Washington Coast Magazine, September 03, 2019

Old World Historic beauty of Oysterville

THE COAST’S TUNA CAPITAL COHASSETT BEACH REVISITED OCEAN SHORES’ HIDDEN TREASURE

FALL 2019 $3.99 A supplement to The Daily World

FU LL PAG E AD HE RE

2

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FALL 2019

Contents

Welcome to the Fall 2019 edition of Washington Coast Magazine!

Within these pages, you’ll discover an old-growth forest and wetlands preserved through a massive grassroots effort. We’ll give you the bait-to-boatto-market story of the Pacific Coast’s albacore tuna capital, right here in Washington. You’ll get a unique perspective of a tiny coastal enclave’s military occupation during World War II. And instead of featuring an “Open House” this quarter, we’ll show you a whole town full of splendid historic buildings.

Columnist Jeff Bryant offers up a field guide to the True Birder. And our “Last Shot” this month is a vision of strength captured by an out-of-state visitor.

One last thing: You’ve probably noticed this magazine is somewhat lighter than usual. I’m not any happier about it than you are, but that’s the reality of this business: No matter how good your editorial product is, ad sales are what determine how many pages you can publish. Let’s just say that’s something our team is working hard to improve.

We thank you for your continued readership and hope to give you more next quarter!

9

FEATURES

9 TUNA CAPITAL 16 IDYLLIC OYSTERVILLE BEACH 24 “COHASSETT CHRONICLES” Westport is focal point for Pacific albacore fishing

Historic District designation preserves quaint atmosphere

The labor of love that helped preserve a slice of local history

31 WEATHERWAX TRAIL Community fought to defend “magical” old-growth parcel

ON THE COVER The intricate doorknob of the Oysterville Church is one of the many historical details on display in this coastal town.

EDITOR@WASHINGTONCOASTMAGAZINE.COM

PHOTO BY PATRICIA JOLLIMORE

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

3

FALL 2019

Contents

OUR FAVORITE EVENTS PG. 36

PERENNIALS 3 8 36 41 42 4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BIRD’S-EYE VIEW A field guide: How to spot the True Birder

OUR FAVORITE EVENTS What’s happening along the Coast this season

WHY I LOVE IT HERE Joelle Springer Owner of Jayden’s German Store in Raymond

LAST SHOT

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

8

360-532-4000 editor@washingtoncoastmagazine.com

Publisher

Mike Hrycko

Editor

Kat Bryant

Editorial & photographic contributors

Editorial assistant

Michael Bruce Jeff Bryant Dave Haerle Dan Hammock Tempest Hampton Scott D. Johnston Patricia Jollimore Louis Krauss Joelle Springer

Karen Barkstrom

Editorial graphic designer

Jacie Landeros

Circulation director

Amy Husted

Subscriptions & distribution

Leslie Bebich

Advertising inquiries, subscriptions & change of address: 360-532-4000. Back issues: $8 plus shipping & handling.

Washington Coast Magazine is published by The Daily World, a division of Sound Publishing Inc., and may not be reproduced without express written permission. All rights reserved.

No liability is assumed by Washington Coast Magazine, The Daily World or Sound Publishing regarding any content in this publication.

A subscription to Washington Coast Magazine is $14 annually. Single copies are available at select locations throughout Grays Harbor and Pacific counties. For details, visit www.washingtoncoastmagazine.com

Š2019 by The Daily World 315 S. Michigan St. | Aberdeen, WA 98520 WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

5

Bird’s-Eye View A FI E LD GU I D E TO T RU E B I R D E R S

BY J EFF BRYA N T According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, there are about 45 million birdwatchers in America. Extrapolating from our state’s share of the American population, that suggests about 1 million of them are Washingtonians.

You likely know one. You’ve at least seen some at local parks and beaches scanning the shores, trees and skies with ridiculous optical equipment. But how does one readily identify one? Harder still, how does one distinguish between the casual birdwatcher and the rarer breed of True Birders?

Here’s a handy guide to the essential field marks.

The first clues to identification are in the plumage.

Birders have historically had mostly gray, or even featherless heads. They are, however, in the midst of an evolutionary sea change. Ever larger numbers of juveniles sporting crests of all colors have been recorded in recent years.

Their bodies tend to be clad in neutral colors, blending in with the environment. Such camouflage makes it easier to sneak up on the birds they hunt. Our Washington coastal subspecies will often have a second, waterproof layer obscuring this (see Fig. 1).

Like parrots and crows, they are known to make use of tools when hunting. Look for a pair of binoculars hung loosely about the neck, and perhaps a spotting scope on a tripod. The latter is commonly used in open areas where the birder’s quarry is far out over the waves or on mudflats. Many Birders, especially juveniles, will also carry a book to help them determine which prey item they are stalking.

It is important to remember that True Birders are highly variable, so the presence or absence of just one of these field marks is not enough to make a positive ID. More clues can be found by studying their geographic range. The species is generally considered to spring from a small population in Victorian England; but today, like the familiar starlings and

6

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

city pigeons, they have been introduced worldwide.

In contrast to the global trend of shrinking bird populations, this species — once rare — exploded in the 20th century. Their nests tend to be concentrated in urban areas, but they disperse widely in their hunt for new birds. They have predictable migration paths from their home territories to areas where birds rarely seen in the U.S. are most readily found, such as southeastern Arizona, south Texas and the islands off Alaska.

While they can be found in low densities in coastal Washington year-round, their migration here tends to peak in the

Figure 1

True Birder, Washington coastal subspecies.

Adult in fall plumage. Which prominent field marks can you spot? 

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

7

spring and fall, coinciding with the arrival of many shore- and seabirds.

Definitive indicators of a True Birder can be readily observed if you can find their nests. Aside from the inevitable stash of optical equipment, including various binoculars, cameras, scopes and tripods, there will be the telltale shelf (see Fig. 2). Like an eagle’s nest, it starts out at a manageable size; but the True Birder will add to it year by year, until it becomes a hulking mass that threatens to collapse under its own weight. The shelf pictured here has taken 25 years or so to build, but is by no means complete.

Just as a True Birder can identify birds by voice alone, the patient and practiced observer can learn to identify True Birders by their lingo. If you hear Jane say she “dipped on” a bird, it means two things: one, she traveled to a specific place (a “stakeout”) to locate a previously reported rare bird, but didn’t see it; and two, she’s a True Birder. Similarly, she would call that trip a “twitch” or a “chase,” and each new species added to her “life list” is a “tick.”

True Birders even have their own form of written communication: a shorthand code to denote each species they see. Generally, it’s a four-letter combination of the first two or three letters of the bird’s first and last names. Thus, if a Birder jots down that he saw an “AMRO” in Tokeland, he found an American robin.

Now you have all the tools you need to confidently identify a True Birder in the field.

A word of caution: If you happen upon a flock in the wild (see Fig. 3), please approach quietly, so as not to flush them or their prey. Just revel in the glorious spectacle of these curiosities of nature.

Figure 2

Figure 3 8

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

The Birder’s nest: Built of field guides, sound recordings and bird-finding guides from around the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeff Bryant has been an increasingly obsessive birder since childhood. For the past 30 years, what little money he’s been able to set aside has been spent traveling in search of ever more of the world’s 10,000 species. He’s only a quarter of the way there.

This flock of True Birders was seen at Bottle Beach during the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival in May. The field marks indicate most are of the coastal subspecies, with a few migratory Birders mixed in.

Jodi H is a commercial albacore fishing vessel based in San Diego, California.

She is one of the many California and Oregon boats that make Westport their port of call during the summer tuna season.

Tuna capital Imagine a fish that can push 50 pounds and smash into your line at upwards of 40 mph. That’s the albacore tuna.

Westport is one of the premier destinations on the Pacific Coast for those who hunt these blue and silver bullets, prized for their fight and for their sweet, mild flesh. The albacore fishery there draws a lot of interest from commercial and recreational fishermen alike.

Westport is the focal point for Pacific Coast albacore fishing S TO R Y BY DA N H A M M O C K P H OTO S BY M I C H A E L B R U C E

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

9

Michael Cornman of Westport Seafood Inc., left, talks to the crew of the Westport commercial fishing vessel Pacific Pride as it docks next to the net pens that hold live anchovies – the bait favored by commercial and sport tuna fishermen.

For Mike Cornman and his crew at Westport Seafood Inc., things start getting serious in May, when the bait fish arrive.

“We usually start catching anchovies around mid-May, pretty much exclusively inside Grays Harbor,” said Cornman. “You’ll see us, out in front of Westport and up into the bay toward the (local) airport, fishing pretty much seven days a week.”

Anchovies support the area’s albacore industry; both commercial and recreational fishermen rely on Westport Seafood for their supply. The 4- to 8-inch fish are caught by seine net, then boats bring them into Westport Marina and move them into large net pens.

“In the peak of the season, we have 27 pens we store live anchovies in,” said Cornman. “The boats come in, and we load the anchovies in live.”

10

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

Timing The best time to catch albacore can vary by a few weeks every year.

“Albacore are highly migratory,” said Cornman. What Westport fishermen are looking for is when the fleet-finned fish get within striking distance of the marina — within 100 or so miles of the coast.

“Typically it starts in mid- to late July, and the peak season goes through August, September and sometimes into October,” he said. “There can be several weeks’ difference from year to year.”

Albacore is a highly targeted species, meaning young fish — the 4–to 6–year–olds — can easily be caught feeding near the surface while the older, breeding-age fish are doing their business “somewhere on the bottom of the

Last year, 4,161 metric tons of commercially caught albacore tuna were brought into Washington ports—about 70% of it to Westport, according to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Landings have varied over the past 10 years, from that relatively low 2018 catch to a high of 8,774 metric tons in 2012.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

11

The Newport, Oregon-based commercial tuna vessel Tempo picks up live anchovies at Westport Seafood Inc. on its way out to look for albacore. Commercially caught albacore are taken with live anchovies and a simple pole and line setup, and the action can be intense.

ocean.” Just where, nobody knows; but fishermen are just fine targeting the ones up top.

It’s considered an open-access fishery for both commercial and recreational fishermen because it is so closely targeted. There is no season — no open date, no closing date — and there is no limit on how many fish can be caught beyond a boat’s capability, size and range.

Both types of fishermen use a hook and line. There’s no bycatch — the term used for fish that become casualties of the hunt for targeted species. When you’re in the albacore, you’re in them, and you’re not likely to see anything else hit the deck of the boat.

The fishing can be pretty intense. When you come up on a school of albacore, there may be hundreds of them — all focused on food. A live anchovy on a hook skipped near the surface is like popcorn to them, and the action can get downright crazy.

A Tempo crew member puts live anchovies in the vessel’s well to be used as bait for albacore tuna. Westport Seafood Inc. has its own vessel to net the live anchovies, and 27 netpens to store them for commercial and sport anglers.

12

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

Commercial fishing Search “Westport tuna fishing videos” online and you’ll come across footage that will make your arms ache just watching it. Commercial anglers use a stout pole with

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

13

Starting in mid-May, you’ll see Westport Seafood Inc.’s vessel Tani Rae seining anchovies inside Grays Harbor. Westport Seafood is the largest supplier of live anchovies for tuna boats in the region.

a fixed line. For hours at a time, these commercial fishermen will toss out an anchovy, hook a fish and fling it over their heads onto the deck of the boat. This can happen several times in a single minute. And it’s all done with muscle, no reel at all.

A commercial boat can spend up to a month on the water, depending on the number of fish available and the size of the vessel.

“A vessel may deliver 20 to 60 or even 80 tons of albacore per trip, based on the size of the vessel,” said Cornman.

The Westport albacore fishery and its processors draw boats from all up and down the Pacific Coast.

“Lots of boats come out of San Diego; there’s a big fleet there,” said Cornman. Others will travel from Northern California ports, and vessels from Crescent City, Brookings, Newport and elsewhere in Oregon also get in on the action here.

And for good reason.

“I would estimate about 70% of the North Pacific albacore catch annually comes through Westport,” said Cornman.

14

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

According to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, commercial albacore tuna landings in the state have varied over the past decade, from a low of 4,161 metric tons in 2018 to a high of 8,774 metric tons in 2012.

About 200 to 300 vessels land albacore into Washington ports each year, with the majority coming into Westport, followed by the ports of Ilwaco and Chinook to the south.

About 97% of the commercial catch is frozen at sea, said Cornman. It’s packed in Westport and trucked to the ports of Seattle and Tacoma for overseas processing. When the fish are caught close enough to land, fresh albacore may be available at the docks — and at Merino’s Seafood, which also cans a variety of albacore products in Westport.

Sport fishing Sport fishing trips for albacore are broken into two types.

There are the smaller boats, equipped to take up to six or so clients on a single day trip. These boats are equipped with up to three large outboard motors, allowing them to zip 80 to 100 miles offshore, spend plenty of time there fishing, then return before dark on the same day.

“A vessel may deliver 20

to 60 or even 80 tons of albacore per trip, based on the size of the vessel.”

— Michael Cornman President, Westport Seafood Inc.

Charlotte M is a California-based commercial tuna vessel. It’s pictured here dropping off a load of frozen albacore at Westport Marina for distribution primarily overseas.

Commercially caught albacore tuna are frozen at sea for transport to Westport.

Then there are what most would consider typical charter boats: much larger vessels with inboard motors and the capacity for up to 15 people. These trips can range from one

to two nights, depending on how far out the albacore are.

Often these larger boats will run out at night, the clients fish all day, then return to the dock the following night.

As with commercial fishing, things can get hectic on deck. When you’re into a lot of fish, it’s not unusual to have the majority of rods hooked up at the same time, with each individual angler playing a sort of leap-frog with other anglers along the rail, trying to haul in a strong fish without tangling up the lines.

To book an albacore adventure, check out the Westport Charterboat Association at charterwestport.com. There are 20 charter boats in the association, with links to each on the website. Outside of that group, type “Westport albacore” into your favorite search engine to find others.

A typical tuna charter trip will run about $425 per angler.

Before you head out on the water, be sure to purchase a Westport Charterboat Association derby ticket from any of the charter offices that dot the Marina. The weekly prize for the largest albacore is up to $400, and there is $1,000 up for grabs for the largest of the season — but if you catch The Big One and you don’t have a derby ticket, you’re out of luck.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

15

The Oysterville Church is located at the center of town.

16

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

Idyllic Oysterville

National Historic District designation preserves town’s quaint atmosphere S TO RY BY LO U I S K R AU S S P H OTO S BY PAT R I CI A J O L L I M O R E

It’s true Oysterville is off the beaten path, 15 miles up the Long Beach Peninsula. But the town’s quaint yet funky vibe makes it a worthwhile trip.

Although its name comes from the fact it used to have about a dozen oyster operations, only one remains today: Oysterville Sea Farms. It’s worth a stop to sample the shellfish farmed by Dan Driscoll and his dad, Les. But the historic town, established in 1854, also has much more to offer. It’s a rewarding experience just to walk around the quiet residential area, learn about its history, and admire the homes and landscape. The atmosphere is very much like the quintessential New England coastal town, with large wood-shingle houses featuring colorful gardens surrounded by picket fences.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

17

STEVENS HOUSE

This house was built after oysterman Tom Crellin received a federal land grant for the property. The deed, signed by President Abraham Lincoln, still hangs on a wall inside. The house is now owned by Sydney Stevens, a descendant of Oysterville co-founder R.H. Espy.

A good place to visit first is the Oysterville Church, which was built in 1892 and is usually open to the public during the day. An information sheet posted there notes that it’s available to rent for events through Sydney Stevens, 83, an author and a history buff on all things Oysterville.

Stevens, a descendant of the Espy family that helped found the town, lives in one of the most beautiful and oldest houses there. Built in 1869 by oysterman Tom Crellin, it’s right across the street from the church. The floors are covered in plush, brightly colored carpet, while the walls are full of old photos and historic mementos.

The 150-year-old home is expensive to maintain: Stevens said it costs around $30,000 a year fixing it up.

“I once likened the house to having a kid perpetually in college,” she laughed. “You just keep pouring money out.”

From the church, it’s fairly easy to walk through

18

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

A picturesque spot in Sydney Stevens’ house to sit and view Willapa Bay.

History of the Stevens house The Crellin family, originally from the Isle of Man off the coast of England, made the trek to Oysterville in 1852. Brothers Tom and John Crellin were looking to settle there and make their living as oyster farmers.

Because Washington was still a territory when they applied for land grants to build their houses, the deeds had to be signed by the president of the United States.

The deed for Tom’s property still hangs in a corner of the Crellin House along with numerous other historic documents and old photos. Abraham Lincoln signed that deed on April 1, 1865 — just two weeks before his assassination.

Even though John sent his land grant application to Washington, D.C., before Tom sent his, Lincoln never got to sign it. Instead, John’s deed was signed by Andrew Johnson the following year.

The brothers built almost identical homes, with architectural plans they had brought from England.

The only differences were that Tom’s house had slightly larger rooms and a couple of bay windows.

Both brothers left for California in the 1870s, according to Oysterville historian Sydney Stevens’ website. Her great-grandfather, R.H. Espy, who co-founded the town, bought Tom’s house in 1892, and it has been in that family ever since. Stevens now lives there with her husband, Nyel. They are celebrating the house’s 150th birthday this year.

AD

The door to one of the oldest houses in Oysterville, built in 1852 by an oysterman.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

19

STEVENS HOUSE

A colorful set of chairs facing the Willapa Bay in Sydney Stevens’ yard.

the town and check out the different houses, as well as the schoolhouse built in 1907, a block north of the church.

Over time, many of the older structures have been torn down and replaced with more modern homes, and people with a lot more money have moved in on a part-time basis. Martie Kilmer — who has family ties to Oysterville and spends half of her time in Portland, where she works as an interior designer — represents a link between the new and old Oysterville.

The house she bought for her family was originally built in 1869, but an inspection found it had to be rebuilt because the wood was deteriorating.

After the rebuild, it still fits in with the rest of the houses in town, but it also has modern touches like a croquet lawn, concrete floors and a pottery studio next to a lush garden with stone pathways.

While the makeup of the community may have changed, the town has maintained the look and high-end architecture that makes it unique.

(Stevens describes the structures’ overall style as Craftsman, or Carpenter Gothic.)

That’s no accident.

When Oysterville was approved to be on the National Register of Historic Districts in 1976, the community formed a design review board, 20

Oysterville writer and historian Sydney Stevens sits in her living room.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

KILMER HOUSE

The Captain Stream House was rebuilt a few years ago because of its failing condition. It’s now occupied by Martie Kilmer.

ABOVE: The garden in the back of Martie Kilmer’s house.

Kilmer and her family spend around half of the time in Portland where her work is based and the other half in Oysterville.

RIGHT: This pottery studio in the backyard is one of the home’s modern additions.

Longtime Oysterville residents Charlotte Jacobs, left, Ann Driscoll and Bud Goulter enjoy the deck on the bay at Oysterville Sea Farms, the last remaining oyster business in town.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

21

which was intended to make sure new houses and any additions to old houses stayed in line with the town’s quaint village atmosphere.

Stevens said her mother, who assisted in the board’s formation, wanted to ensure Oysterville didn’t become commercialized or a trailer park.

“I remember my mother saying the one thing we do not want to have in Oysterville is trailers, and neon signs,” said Stevens. “She wanted to keep the quiet sense of timelessness that Oysterville had.”

Still, the review board drew some gripes from community members, and there were some disputes when applicants were denied simple changes to their homes, according to Stevens.

“The people who move in, they loved the idea it’s a quaint little village,” she said. “But they didn’t like being told, ‘Oh no, you can’t paint that color’ or ‘No, you can’t add that.’”

The review board was dissolved in 2016.

Today, there’s a county hearings examiner who reviews all proposed new construction to make sure it complies with National Historic District requirements.

The historic Oysterville Schoolhouse has been closed since 1957, but still occasionally hosts events like lectures about local history.

AD

22

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

If you go It takes a bit of dedication to get to Oysterville. From Grays Harbor, it takes about two hours to drive about 72 miles south on U.S. 101 from Aberdeen to Long Beach and then 15 miles up the peninsula on State Route 103 to Oysterville.

For an informative self-guided walking tour, including a map and description of each historic house, visit the Oysterville Restoration Foundation’s website: www.oysterville.org/ walking-tour.

A gate to another house in Oysterville, which incorporates some of the Victorian design that’s common in this historic town.

AD

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

23

HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUCY HART AND KLANCY CLARK DE NEVERS

In the early years, this was the entrance to Cohassett Beach.

Cohassett Beach Chronicles

The labor of love that helped preserve a slice of history

BY K AT B RYA N T

I

f you visit Westport, you might happen upon a carved wooden sign marking the entrance to a tiny residential enclave called Cohasset Beach (with one t). But once upon a time, a local columnist chronicled big doings in the somewhat larger community of Cohassett Beach (with two t’s).

A Google Maps search of that

24

name shows an area comprising about one-third of today’s Westport, spanning the area from State Route 105 north to approximately Lila Avenue. And yet a researcher would be hard-pressed to locate anything other than a passing mention of it online or in local histories.

Ruth McCausland’s book “Washington’s Westport” is a rare and excellent source of the area’s historical information. But for a deeper dive into

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

the local culture, especially during the war years, there’s only one readily available choice.

“Cohassett Beach Chronicles” is a selection of writings by Kathy Hogan, who penned a regular column called “The Kitchen Critic” in the 1940s for the Grays Harbor Post in Aberdeen.

Each week, she shared her witty observations of daily life in Cohassett Beach, from fish to fog to wayward dogs.

Just a few months after she started

“Stories about Kathy and her yarns were part of my family’s dinner table conversation.”

— Klancy Clark de Nevers, co-editor

This photo of Kathy Hogan in her later years was provided by Lucy Hart.

writing, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. In the blink of an eye, everything in Hogan’s world changed.

And so, from 1941 to 1945, her column provided a frank insider’s view of how her quiet coastal community reacted and adapted to its occupation by the 44th Infantry Division of the New Jersey National Guard — mostly very young men from New York and New Jersey charged with protecting the mainland from potential threats from the sea.

A number of our citizens have stood on their dunes during the past weeks and seen Japanese submarines attempt to throw monkey wrenches into west coast shipping. They have seen our ships attacked, and they have seen the attacks repulsed — and they have gone home and milked their cows, scolded their wives, and turned on their radios. Is that hysteria?

(From “Hysterics—Beans,” Jan. 17, 1942)

Co-editor Lucy Hart drew several pencil illustrations for the book, including this map of the Cohassett Beach compound during the war. The “Main Road” is Westport’s Forrest Street today.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

25

T

he neighbors are busy filling galvanized wash tubs, old wash boilers, and scrub pails with Himalaya [black]berries, which are ripening now in the small clearings along the road and beyond the pasture. At least the men neighbors are busy. Their preoccupation amounts to feverish activity. [They] are acutely aware of impending famine at the village pub where one bottle of orange gin stands in lonely splendor on a once populous shelf, like an austere headland above an unfriendly sea. ... Wine produced in sunspot years, says this week’s New Yorker magazine, is noticeably better than other vintages.

— From “Sea Changes,” Sept. 4, 1943

KAT BRYANT

Co-editor Lucy Hart’s current home in Seattle is resplendent with colorful creations by friends and family members. At lower right is a picture of her long-ago Cohassett home sketched in 1925 by her father, famed artist Lance Wood Hart.

“We said from the very beginning we weren’t going to be revisionist historians.”

— Lucy Hart, co-editor

26

It’s a chunk of local history that might have been lost if not for the efforts of two women with childhood memories of that place and time: Klancy Clark de Nevers and Lucy Hart.

De Nevers’ father, Kearny Clark, was Hogan’s employer as editor of the Grays Harbor Post in Aberdeen. Today, she’s in her 80s and lives in Salt Lake City.

Hart lived in Eugene, Oregon, in the 1940s; but her great-aunt owned the Pinehurst Hotel in Cohassett Beach, and as a girl she spent two weeks there every summer. Now, at age 80, she

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

resides in Seattle.

“Kathy Hogan was a legendary figure in my childhood. Stories about Kathy and her yarns were part of my family’s dinner table conversation,” says de Nevers. “My parents would visit her quaint beach cottage and come away cheered. We children held her in awe; we were not invited to join those visits.”

During the war years, Hogan painted a vivid and personal picture of the goings-on as her neighbors accommodated the young soldiers brought in from the East Coast; planted Victory Gardens,

with varying results; and dealt in their own ways with the rationing of meat and shortages of alcohol.

“The U.S. Army brought in these boys and asked if they could live in our cottages. They were principally summer cottages, though Kathy lived there year-round,” says Hart. “These boys, being from big cities, didn’t know how to go out and chop wood for the fireplaces; so they’d break up furniture.

They chopped up my sister’s wooden rocking horse that she adored, and burned it. But what did they know?”

Not long after Hogan retired, Kearny and Dorothy Clark gave her the bound volumes of the Grays Harbor Post from the years that held her columns (roughly 1940 to 1951), with the idea that she could publish a book of her writings.

“She had started looking through them and putting little colored slips of

paper in different issues,” says de Nevers. “But she had no idea how to go about it, and she worried that her house would burn down. … So she gave them back to my parents and said: ‘I can’t do it.’”

But they refused to let the idea die.

“My mother gave me a manila envelope of about 20 columns of ‘The Kitchen Critic,’ which I had really never read, and I took them on a vacation when my husband and I were going camping around about Rainier and out to the coast,” says de Nevers.

“So one day in a campground somewhere near Rainier, I sat reading these columns. And they were so enchanting that it just occurred to me that we

Cohassett Beach hosted the 44th Infantry Division of the New Jersey National Guard during World War II.

should do something.”

And so she did.

“Klancy contacted me and asked if I would be interested in helping her put a book together,” says Hart. “I said, ‘I’d love to do it!’ It would be a labor of love, because I thought Kathy’s work was wonderful.”

They worked on it together for a couple of years, mostly by telephone.

“We found a woman who trimmed them and scanned them with

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

27

Author Kathy Hogan’s home in Cohassett Beach, known as the Barn, was a gathering place for many in the neighborhood.

It was in fact a refurbished old barn.

From left, Kristine Clark and Barbara Jean Sudderth play with a neighbor girl and her brother outside the Barn. In the background, on the steps, is Kathy Clark. (Info provided by Klancy Clark de Nevers)

a digital scanner, which had only about 85% accuracy,” De Nevers says. “Then she and her son edited them to correct them, and then I edited them again so they made sense. And that’s how we got the body of the book.”

“In ’95, the most advanced computer I had was a Radio Shack TRS-80; I’m not even sure I had internet,” says Hart. “The fact that Klancy could find a person to scan the articles to convert them into word processing files saved a ton of work.”

Hart performed research at the courthouse in Montesano on who

28

lived where in Cohassett; much of the info was on 3x5 cards, she says. With that information, she drew a map for the book to illustrate the town as it existed in the 1940s. She also searched the Seattle Post-Intelligencer photo archive for pictures and drew numerous illustrations for the book.

They shopped a 45-page book proposal far and wide. Finally, it was Oregon State University Press that took it on — with a caveat.

“They said, ‘Yes, we would like to do Dorothy Clark helps a baby sit up inside this, but we don’t like the way you’ve the Barn. The baby might be Kathy proposed to organize the columns,’” Clark, who was born in 1949.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

Y

esterday six soldiers carrying trench shovels rushed onto the beach and, facing each other, began to dig furiously. In a matter of seconds, they had made a hole big enough to bury an ox in. They bent over and examined the hole for an instant and then jumped to a new position. Again they dug furiously.

The results were apparently unsatisfactory. They sprang to a third position, clenched their teeth with determination, and dug another ox’s grave. I kept on with my walk. ... I used to stop and show our new soldiers how to dig razor clams. But this is getting to be an awfully big army.

— From “Cranberries and Clams,” July 4, 1942

says de Nevers. “So we got together and came up with the order the book is in now, which is sequential during the years of the war.” (It was originally organized by topic.)

They also added chronologies in the margins of the book to give historical context to Hogan’s writing. That information was taken from the Grays Harbor Post, de Nevers says. “At the end of the year, they’d publish a syndicated year-end summary — and it has historical errors, which of course we’ve been told.”

The old friends enjoyed working together on the project. Hart says they sometimes disagreed on certain aspects because she was an artist and

de Nevers was a mathematician; but one thing they agreed on wholeheartedly was keeping Hogan’s writings intact.

“We said from the very beginning we weren’t going to be revisionist historians; there was no point,” says Hart.

“She used terms that would be socially and culturally unacceptable now, but somebody should know that’s what people said in those days. We did not edit her work.”

Thanks in part to an enthusiastic review by Scott Simon on NPR, the original hardcover edition sold out quickly. OSU Press then printed several thousand copies in paperback.

“Cohassett Beach Chronicles: World

War II in the Pacific Northwest” can still be ordered through bookstores or online.

“The whole thing is a labor of love for a place that we loved and people that we loved,” says de Nevers.

Her favorite article in the book is the very last one, which was originally published Aug. 18, 1945 — just days after V-J Day. “What she wrote at the end of the war was very touching,” de Nevers says. “It’s hard to read, because I lost two uncles in that war. But I did like the last line in the book.”

“One thing I DO know,” I said, “I’ve graduated from the longest, toughest geography lesson in history.”

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

29

AD page 30 LEFT windermere AD

30

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

‘Magical’ preserve A HARD-FOUGHT TREASURE

If you know just where to look on Washington’s central coast, you can find treasure, wonder and maybe even magic, all woven together by a stirring tale of triumph against overwhelming odds.

It’s all hidden in plain sight in the small town of Ocean Shores (population around 6,000 — more in the summer, less in the wet and windy winter).

S TO RY BY S COT T D. J O H N S TO N P H OTO S BY PAT R I CI A J O L L I M O R E

Roughly in the center of town is a 121-acre parcel known as the Weatherwax property, the Weatherwax nature preserve or, simply, the Weatherwax. The last sizable piece of undeveloped property in Ocean Shores, it contains a mixture of temperate coastal forest

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

31

with old-growth trees, diverse forest vegetation and habitat; 17 acres of rare mature forested wetlands; part of Duck Lake and its fringe wetlands; and 1.2 miles of looping trails.

Although it doesn’t receive quite enough annual precipitation to be considered a rainforest, it’s close — and it does contain the lush undergrowth and many other features found in true temperate rainforests, such as the one near Lake Quinault, which lies 40 miles north.

The Weatherwax has at least two dozen kinds of vegetation, including ancient Sitka spruce more than 4 feet in diameter as well as 57 varieties of mushrooms and other fungi. It’s also home to just under 100 animal species ranging from hummingbirds to black bears.

Surrounded by residential and commercial land, the preserve is located approximately 4 miles south of the city entrance, south of Ocean Lake Way and the west end of Overlake Street. A hand-built wooden arch offers an unassuming public entrance to this lush green world.

“I keep looking for synonyms for ‘paradise,’” said Nancy Eldridge, board president of the nonprofit Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores. “This wonderful little sanctuary is right in our backyard, just an amazing little jewel right here in Ocean Shores.

It really is a piece of magic.”

32

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

She and her husband, Neil, both hold degrees in forestry and occasionally lead tours on the Weatherwax Trail. They’ve come to know it in great detail since they got involved in the grassroots effort that led to its preservation.

Marlene Penry, one of the primary activists, moved to Ocean Shores in 2004. “The first time I saw the Weatherwax, I was surprised. I didn’t think, coming out to the ocean, there would be trees ... I was so happy to discover this beautiful area,” she said.

“Then I heard they were trying to develop it. My purpose became working toward it being preserved forever and nobody having to fight this fight again,” she said.

Jerry Mergler, now a member of the Interpretive Center board, joined the battle in 2008. “Initially it was self-serving in that I heard of plans to develop the area ... and I was against that, mainly because it’s kind of a pristine area there, a beautiful area and close to where I live,” he said.

“For me, urban parks are a very important thing and they serve a function,” he said. “Without the Weatherwax, there would be no more Ocean Shores as it once was. So that was my drive.”

Lillian Broadbent remembers that, around that time, “we had all discovered that the Weatherwax was being used as a dump, a kegger location and a cemetery for old appliances and cars. A work party was formed and, with city permission, a small army of folks and trucks spent a day hauling out trash. In the process, we all saw what a uniquely beautiful spot it was.”

In 2009, Ocean Shores Mayor Garland French proposed setting up a wetlands mitigation bank as a means of financing and maintaining the property in its present, mostly undisturbed state. Under such a mechanism, bank credits may be purchased for developers WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

33

page 34 LEFT Hanson motor AD

34

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

A detailed history

of future projects elsewhere, where there will be unavoidable impacts to wetlands and other aquatic resources. Those funds then are used to enhance or preserve existing designated wetland sites.

The Weatherwax proposal noted the general goal is to “preserve the last remaining large, undeveloped segment of land within the city.”

Finally, in 2016, the Department of Ecology, the city and the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust completed an agreement establishing the Weatherwax Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank, with maintenance to be handled by the city and oversight by the trust.

Volunteers from the Interpretive Center, led by Mergler, were already maintaining the property, so the city formalized an arrangement and now pays the educational center $5,000 a year to keep the property naturally tidy and remove noxious, non-native weeds.

Public access A unique aspect of the Weatherwax preserve is its trails, which usually are not permitted under the state’s wetlands mitigation banking system.

Years before the bank was established, during the property’s initial cleanup efforts, Earl Kuhl and friends started enhancing deer trails to create some comfortable walking trails. That made for a challenge that had to be worked out for the mitigation bank concept to be approved.

The state Department of Ecology “has a lot of regulations, and one is a banking

property is supposed to be maintained pristine. Because of that, they do not want a trail system developed,” said Mergler.

“But they agreed with us that this is a historical trail and of value to the community; so the agreement was to preserve the trail, and not make new ones.

“We will maintain it at a minimal level for the citizens but it’s not to be a park,” he said. “The Weatherwax is the only banking project that was allowed to have limited public access.”

The final result is the realization of the dream: The Weatherwax will be preserved in its present, mostly pristine state for generations to come.

Broadbent notes that, over the 17-year crusade, “literally hundreds of people got involved.”

“Without the dedication of the citizens involved throughout the years, it would never have happened,” Penry added.

“It’s very sad that many did not live long enough to see the results … of all their hard work. The odds were stacked against us, and we couldn’t have made it without all their dedication.”

Mayor Crystal Dingler was involved in the last several years of the effort. “A group of citizens organized, came up with a plan, and put their time and hearts into making it happen,” she said. “It is a wonderful story, and we benefit today from their foresight.”

Broadbent is thankful for all involved in the effort.

“It’s just an incredible natural forest – a place of total serenity,” she said.

“It truly is a magical place.”

The creation of the Weatherwax preserve is the culmination of a story that started more than 60 years ago.

Most of the Ocean Shores peninsula was a cattle ranch when Marian Weatherwax, the daughter of Grays Harbor pioneers A.M. and Rose Abel, became that parcel’s owner in 1954. As developers were planning Ocean Shores in the 1960s, she refused to sell her land. But, more than 30 years later, it did go on the market.

The first formal discussion about sparing the Weatherwax property from development occurred at a meeting at Lillian and Gordon Broadbent’s house in 1998, with Mona and Gary Kohler (a wildlife biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife), Gene and Jane Swygard, and Ginny Thrupp in attendance.

The following year, Mayor Pete Jordan worked out the city’s purchase of the property.

For several years, the city looked at a variety of possible uses for the land, including a public park, golf course expansion, an aquarium, housing.

Preservation vs. development became a political issue in the 2007 city council and mayoral elections. That year, the council voted to surplus part of the property on Duck Lake, with a developer hoping to put 27 houses on it. But the Citizens for Balanced Growth, a group started by the late John Clark, a retired marine biologist, filed suit against the action. Soon after that, a pro-preservation council and mayor were voted in.

The following year, the council placed the issue on an advisory ballot; and that November, Ocean Shores citizens voted to retain all 120 acres.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

35

36

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

OUR FAVORITE EVENTS SEPTEMBER

6

Slow Drag at the Port Fans line Howerton Way at the Port of Ilwaco to watch this classic car competition where slow and steady wins the race. Vehicles accelerate about 15 feet before coasting the final 200 yards to the finish line — and the car that stops closest to the line is the victor.

7

Loggers Playday One of the nation’s last surviving classic logging shows, where pros share their skills and compete for the title of All Around Logger.

Daylong celebration includes the logging show and competition at Hoquiam’s historic Olympic Stadium, along with a downtown parade and fireworks.

7–8

Rod Run to the End of the World From Model T’s to muscle cars, acres of automobiles and plenty of chrome eye-candy will be in Ocean Park. Attendees will also be treated to food and craft vendors and a swap meet.

13–14

Peninsula R&B Festival Regional, local and national blues acts, food vendors, beer and wine in Ocean Park.

Loggers Playday, September 7.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

37

OUR FAVORITE EVENTS

Reach the Beach, September 28.

14 Oysters any way you like ’em at Brady’s Oysters near Westport, just west of the Elk River Bridge on State Route 105.

Hawaiian Chieftain at Westport Marina

30 Miles of Junque

The Hawaiian Chieftain is scheduled to visit Sept 20-23. The tall ship was in for repairs as of mid-July, so call to confirm: 800-200-5239

22nd annual beachwide garage sale from Markham to Tokeland.

21

20–22

20–22 Whale of a Quilt Show At the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

38

20–23

Discover Lake Sylvia Fall Festival Fun for all ages as visitors enjoy Lake Sylvia State Park through mountain bike and off-road running races, live music and even shopping for art around the park.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

28 Reach the Beach This one-day cycling event gives you four different start locations — Lacey, Olympia, Elma or Cosmopolis — and ends in Westport.

28

Salmon & Brew Fest This fourth annual event at Fleet Park in Montesano includes a beer festival, salmon cookoff and cornhole tournament.

OCTOBER

4–6

Peninsula Arts Association Fall Show Now entering its 49th year at the Old Train Depot in Long Beach.

5 Big Foot Brew Fest Craft brewers, Big Foot, food and live music at Seabrook.

5 Tokeland Harvest Festival All day at the historic Tokeland Hotel in Pacific County.

11–13 Water Music Festival The 35th annual event is a threeconcert series featuring jazz and

classical musicians performing in intimate venues up and down the Long Beach Peninsula.

2392332

12–13 Cranberry Harvest Festival Celebrated with crafts, food, drink and decorations at Grayland Community Hall. Includes bog tours, a cookoff, local cranberry products, music and a Saturday nighttime Firefly Parade in Grayland.

Cranberrian Fair The Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco hosts this celebration of the bog berry all weekend.

16–20 Celtic Music Festival This annual musical gathering is centered at Galway Bay Irish Pub and the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

Discover Lake Sylvia Fall Festival. September 21.

Cranberry Harvest Festival. October 12-13.

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

39

OUR FAVORITE EVENTS

Celtic Music Festival. October 16-20.

NOVEMBER

2

Toast the Harbor Wine and Food Festival The Aberdeen Lions host this delicious, daylong event at the Quinault Beach Resort in Ocean Shores.

2

6x6 Art Show and Auction Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco hosts this event, featuring a display of more than 60 original art objects, as well as silent and live auctions.

DECEMBER

1

Water Music Society Christmas Concert Annual event held at the Inn at Harbor Village in Ilwaco.

7 Santa By The Sea Santa arrives at Float 6 at the Westport Marina at 10:30 a.m. and then holds court at the Maritime Museum.

7

Santa By The Sea. December 7.

Downtown Raymond Lighted Christmas Parade Watch lighted Christmas floats march through downtown Raymond.

40

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

Why I love it here

JOELLE SPRINGER

W

hen I first arrived in South Bend, loving it was the last thing on my mind. Little did I know the small town where I ran out of gas was to become our saving grace.

I came to America from Berlin 30 years ago and lived in eight states from Arkansas to Hawaii before I ended up in the great Pacific Northwest. I tried several Washington cities — Federal Way, Tacoma, Olympia, Montesano — looking for a barber shop, anyplace I could make enough money to support myself and my little Jayden.

As my car stuttered into South Bend one ugly, rainy, cold day in March 2008, the Willapa River caught my eye. Even in the rain, it looked almost mystical.

And the green boxy building with the two shop windows blended right in. I stepped out to look around, and across the street were the most beautiful views of the water and mountains.

No way, I thought, could I afford a shop right on Highway 101.

The Realtor next door called Ruthie, the sweetest little old lady with purple hair; and while she was unlocking the door to my new life, both ladies talked about how the community needed a hairdresser and more small businesses with courage — gals like me.

And oh, what a community it turned out to be, with the love and support of so many customers who became friends.

Their families, their stories — you get to know them all in a small town. … Where you know your grocery clerk personally, and in 10 years you move up from being the impatient, annoyed customer to the one chatting about both your sons’ summer adventures and church events. … Where all your haircut customers tip you extra so you can save up to open a German store. … Where the whole community cheers you on over a three-year remodel time, because they want to eat at your new deli. … Where my son, now 16, is thrilled that his second-grade teacher lives just

ABOUT Joelle Springer is the owner of Jayden’s German Store and Joelle’s Deli Haus in South Bend.

KAT BRYANT

Berlin native Joelle Springer flies the German flag at her international shop and deli in South Bend, which she’s proud to call home now.

two doors down from our house.

This, my friends, is the good stuff in life.

There is no replacing that feeling you get when I-5 turns into fields and the winding, wooded road opens to show the peak of the bay and the Willapa River. Our sunsets on a warm summer day make up for the rain,

and for the deer eating all the apples they can reach.

While my big, boxy building is painted red now, not much else has changed around here since 2008. I think it is quite accurate when the tourists I serve look over the water and describe our small town: “Aww, it’s like a Hallmark movie.”

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

41

LAST SHOT

Resilience I

BY T EM PE S T H A M P TO N

took this photo at a waterfall in the Olympic National Forest.

I had recently bought my camera, and was on my first trip to Washington.

I was feeling fragile, dealing with life-altering health issues while also trying to accept that I needed to leave an abusive marriage.

In many ways I felt as though something in me was irrevocably broken; but I had adopted a fierce determination to change my world. Seeing life through my camera became my safe harbor in the storm. Every picture I took was an escape.

When I came across this hidden place, I found myself mesmerized by this little tree that was struggling to live in a precarious spot against seemingly insurmountable odds. I saw stunning resilience and strength in it, which inspired me to see my situation with a new sense of courage.

I find Washington state to be awe-inspiring in its breathtaking landscape, and I will forever be grateful for the gifts my time there gave to me.

42

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

About: Tempest Hampton lives in Lakewood, Colorado, and visits her son in Ocean Shores when she can. Contact her at trhampton65@gmail.com.

Editor’s Note: Amateur photographers are welcome to send high-resolution images depicting some element of life on the Washington Coast to be considered for the Last Shot. Please include photo title and description, as well as contact information. Send your submissions to editor@washingtoncoastmagazine.com.

page 43 LEFT Gold course AD

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019

43

page 44 LEFT summit pacific AD

44

WASH I NGTON COAST MAGA ZI N E | FALL 2019