistoric Native American.
Munson noted the teeth had a “peculiar formation” and indicated he thought it was because of “eating uncooked foods, as was the habit of primitive people.” He noted the bones were “perfectly dry” and beneath a strata of shale rock that had preserved them. He estimated they were “many hundreds of years” in age.
The newspaper said the bones were uncovered 20 feet beneath the surface of the hill and the gravesites had apparently been tunneled into the hillside.
Dr. B.J. Moss, a local physician and the city health officer for Ellensburg, told the Herald that since the femur of the largest of the two skeletons was nearly 20 inches, that meant the prehistoric man was about 80 inches tall—or six-feet, eight-inches—because a man’s height is generally four times the length of the femur.
The article also said that one of the skulls was unusually large and had an upper jaw with two complete and distinct rows of teeth in front, each set being perfectly formed. This was regarded as highly unusual by Munson, who told the newspaper that “he
did not regard the two rows of teeth as a racial attribute, but rather as a freak of nature.”
The Herald story was quickly reprinted and repackaged by dozens of other newspapers across the country. And like a game of telephone, the story was exaggerated at nearly each retelling.
For example, The Morning Olympian noted, “At Ellensburg they have unearthed a primeval man skeleton with two rows of teeth, what an opportunity for the old-time dentists,” while the Washington Standard, also published in Olympia, noted, “The jaw bone, which broke apart when removed, is so large that it will go around the face of the man of to-day. The other bones are also much larger than that of ordinary men.”
The Ottawa, Kansas Evening Herald published a follow-up story with the flippant headline, “Old Timer Must Have Been A Big Fellow.” The Herald article also quoted L.L. Sharp, chief of the General Land Office Field Division in Portland, Oreg., who said, “I just returned from Ellensburg, where I had an opportunity to view the bones. The skull jawbone, thigh, and other parts of the largest skeleton indicated a man to my mind at least eight-feet high. A man of his stature and massive frame would weigh fully 300 pounds at the least.”
Sharp noted that he was convinced the bones were of a prehistoric race of giants who inhabited the region prior to the arrival of Native Americans.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the number of skeletons uncovered also grew in subsequent stories. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that 11 skeletons of primitive men, all with sloping foreheads and two rows of teeth, had been discovered in Ellensburg. The story also said their jawbones were so large they would wrap around the face of a modern-day man.
Anthropological archaeologist Andy White, who frequently debunks anthropological hoaxes and untruths, noted in a 2014 blog post that one problem with the Ellensburg Giant story is how the femur bone was measured.
“If we assume that the femur measurement of 20 inches [as reported at the time] is accurate, it is possible to estimate the height of the individual using equations that are based on much more data than were available in the early 1900s,” he wrote. “It is reasonable to conclude that the original estimate of six-feet, eight-inches was too high, as was the ‘to my mind’ estimate of eight-feet provided by L.L. Sharp. The actual height of the individual was probably closer to six-feet or less.”
Additionally, White said the double row of teeth may simply have been teeth worn down by grinding: “The phrase ‘double teeth all around’ was commonly used in the 19th century to describe individuals with such a high degree of tooth wear that it appeared as if all the teeth in the mouth were molars.”
His conclusion was that while the Ellensburg remains were
Continued from previous page
probably those of a “relatively large individual,” it was not a giant.
“The individual may have had some ‘extra’ anterior teeth, but more likely simply had a high degree of wear on his entire dentition. This was not unusual among prehistoric Native Americans,” he added.
Munson, who was a well-respected academic who taught at the Normal School from 1899 to
1928 (and was the namesake for Munson Hall), was present for the initial discovery, but it’s noteworthy that while he thought the teeth were unusual, at no time was he quoted saying the uncovered bones were from a race of prehistoric giants nor did he indicate that 11 skeletons were found. Those “facts” largely appeared in later accounts.
As for the final resting place of the remains, that’s one detail none of the media accounts shared.
— Richard Moreno is the author of 14 books, including Frontier Fake News: Nevada’s Sagebrush Hoaxsters and Humorists and the forthcoming Washington Historic Places on the National Register. He is the former director of executive communications at Central Washington University and was honored with the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame Silver Pen Award in 2007.
THE REFERENCE DESK
The Reference Desk is a new column that spotlights the newest books in the Ellensburg Public Library’s collections.
ADULT FICTION
“Swan Song” by Elin Hilderbrand
Bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand has released the final installment in her Nantucket novel series (the others being, “A Summer Affair,” “The Castaways,” and “The Perfect Couple”). In this concluding chapter, Hilderbrand explores what happens to a close-knit community when rich strangers move into their hamlet and begin upsetting the local social order.
ADULT NONFICTION
“Never Enough: From Barista to Billionaire” by Andrew Wilkinson
Andrew Wilkinson, once a barista in a small café making $6.50 an hour, went on to build a business valued at more than a billion dollars by the time was 36. In “Never Enough,” Wilkinson is unwaveringly honest about some of the unexpected downsides of money, including its toxic
effect on personal relationships, and how competition with peers leaves even billionaires feeling they never have enough.
YOUNG ADULT FICTION
“The Outsmarters,” by Deborah Ellis (Reading Ages: 9 to 12)
Angry because she feels abandoned by her mother and forced to live with her stubborn and aloof grandmother, twelveyear-old Kate must find her own way to get on with her life. Kate decides to make money by opening a philosophy business—much like how Lucy in “Peanuts” sold psychiatric advice. In selling her customers philosophy advice cribbed from famous writers and philosophers, she helps them to better see themselves and begins to understand herself better.
CHILDREN
“Mama in the Moon” by Doreen Cronin (writer) and Brian Cronin (Illustrator) (Reading Ages: 2 to 5)
Baby sloth resides high in the trees with his mama where he loves to sleep between her and the moon. One day, he tumbles from her arms and lands in a soft patch of leaves far below.
“I’ll be there soon,” his mama calls down to him. But sloths aren’t able to move very fast, so when Baby gets worried, Mama finds clever ways to reassure and distract him using his senses.
Did You Know?
After a four-year break, Ellensburg Public Library is once again offering the after school book club, BookWorms, for elementary-aged children. The program is designed to help young people beyond the preschool age to develop a lifetime of engagement with the library and literacy. For more information call 509962-7218 or sign up at the Youth Services Desk.
— The Reference Desk: What’s New at the Ellensburg Library is written by Richard Moreno
Kismet
‘If it’s supposed to happen, it will’
Mark Pickerel subscribes to a certain school of thought: “If it’s supposed to happen it will.”
Funny how that happens, really.
But when the former Screaming Trees drummer, who played on two albums before he even graduated from Ellensburg High School, delved into exploring options for locating his Crescendo Vintage Collection apparel line into the Ellensburg market, it turned into one of those amazing experiences.
Pickerel left the Screaming Trees in 1991 and gravitated into a
longtime business operation called Rodeo Records at 408 N. Main Street, which eventually shut down in January of 2005. As his journey would have it, he later revisited the idea of record sales with a smaller version called Roadtrip Records with outlets at the Thorpe Fruit and Antique Market and Jerrol’s.
“Apparel represents about 50 percent of my gross sales. I’ve always had rock ‘n’ roll graphic Ts, Levis and Converse tennis shoes,” he said. “I was looking into opening up my own new men’s clothing shop in historic downtown Ellensburg and carry brands
We’ve been in there two months,” he said. “I’m really happy. There’s a renewed enthusiasm and optimism. I had a couple of strong weeks starting at the end of November. I had success, ironically, with Girls Night Out with a lot of women coming in to purchase things for their significant other or a fringe jacket for themselves.
— MUSICIAN AND ENTREPRENEUR MARK PICKEREL
like Pendleton and Levis. I made all these efforts to explore options and kept running into the same response that there was already interest of owners opening up a men’s store in your market.”
It sounded like a line, he said, some other group with the same idea? But he stayed with his pursuit.
“Around that same time, I got to looking at the Fitterer’s Building to see if there was space available. While I was in Fitterer’s I discovered when they did the remodel, they exposed this Levis ghost sign from the turn of the century that was behind drywall for a hundred years. I got really excited about that, thinking this was an ultimate place to sell business clothes, new and used Levis etc.
“I found out later someone else had purchased the building and had plans to put in there a men’s clothing store, so I rushed down and reached out to the new owners. They got excited about my business. I got excited about theirs. It turned out they were the ones that prevented me from doing what I originally planned. It was beautiful irony and a beautiful, ironic platter. Kind of ironic, really.”
Apparently it was supposed to happen.
After 126 years of the Fitterer family-owned fine furniture on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Main Street, the business landscape has moved to the next phase in the iconic downtown with Woody’s Classic Man.
It’s a destination for classic barbering, men’s fashion with locations in Chelan, Wenatchee, Leavenworth and now Ellensburg. Owners Adam and Kelli Rynd have created an environment with grooming services as well as curated selection of clothing, accessories and unique gifts. Woody’s Classic Man provides an
atmosphere where a guy can grab a beer or crisp cider, purchase a fine cigar, even get a haircut all under the same roof.
Pickerel’s space is around 200-square-feet in the iconic building that represents various interests. There is also a hair salon, a whiskey bar, cigar shop, men’s cologne and outdoor apparel.
The bottom floor is divided up into four separate businesses. There’s a place called The Grazing Table, specializing in gourmet foods to go. The lineup also includes a wine tasting bar and bistro called Fire and Song. The Sweet Spot is also owned by Adam and Kelli. On the second floor, there is a wellness store.
“We’ve been in there two months,” he said. “I’m really happy. There’s a renewed enthusiasm and optimism. I had a couple of strong weeks starting at the end of November. I had success, ironically, with Girls Night Out with a lot of women coming in to purchase things for their significant other or a fringe jacket for themselves.”
His ties to the music industry date back to when the Screaming Trees used to rock the neighborhood down the block from the video store Van and Gary Lee Conner’s parents owned. He often signs autographs, “Keep on Rockin’ in the Tree World,” a slight variation from Neil Young’s song “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.”
The Tree World is rockin’ right now with the rejuvenation of vinyl records, coming full circle from a time when compact discs and MP3 ruled the industry.
“I love vinyl. We’re doing our best to bring in everything we can, everything from the obscure to the iconic,” he said. “When I closed Rodeo Records, there’s no way you could have told me I
would be selling new records again. Especially back then when the entire music industry had gone digital.
“CDs have become completely obsolete, so I never could have imagined selling new vinyl again.”
With vinyl records circling back around, his playing career came full circle as well when he joined forces with former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic for a series of Washington dates this past summer with the Bona Fied Band. Pickerel and Novoselic provided the rhythm section in a collaboration project in the late ’80s with Mark Lannegan, Kurt Cobain prior to the Nevermind release. A few songs ended up on Nirvana’s box set “With the Lights Out.”
The Bona Fide Band, with vocalists Jillian Raye, Jenifer Johnson and guitarist Kathy Moore, along with Novoselic on bass and Pickerel behind the drum kit, headlined the GustFest at the Kittitas County Fairgrounds last summer.
“It’s strange. A certain relationship develops between the audience and a performer over the 30-40 year span that no one can really appreciate until they land on the other side of it all these years later,” Pickerel explained. “You’re playing for people that have been a fan for years, so there’s a long term relationship. You being there in their hometown is an experience
they’ll never forget.
“Simultaneously, you’re also performing for their children or their grandchildren who have recently become fans of Nirvana or the Screaming Trees. It’s really this incredible life affirming and career affirming experience you would never enjoy when you’re 22.”
Rock ‘n’ Roll never forgets and coming full circle to play Ellensburg in front of friends and family again was something beyond special.
“I was appreciating it from a totally different perspective this past summer,” he said. “I got a little bit emotional. Looking out, there was my 8-year-old daughter there with my wife. There were friends and fans that date back to the earliest Screaming Trees shows.
“I remember the first Nirvana show at the at Hal Holmes Center, so Krist and I have this shared history, not just together, but in Ellensburg. The cool thing was I was able to accompany him to his hometown two days earlier. I got to celebrate his return to Aberdeen, then have him turn around and play with me in Ellensburg, all in the same weekend. It was beyond my wildest imagination.”
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.
Right: Ellensburg native Mark Pickerel opened Crescendo Vintage Collection appearl line at Woody’s Classic Man in Ellensburg.
Below: Mark Pickerel was the original drummer in the Screaming Trees from 1983 to 1991. He is the owner and operator of Roadtrip Records.
— Contributed photos
The Keeper
Fran Cuhtahlatah preserves Ellensburg’s musical history
She grew up in the Age of Aquarius when the internet and social media were just a futuristic blip on the radar — a time when the road seemed to go on forever and the music flowed like wine. But every now and then a social media post comes along and hits close to home, like the one that showed up the other day: “Music is the closest thing to a time machine I’ll ever know.”
Ellensburg Community Radio board member Fran Cuhtahlatah is part of a group of music lovers spearheading the Music Preservation Project to keep the long history of Ellensburg music and the once-thriving scene alive, kicking out the sounds that made the Kittitas Valley a diamond in the rough in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Her official title is the Local Music Historian. Informally, she is the keeper of stuff, collector of music and teller of stories from the road and green rooms — the stuff that makes rock music roll. She’s also a regular contributor to Jack Kelleher and Jokester John Ufkes’ Monday ECR radio program featuring fragments and stories from the Time Machine and an era when the downtown music scene radiated from places like Goofy’s on the corner of Fourth and Pearl; the Hitching Post out on Cascade Way; the Buckboard on the south side; Webster’s in the heart of the iconic downtown; and of course, the legendary Ranch Tavern.
Music fuels her free spirit and was the reason she migrated toward the beacon of light pulsating from vibrant scene in Ellensburg.
“I used to be a professional solo musician. I had just got done with a gig and ventured into a place called the Lion’s Share in Yakima where Appaloosa was playing,” she said, telling one of many tales. “I heard these just screaming guitar solos from Andy (Aldrich), Cordell Covert and a guy they called Buffalo Bob (Robert Mowell ). I’m thinking wow, these guys can play.
“Andy came by when they took a break and saw my guitar case and asked if I wanted to come up and play a few songs acoustically. So, I went up and played two-three songs. He invited me to Ellensburg to play at a hootenanny at the high-rise dorm called Courson and Muzzal Hall at CWU. I ended up sleeping on Andy’s couch. That’s when I decided I liked Ellensburg and how I came to live here.”
The radio show came to be after a brainstorming session to draw
attention to the musical past with festival called GustFest, which was designed to spark interest and accumulate some of the old paraphernalia, posters and memorabilia of the music generated from days gone by. The Kittitas County Historical Museum got on board and plans to feature a display of the items collected.
“Fran’s the keeper of all of that,” ECR board chair Mollie Edson said. “The festival turned out to be a huge success and plans are to move forward and she’s a big part of it. It wasn’t just a concert, but a way to draw attention to musicians that were in the county in the past and highlight the history of the music in our town. It’s a really such a rich history and we would hate to lose it.
“My role as board chair and promoter is to give Fran a mouthpiece to talk about this. I came to Ellensburg in the ’70s as a 20-year-old college student, but Fran was living it. She was as a musician and knew all the bands. So, she has a lot of that first-hand knowledge.”
The Jack and the Jokester Show runs from 4 to 6 p.m. on eburgradio.org and taps into the Time Machine where Cuhtahlatah navigates the journey through the engineering skills of Kelleher, a long-time Ellensburg radio host at KQBD (Ellensburg).
“They call me Flashback Frannie,” she said with a laugh. “We started it back in June. Jack and John have this variety show and I come in with a stack of CDs I’ve accumulated with all the old songs from the old days. Some of them have never been played on the air before. A lot of the bands had a sound guy record off the sound board onto cassettes. Some have CDs, but a lot of the music I’ve collected had to be transferred from tape to a digital format.
“I’ll give Jack the CDs and tell him to play track 1 or track 7 or whatever and then I’ll talk about the stories that go a long with it.”
Oh, the stories she could tell.
“When (Appaloosa bass player Keith) Wohlford died, I ended up with his wallet,” she said with a devious twinkle in her eye. “Wolfman didn’t have little black book per se. But he did have a list of hundreds of names of girls with their towns that he kept.”
The show has featured the likes of the Greasewood City Ramblers and the music of Bruce Bowen (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Kevin Engbretsen (steel guitar), Rob Fraser (drums), Wayne Hunt (guitar, vocals), Frank Johnson (bass), Al Kaatz (guitar), Kelly Reid (drums) and Marty Vadalabene (drums). It also included
the NashBand with Richie Blue (guitar, keyboards, vocals), Ted Grover (drums), Randy Hiner (bass, vocals), Pat “Red Dog” Martin (guitar, keyboards), Greg Pugh (guitar, vocals), Tom Stinson (guitar, vocals), Mike Thorpe (drums, vocals) and long-time Ellensburg drummer Garey Williams. It also featured the music and various projects longtime bassist Frank Johnson played in.
In fact, Richie Blue, who later went on to play with Norton Buffalo and Charlie Musselwhite, was ecstatic to have his music featured back in the Burg, posting on his Facebook page, “Today eburgradio.org will be taking a romp through my 35year recorded history, playing a song or two from each of my six CDs,” the post read. “Thanks to Fran and Jack for putting the show together. It’s beyond humbling being recognized by my hometown. Ellensburg has rocked and rolled down the line with some dang fine musicians filling the valley with our noise. We are many.”
Local music writer John Bennett, the founder of Vagabond Press, called the emerging Ellensburg music scene as a beacon
Left: A collage of the many faces of Ellensburg’s music scene that contributed to a thriving downtown club environment.
Top: A booking flyer for the popular Ellensburg-based Nash Band.
Above: A Greasewood City Ramblers booking sheet.
On the cover: A photo of Fran by Rob Fraiser.
— Contributed photos
in the Kittitas Valley.
“By the time I showed up on the scene from San Francisco in 1974, Ellensburg was probably the hottest dance spot on the Washington map,” he once wrote. “I must have danced my way through five pairs of shoes before the Ranch burned down. The music died and the local boys went on to bigger things in bigger places. But it was a special time.”
The music was something else with the likes of Larry Van and the Movers, Rose and the Dirt Boys, The Dynamic Logs, Lucky Pierre and the countless others.
“It’s important to keep the memory of the music from the old days alive,” said Cuhtahlatah, whose daughter Laurie Bird song was once married to Screaming Trees bassist Van Conner.
“We’re working on follow-up to GustFest next June and gather more memorabilia and stories for the archives. Hopefully, we’ll generate interest for a new generation of musicians and music.”
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photog rapher. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.
Local music historian Fran Cuhtahlatah, pictured with a poster board of Lucky Pierre, is part of a group promoting and preserving the historical music memorabilia in Ellensburg.
Family ties
John Clymer left an indelable mark
He showed him his first grizzly bear in the wild, constantly reminded him to never stop exploring his sense of wonder. And, even though he was one of the most renown artists of the 20th Century, he showed him through his thoughts and actions how to live with great humility and enjoy the journey called life.
John Ford Clymer (1907-1989) was an active part of his grandson’s life. His grandson, who also goes by the name of John Clymer, knew the artist known for paintings of the American West, paying tribute to the diversity that shaped history, the illustrator of more than 80 Saturday Evening Post covers. But what touched his heart was the quieter side of grandpa - the man that reached for the stars, yet kept his feet securely on the ground.
The Clymer Museum and Gallery in Ellensburg will be closed for most of January, reconfiguring its display of John Ford Clymer’s work under the direction of director/ curator Mia Merendino. On the national scene, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s (Arizona) Museum of the West opened People, Places, Predicaments: John Clymer’s West in October.
“The Arizona exhibit is a Smithsonian affiliated display, featuring more than 50 of my grandfather’s paintings from the Eddie Basha Collection and will run through Oct. 26, 2025,” said Cly-
mer, who was 19 when the John Ford Clymer Museum/Gallery was established on Pearl Street, dedicated to the collective works of his grandfather. “The museum in Ellensburg is shifting its dedication back to my grandfather’s work in the main gallery. There’s about 15 pieces on display now.
“I talked with Mia and she has a lot of plans for the gallery. She’s calling it a reboot to relaunch the museum, bringing my grandfather’s work back to prominence in the gallery. She said they had strained from the original spirit of the museum and wanted to get back to its roots.”
The Ellensburg museum will reopen on Jan. 21 with a rejuvenated sense of purpose, so 1883 Magazine took the opportunity to talk a bit with the grandson of the extraordinary artist whose six-decade career captured the spirit and adventure of the American West and the early 20th Century.
1883 Magazine: Where did you grow up and how active was John Ford Clymer in your childhood?
John Clymer: “I grew up in the Issaquah area just east of Seattle. My dad had this idea of getting back to his childhood memories of having a farm or ranch, so he bought three acres,” he said. “He built a barn and we had some livestock. We lived there from 1975 to 1985. Grandpa and grandma (Doris) still lived in Jackson Hole, Wyo., but they would come over and visit us a couple times a year. That was always a highlight having the time to spend with them.
“We’d go over to Ellensburg and spend time with my grandma’s sister (Elizabeth Schnebly). Her maiden name was Barnhart, so there were Schnebly’s and Barnharts all over that valley. My grandma’s mother was still alive at that time.”
1883 Magazine: What do you remember from spending time with your grandpa in those days?
John Clymer: “I’d see him every year from the time I was 1-year-old until I was 19. I knew from Day 1 he was prominent. When I visited him in Jackson, we couldn’t walk down the street without somebody saying something, but he never did want to make a big deal out of drawing attention. He was pretty humble.
“My grandfather liked to laugh, and make jokes. I just remember the humanity, family, and the family values I try to teach my family. He treated everybody he met with respect. People would see him at his house in Jackson and stop by and ask him for some advice on how to draw or paint. He’d say, ‘Come on inside.’ That’s how he was. He was real. He was down to earth. He was just good people.”
1883 Magazine: Do you have any favorite stories?
John Clymer: “We were at Pine Lake on a fishing trip in 1980. Grandpa and my dad said they thought they heard something,
John Ford Clymer’s grandson John Clymer visits the Clymer Museum/Gallery in Ellensburg.
— Rod Harwood photo
Continued from previous page
like a big boom. When we got home and turned on the TV, we saw the news that Mount St. Helens had erupted. There was all this ash and stuff, and come to find out we were right out there,” said Clymer, who is a vice president of strategic support for Tukwila Financial Center in Seattle.
“He loved being outdoors. He liked to fish in Wyoming a lot. I remember when I was 14, I took my first trip by myself without my parents, out to see him in Wyoming. We went back up into the Tetons and he showed me my first grizzly bear. He knew where to go,
and we did see some on that trip. Saw a lot of moose and other animals.”
1883 Magazine: You and your boys are very close. How did your relationship with John Ford Clymer translate into raising your family?
John Clymer: My oldest J.T. is 21 now. He’s following in my footsteps into banking and just got his first manager’s position. Jacob, 18, just graduated from high school. He has a new hip-hop release coming out. My youngest Jonah is 12 and quite a soccer player. I’d like to think we have the same relationship I had with my grandfather.
“I think it’s important that they know about their
great-grandfather,” Clymer said. “I took Jacob to a concert at the Gorge a few years ago, and we stopped by Ellensburg on our way back. I took him to the cemetery and showed him the house on Capital Avenue. When I was a kid, grandpa gave me a bunch of prints, so my boys are really familiar with the work. I want to make sure my kids understand where their roots are and who their great-grandfather was and his contributions with his art.”
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.
Disclaimer:
EVENTS CALENDAR
Some events require a ticket or RSVP. Please check with the venue for more information.
JANUARY 10
Jared Graham, Nodding Donkey, 7pm The Black Velvet Band, Old Skool’s, 7pm Curtis Moore, Gard Vintners, 6pm Karaoke with DJ Forrest Gump, The Brick Roslyn, 9pm Karaoke, Club 301, 8-11pm Daniel Davison Pianist, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm Wheel Throwing Night, Gallery One, 6:30pm
JANUARY 11
The Palace Gallery, The Outsiders Exhibit, Noon - 4pm Whiskey Night, The Ridge Restaurant, 6pm Grand ABO, Cle Elum Eagles, 7-10pm Saint September, IHB Tap Room, 6-8pm Wool 101 Making Yarn from Raw Fleece, Kittitas County Sheep Producers, 10am-2pm Cody Bartels, The Brick Roslyn, 9pm Daniel Davison Pianist, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm Wool 101 Making Yarn from raw fleece and January Spin-In, Damman School, 10am Rodeo City Repair Cafe Monthly Repair Clinic, 1900 N Brick Road,10am
JANUARY 12
Hand Built Clay Vases, Gallery One, 1pm
JANUARY 13
Bingo Night, IHB Tap Room, 6-8pm
JANUARY 14
Every Photograph Tells A Story, Gallery One, 6pm
JANUARY 15
Winter Barn 21+ by Paint the Town Events, Gard Vintners, 5:30-7:30pm
Beginning Watercolor Sessions, Gallery One, 4:30pm Trivia, IHB Tap Room, 6:30-8pm Trivia, Basecamp Books & Bites Roslyn, 6pm
JANUARY 16
Beginning Wheel Throwing, Gallery One, 5:30pm
Trivia Night All Ages, Mule & Elk Cle Elum, 6pm
JANUARY 17
Zach Lynd and David Coppin Lanegan, Old Skool’s, 7pm
Vaught Rock, Nodding Donkey, 7pm Karaoke, Club 301, 8-11pm
Daniel Davison Pianist, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm
BINGO all ages, Taneum Brewing Cle Elum, 6 pm
JANUARY 18
CWU Basketball Doubleheaders vs Seattle Pacific & MSU Billings, 4pm - 6pm
Billy Mac & Late for Supper, IHB Tap Room, 6pm Karaoke, Nodding Donkey, 7pm
Casino Night American Legion Post 8, Ellensburg 6-11pm
Punch Needle Art, Gallery One, 1pm Surprise!, The Brick Roslyn, 9pm Wassail Gathering, 15730 Badger Pocket Road Ellensburg, Noon - 4pm
The Murder Hornets, Cle Elum Eagles, 7-10pm
Daniel Davison Pianist, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm
The Palace Gallery presents The Outsiders Exhibit, Noon - 4pm
Punch Needle Art, Gallery One, 1pm
JANUARY 22
Trivia, IHB Tap Room, 6:30p-8pm
Trivia, Basecamp Books Roslyn, 6pm
JANUARY 23
Intro to Screen Printing, Gallery One, 5:30-8:30pm
Trivia Night All Ages, Mule & Elk Cle Elum, 6pm
JANUARY 24
Plant Food EP Release, Old Skool’s, 7pm MRG, Nodding Donkey, 7pm
Karaoke with DJ Forrest Gump, The Brick Roslyn, 9pm Karaoke, Club 301, 8pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm BINGO all ages, Taneum Brewing Cle Elum, 6pm
JANUARY 25
Under the Covers, The Brick Roslyn, 9pm
Look Out Akron + Phil and the Unfulfilled, IHB Tap Room, 6-8pm
Rusty Cage, Cle Elum Eagles, 7-10pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm
The Palace Gallery presents The Outsiders Exhibit, Noon - 4pm
Hand-Built Clay Heart Boxes, Gallery One, 10am
JANUARY 26
John Paul Shields, Gallery One, 2pm
JANUARY 27
Bingo, IHB Tap Room, 6-8pm
JANUARY 29
Trivia, Basecamp Books & Bites Roslyn, 6pm
JANUARY 30
Trivia Night All Ages, Mule & Elk Cle Elum, 6pm
JANUARY 31
Thorp School Fun and Games, Thorp School, 5pm
Thorp Donkey Basketball, Thorp School, 6:30pm
Acoustic Night with Freddy Luongo, The Brick Roslyn, 8pm
Karaoke, Club 301, 9pm
Daniel Davison, Cornerstone Italian Kitchen, 6-8pm
Palestine Benefit Concert, Old Skool’s, 7pm
BINGO all ages, Taneum Brewing Cle Elum, 6pm
DOUBLE RAFTER POT ROAST
ODDSTOCK CIDER BRAISED DOUBLE RAFTER POT ROAST WITH FINGERLING POTATOES AND RAINBOW CARROTS, PAIRED WITH ONE OF JOEY’S PATISSERIES CORN BREAD MUFFINS AND YOUR FAVORITE ODDSTOCK CIDER!
Double Rafter roast, 3 to 4 pounds
Nine inch pan of carrot trim (peels and pieces)
Nine inch pan of diced onion
Nine inch pan of diced celery
4 T garlic
2 sprigs of thyme
12 cups water
3 T beef base
1 full can of blood orange Odd Stock Cider
4 pounds fingerline potatoes
3/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 T cinnamon
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
2 T apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
KITTITAS CAFE CHEF
JACOB LANSDOWNE
Cut the roast in half lengthways then into 2 1/2 inch pieces. Pat dry and coat with salt. Once to room temperature sear the pieces in stages. Do not fully cook. Set aside.
Add the carrot, celery and onion along with the cimmamon and nutmeg into the pan. Sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes. Once soft add the garlic and stir for another 10 minutes or until color starts to show on the bottom of the pan. Deglaze with cider and boil for 2 minutes.
Mix 3 tablespoons of beef base with 8 cups hot water along with two or three sprigs of thyme tied together. Add to the pot and bring it back to the boil. Reduce heat and add the beef pieces along with any accumulated juices. Cook for one hour.
Add potatoes and 4 cups of water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Cover and let cook another hour.
Mix cornstarch with 1 1/2 cups cold water. While the pot is boiling add the slurry and cook an additional 5 minutes.
For the carrots
Peel carrots and keep the trim. Cut carrots into 4 inch matchsticks. Place carrots in a bowl and toss with oil, salt, pepper and some fresh thyme. Line them in a pan leaving space bewteen each carrot. Roast for 10 minutes in a 425 degree oven. Rotate and bake an additional 4 minutes. Remove form the oven and glaze with honey. Allow them to rest before service.
Peter and the Starcatcher production slated
Valley Theatre Company’s 2025 production is showcasing Peter and theStarcatcher. Live performances will be held from Feb. 7 to 15 at The Oddfellows Ballroom in Ellensburg.
Based on the five-time Tony Award-winning play, Peter and the Starcatcher offers a fresh, imaginative prequel to J.M. Barrie’s classic Peter Pan. It weaves the backstory of how a despairing orphan became “The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.” Audiences will enjoy an exhilarating journey filled with marauding pirates, jungle tyrants, and the bonds of friendship, duty and love.
childlike wonder.”
The production is based on the best-selling novels by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. Conceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, it was written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. The production will introduce audiences to the origins of beloved characters such as Peter Pan, TinkerBell, Captain Hook, and Mrs. Darling
Peter [and the Starcatcher], in general, is based on imagination, fun and play,” said director Riley Newman. “The unique tactics we’re taking for the show is its being collaborative in terms of casting, very open, very rooted in
Performance dates are Feb. 7, 8, 13, 14 (pay what you can performance), 15 at 7 p.m., and Feb. 8, 9 and 15 at 2 p.m. in the Oddfellows Ballroom, 307 N. Pine Street. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for seniors. The price increases by $2 at the door. More information and tickets are available at our.show/ vtc-2025-peter-and-the-starcatcher.
Ellensburg Arts Commission awards grants
The Ellensburg Arts Commission recently announced the recipients of the 2025 Project Grants. The selection of projects for 2025 represents $24,500 in funding and explores artistic youth programming, offers a connection to the natural beauty of the region, and celebrates the cultural history of the community.
The Ellensburg Arts Commission supports artists, creators, innovators and organizations throughout the community to create and enrich the performing arts, visual arts and literary arts and drive economic growth of the creative industry in Ellensburg.
Grants were awarded to:
• Ellensburg Community Radio Gustfest
$2,500
• Ellensburg Downtown Association Buskers in the Burg
$2,500
• Ellensburg Dance Ensemble A Charlie Brown Christmas
$2,500
• Gallery One Artist in Action in the Park $2,500
• Inland Poetry PiE (Poetry in Ellensburg) $2,500
• Valley Theatre Company RSP: Disney’s Frozen Jr. $2,500
• KC Historical Society, Inc. Display of Historic Epherma $2,500
• Make Music Ellensburg Strum-Along
$2,500
• Discovery Lab of Ellensburg Shrub Steppe Musical $2,500
• Robin Mayberry Pyrocene-Visual Arts
$1,000
• Michael Gallagher Tiny Stage Concert Series
$1,000
For more information and to learn more about the Ellensburg Arts Commission go to www.ci.ellensburg. wa.us/400/Ellensburg-Arts.
“Assemblage” by Tim Fowler. More featured artists can be found at www.thepalacegallery.com. The Palace Gallery is located at 210 W. Fourth
The Home
From funeral home to movie house
Roslyn has been known for many things over the years including being a melting pot of different cultures going back to the late 1800s and serving as the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska in the television show “Northern Exposure.”
But did you also know that if you’ve ever attended a movie at the historic Roslyn Theatre, you stepped back into history and into Roslyn’s old funeral home?
To get to the history of the building on Dakota Avenue we must first go back to the very beginning. As you read what follows, picture me as Estelle Getty, in her iconic role of Sophia on the Golden Girls, saying “Picture it! Roslyn, 1892!”
Following a large mine explosion that claimed the life of many miners, coal miner Anthony Stoves decided to rethink his career choice. He left mining and became business partners with William “Bill” Adam, Sr., a local businessman. Together they constructed what became known as the Stoves Building on Pennsylvania Avenue. Their original business plan was to run a drugstore/ pharmacy on the first floor of the building and then rent the second story as a meeting place for the various fraternal lodges in Roslyn that didn’t have meeting halls of their own.
They rented the back part of the first floor to a “Mr. Fogh” who was operating as an undertaker in town. His space was primarily used to store caskets and equipment as well as to serve as a stable for the horses used to pull his hearse. In 1899, in the middle of the night, Fogh skipped town for reasons unknown, leaving behind his undertaking equipment and a log of back rent owed to Adam and Stoves.
Seeing this as an opportunity, both Adam and Stoves became “licensed” (such as it was back in those days) to operate as undertakers, taking over Fogh’s business. As a parallel to this story, it should also be noted that Adam and Stoves came to own the Roslyn Telephone Company in a very similar way as they did the undertaking parlor.
Some young buck had moved into town, installed a switchboard in the drugstore and began building Roslyn’s telephone network. Much like Fogh, this young man also skipped town in the middle of the night, leaving his equipment and back rent behind. Adam and Stoves operated the telephone company until 1959-’60 when it was sold to Harold and Marian Weis. It is still owned by the Weis family to this day.
As I mentioned in my last column, in the early 1900s, most of the undertaker’s work was done at the family home, including
the preparation. Mining accidents created a unique situation in that regard – the undertaker would oftentimes have five or more victims to care for in a short period of time and couldn’t do so in everyone’s individual homes. So, in 1903, Adam and Stoves constructed the mortuary building on Dakota Avenue and introduced the concept of the “funeral home” as we know it today to the community.
Instead of being prepared for burial in a back bedroom at the family home and then laid out for viewing in the front parlor, loved ones were taken back to the funeral home and everything was done there. It was quite innovative for the era and was the norm for deaths in Roslyn a good 20 years before other communities in the county would follow suit.
In 1927, Anthony Stoves was joined in the funeral business by his son-in-law, Larry M. Davies, who was married to Stoves’ daughter, Margaret. Larry passed his licensing examinations having never attended mortuary school, which was still optional at that time. Following the deaths of Anthony Stoves in 1932 and Bill Adam in 1936, Larry and Margaret eventually became sole owners of the funeral home and telephone company.
The undertaking business operated under different names over the years – Adam and Stoves, the Stoves-Davies Mortuary and finally The Roslyn Funeral Home.
Larry was highly regarded by both his community and colleagues for his attention to detail in both his presentation of loved ones for viewing and in the way he directed funerals. Old records indicate he did most funerals “on a handshake” and would frequently take payments from people over the course of a couple years if they needed time to pay.
Sometimes he’d strike out and be left holding the funeral bill but would still bury the next person in the family to die — also on a handshake.In 1972, as Larry’s health began to decline, he and Margaret decided to retire and sold the business assets (but not the real estate) of The Roslyn Funeral Home to Earl Brown, owner of Brown’s Funeral Chapel in Cle Elum.
The building in Roslyn sat empty until the late 1970s when it was purchased and converted into a movie house, known today as the Roslyn Theatre.
— Henry D. Johnston is owner of Johnston & Williams Funeral Homes in Ellensburg and Cle Elum. He is an avid funeral history buff who also enjoys golfing, boating and spending time with his family.
Larry and Margaret Davies
The Roslyn Theater building and home to a former funeral parlor.
Stoves Funeral records book, 1899 - 1915.
The Adams and Stoves letterhead.
An old package of smelling salts for the faint.
Larry Davies
Anthony Stoves Davies
Kittitas County
HOLLY BERRY LOTUS
A festive and refreshing winter beverage, the Holly Berry Lotus brings together bold, fruity flavors and a touch of effervescence. Perfect for pairing with rich dishes or enjoying on its own, this drink is as invigorating as it is delicious.
CRAFTED BY ALINA GADBERRY
2 1/4 ounce blackberry syrup
2 1/4 ounce pomegranate syrup
2 1/2 ounces white lotus
2 ounces cranberry juice
Ice Seltzer
Fill a glass with ice.
Add the blackberry and pomegranate syrups, followed by the White Lotus Energy.
Pour in the cranberry juice for a hint of tartness.
Top with a splash of seltzer water to add a refreshing fizz.
Stir gently to combine, and garnish with a fresh berry or sprig of holly for a festive touch, if desired
ENJOY THIS BRIGHT, BUBBLY BEVERAGE ALONGSIDE RICH RED MEAT DISHES LIKE OUR ODDSTOCK DOUBLE RAFTER POTROAST FOR THE ULTIMATE WINTER PAIRING!
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Early start
Tournaments give players a boost
If you take a quick look at the basketball talent coming out of Kittitas and Ellensburg over the past several years, you’ll notice they can play hoops in Kittitas County.
Brock Ravet led the Kittitas boys to three consecutive Washington State 2B Championships on his way to Gonzaga University. Olivia Anderson (University of Washington), Dylan Philip (Montana State) and Jamison Philip (Montana State) led the Ellensburg girls to back-to-back undefeated Washington 2A state titles. All three moved on to the next level. Ellensburg 7-footer Gavin Marrs moved on to Pac-12 basketball at Oregon State. They had to start somewhere.
Top Tier Tournaments
Contact Hailey.Minor@toptiersports.net arlo.evasick@toptiersports.net. 360-316-9439 Website toptiersports.net/basketball
Washington-based Top Tier Tournaments is designed to give third-toeighth grade boys and girls a running start with AAU Basketball Tournaments in Central and Western Washington. Central Washington Tournament Director Hailey Minor said the Top Tier basketball events are designed to maximize development and competition for all teams and players.
Upcoming events
Jan. 4-5: New Year’s Jam, State Qualifier
Jan. 25-26: Top Tier Hardwood Classic
Feb. 15-16: President’s Day Classic, State Qualifier
“Our primary goal every weekend is to host a silver and gold division within each age division. We believe development and growth happens when players are put in highly competitive situations against similar skilled opponents and like-minded teams,” said Minor, who lives in Ellensburg. “We’re centrally located events, so we can increase the opportunity for our local AAU teams close to home, which hasn’t been offered more than a time or two a year here in Ellensburg.”
Minor and her business partner Arlo Evasick, who is a part owner of Top Tier Sports in Ellensburg, both coach and serve as tournament directors. They are expanding into Western Washington where tournament director Luke Weaver runs the competition on the West Side.
“I grew up playing sports playing basketball and volleyball all the way through high school,” Minor said. “It was always one of the most fun experiences throughout my childhood. What we’re developing are traveling teams, yet have something for them to do here.
“It’s not only getting to play in other towns, but the experience of being with their teammates in great facilities, going to dinner or staying in motels, in addition to improving as players.”
The inaugural tournament was Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at Central Washington
University where the youth teams got to experience playing in university facilities. The field included 25 teams. Minor said they expect to expand that field to 40 moving forward.
“All but one tournament will be held at Central. It’s a pretty cool experience. The facilities are great which is one of the reasons why we want to host tournaments here was to make it even more enjoyable,” she said. “It’s great for spectators because they get to watch games onsite on two courts without having to travel across town to another gym. There’s dining service right there, it’s just a great experience for everybody.”
They have three more tournaments scheduled if local fans are looking to support youth sports: New Year’s Jam state qualifier (Jan. 4-5), Top Tier Hardwood Classic (Jan. 25-26) and Top Tier President’s Day Classic state qualifier (Feb. 15-16) as well as the Top Tier February Frenzy (Feb. 22-23) in Centralia.
“One of the things we’re striving to do is bring value to every team that registers at a Top Tier Tournaments,” Minor said. “It also provides a positive impact on the local businesses and economy here in Ellensburg, through the patrons and visitors that our events will attract.”
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.
Top Tier Tournaments is developing AAU basketball talent providing tournaments for local traveling teams in Kittitas County. — Contributed Photo
Personal growth
Johnny Graf shares his odyssey
t was through his own journey and explo- including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.
“My life has really changed. I had never heard of Reiki until I started doing something for my own growth. There is energy all around us that we’re not in tune with,” he said. “We do a 60-minute session with absolutely no outside input. It’s quiet, sometimes in silence, clearing away the clutter.
“I’m just providing an opportunity to explore different avenues. I don’t think this training has so much changed my journey as it is my journey. Every Reiki session I do something
Reiki practitioners use a technique called palm healing or hands-on healing, he said, which is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation. Negative outside influences, holiday stress, family conflict, changing world topics can be put to rest through the process of centering, clearing, beaming and
Pictured: Johnny and Linda Graf take time to enjoy the moment.
“It helped me to realize, we all carry light,” he explained. “For me, I have always tried to express my light. Reiki is totally different than any other way I’ve tried to express my light. What it’s done for me, (life) is not in doing. It’s about being. The process is simply being with another human being, nothing more. I’m not selling a product; I’m simply just being.”
Above: Graf’s work was on display at the Gard Vintners for the First Friday Art Walk in June.
— Contributed photos
In calming the spirit, life becomes grounded in such a way change becomes less stressful, mentally and emotionally.
“I’m at a necessary moment in my life. It’s my job to teach selflove that can help you through a difficult time,” he said. “We’re at a real challenging time right now.”
As part of 4HumanGood Inc., Graf has also become a compassionate funeral celebrant, providing personalized services to help understand the life and legacy of the departed by reflecting their story in a way that honors their memory. He works with Johnston and Williams Funeral Home and Crematory.
“I meet with the family and gather the information to relate to those who are left so they can move forward,” Graf said. “It’s something I never thought I’d be doing. But I got certified about a year and a half ago and it’s really helped me grow as a human being. Understanding who someone was and be able to honor their memory is gratifying.”
Graf and his wife Linda are active in providing positive energy in a sometimes negative world. The journey continues.
— Rod Harwood is an award-winning journalist and photographer. He can be reached at rodneyharwood149@gmail.com.
