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Evergreen on the Queets Rowena L. and Gordon D. Alcorn Oregon Historical Quarterly March, 1973 In 1890 a colony in the Queets River Valley, Olympic Peninsula, was established by J. J. Banta and S. P. Sharp of Tacoma, Washington. It soon became a thriving settlement, but it was ended abruptly in 1940, when by Presidential Decree, Franklin D. Roosevelt included the entire Queets Corridor in the enlarged Olympic National Park. Few facts are known about Sharp, but happily, Banta kept a diary of that early period. John Jackson Banta was born in Illinois in 1863, and when he was 26, he came west to Tacoma. Here he met S. Price Sharp and they formed a partnership. After investigating the possibility of opening a rooming house here, they found rents too high, so they decided to look elsewhere on Puget Sound. On December 3, 1889, Banta made the first entry in his diary: "Left Tacoma on Board "State of Washington" in company with S.A. Ayers, Fred Higbee, Geo. McDonald, and Jacob Osborn. Landed at Sea Home December 4th about ten o'clock. Went over to Fair Haven. Found prices of Real Estate very high. Also rents. Couldn't get a building at any price... Sea Home, Bellingham, and Fair Haven will make a large city in the near future. They are virtually one town now, though under seperate governments. They have the finest Harbor on the Sound and a good country to back them." Next day the two men took the mail boat, "Point Arena", to Port Townsend. Stops were made at Orcas, San Juan, and several smaller islands of the Georgia Strait. Port Townsend appealed to them, but finding no opportunities here either, they decided to look for homestead sites on the Olympic Peninsula. They had been informed that much good land was still available in the Pysht Bay area. They traveled from Port Townsend on the "Evangel", which made a day stop-over at Port Angeles, where they outfitted with pack sacks. On Sunday morning, December 8th, they started walking towards Crescent Bay, which was about twelve miles. A youth named Seth Davis accompanied them part of the way. It had been such a rough trip on the Strait of Juan de Fuca that they were glad to have this opportunity for some exercise. Then, too, they might possibly locate some land available here for "settling". They were still several miles from Crescent Bay when it began to sleet toward evening, and they were fortunate to find an abandoned cabin where they could spend the night. It was a drafty, tumble-down place but they built a fire and ate a supper of sea-biscuit and water. Breakfast was the same. By noon the next day they had arrived at Crescent Bay where they obtained a hot meal and a chaance to dry their clothes while they waited for the boat. The "Evangel" came by at nine p.m. but the tide was low, she had to anchor. Several lady passengers were carried in to the dock across the mud flat, while Banta and Sharp waded out to the boat. Two hours later they arrived at Pysht Bay. The one lodging house there charged them $.50 apiece for bed and breakfast. Tuesday, December 10th: "We started early in the morning to walk over the Divide, twenty miles to Beaver. There is a stopping place here kept by Mssrs. Crosby and Harriss. It was raining and snowing most all day and we were pretty cold, tired, and wet when we arrived there about five o'clock in the evening." Charles A. Gilman, a civil engineer from St. Cloud, Minnesota, was an ex-lieutenant governor of that state. He and his son, Sam Gilman of Grays Harbor, were stopping at Beaver, too. They had been employed by a railroad company to explore the feasibility of building a road between Port Angeles and Aberdeen. Gilman's son had decided it would be far too risky for just the two of them to make this trip by themselves since part of this region to the south had never been explored. Rumors were that a band of fierce Indians lived in this region and any intruders might be massacred. Coastal Indians never ventured that far inland. They were afraid. When Charles Gilman heard that Banta and Sharp had no definite plan, he persuaded them to join their expedition. Owing to the time of year- midwinter- and the uncertainty of possible hostile natives, it could be a dangerous trip. Gilman agreed to pay all expenses. Before starting out on what proved an arduous journey of three weeks, Banta secured some heavy canvas from Mr. Harriss and fashioned sturdy straps with several "spares" for their packsacks. On December 11, 1889, with 60-pound packs, the four men departed from Beaver Station. It was snowing and very cold. Banta was impressed with the forest and commented in his diary: "I think the land is most valuable for timber here, though there is some fine bottom land along the rivers." The weather steadily worsened but they walked eight miles that day. An overnight stop was made at Henry Fassill's place. He told them there were indications of a large coal deposit nearby. December 12, 1889: "We made the Forks Post Office by noon and put up with Mr. Peter Fisher who has a nice farm on a prairie of about 2,000 acres. Mr. Fisher has lived there twelve years, has a nice orchard and gave us each an apple which he has raised. There is a small sawmill here run by Water Power. Cuts about 1,200 feet a day." At Forks two women were hired to make a tent from some wagon sheets. Then Gilman purchased bacon, butter, coffee and flour, several cooking pans, spoons, knives, and forks and also a shovel and two axes. Mr. Fisher accompanied the party as far as the Bogachiel River where he ferried them across in his Indian canoe. That night the party pitched camp in a towering forest of fir, hemlock, spruce, and cedar. The next day they travelled about five miles and spent that night beneath an enormous cedar tree which measured 28 feet around the butt. Starting early the following morning, they climbed in snowdrifts over a 1,200 foot pass and by noon had reached a wide stream which they decided must be the Hoh River. It was such difficult terrain that Charles Gilman was near exhaustion when they stopped here to make camp about three o'clock in the afternoon. They had been apprehensive of being attacked by Indians while they slept, but had seen no natives since they left Forks. As they were cooking supper, some Indians came down the river in a dugout, and the explorers were relieved to learn they were part of the friendly Hoh tribe. Banta's entry that night: "There are about 50 Indians at the River's mouth. They most all are barefooted. One old man had nothing on but a thin calico shirt. They seemed to think we were a curious looking set of men." ( A few of them spoke English, having attended a reservation school. ) "We hired one of them to go with us on down the beach to the Queets River to show us the way and keep us from getting caught by the tide. Gave him $3.00. He carried us across quite a stream [ probably Cedar Creek ]. Made six trips before he got us and all our baggage across." ( This river is swift and treacherous, and several people have been drowned here. ) As they hiked on south down the beach they were forced in one place to climb a high bluff ( Ruby Beach ) and wait four hours until the tide had receded enough for them to continue their trip. Charley, their Indian guide, informed them that he lived lived a short distance up the Queets River, that he had plenty of food and they could stay there that night. He had a canoe cached at the mouth of the river and they started upstream just as it was growing dark. They were wet and cold. After about an hour, Charley nosed his dugout onto the bank and told them they would have to walk a short distance through the woods from this point. To keep from getting seperated in the dark, they held onto each other as they walked along single file. The trail came back again to the river and Charley gave a "War-hoop". Across the stream a light showed and dogs began to bark. An old man came over in a dugout and took them back with him. As Sharp stepped out of the canoe, he missed his footing and got soaked up to his waist. The cedar building was large- about 30 x 70 feet. Three different families lived here and they were sitting before their own fires. An old woman was off in one corner by herself and no one paid any attention to her. Charley told his wife to prepare some supper, and the four men dried their clothes by the fire while they waited for the meal to be cooked. Appetites were somewhat dulled, however, when they noticed that the woman, while making bread, rubbed a piece of tallow over it, then smeared it all over her face and hair and then over the bread again. However, when she set out the supper on a fairly clean piece of canvas, there were hot baking powder biscuits, some boiled potatoes with salmon and a large can of hot tea. Their Indian hosts were friendly and hospitable and that night the weary travelers never slept sounder than they did on those Indian-style beds. Charley had promised to take them on up the Queets River, but it was pouring rain in the morning so they waited over one day. It seemed a good chance to rest. Sunday, December 22, 1889: "We hired two Indians to pole us up the river ten miles. We have to pay them six dollars. The Queets River doesn't head so high up in the Mts., but is formed among the foothills and gathers its waters from a more level surface. Consequently, is not so swift as is the Hoh or the Quiniault ( 1 ) . We think the bottom land will average about one mile wide. It is level and rich, does not overflow. Is timbered with Cottonwood and Alder." Monday, Dec. 23, 1889. "We took salmon about 8 miles up here. Here is where I think I want to take my homestead on the North West Side of the River. Fine land. Large island on East side. Camped at forks of River about ten miles from ocean. We are about 150 or 200 feet above sea level here." Their guides left them and that night their camp was made on a mountain ridge four miles from the river. The view of the Olympic Mountains was superb! The next day was Christmas and they awoke to find two inches of snow on the ground. After a hurried breakfast, they shouldered their packs, lighter now than when they had started their trip. A band of elk was seen at a distance- not close enough for a shot. "Passed through some fine cedar timber. We got a good view of the country North and West- a long way to the ocean. We judged it was 25 miles from the ocean to the foothills." They kept on their course to the southeast and that night they had no choice but to set up their tent on several inches of snow in a swampy area. "I would rather be in Tacoma," Banta wrote. The following day progress was slow as they made their way by compass through a thickly timbered area with undergrowth and many fallen trees to climb over. Charles Gilman had a very difficult time now keeping up with the younger men. They travelled only a few miles that day, and provisions were running low. Saturday, Dec. 28, 1889: "Camped on the Quiniault near a burned hill. We came to the river about 2 miles above here and about 5 miles, we suppose, from the Lake and 20 miles from the ocean." Their situation was growing more serious as they made their way slowly downriver about three miles. Charles Gilman could walk no farther so they made camp. Only enough food remained for breakfast, a small piece of bacon and some flour, but they still had tea and coffee. ( Gilman had been to Lake Quinault earlier than year and he remembered that some Indians lived about 15 miles below the lake. ) Since it was now be impossible for him to walk that far, it was decided that they would have to make a canoe. A 26-foot spruce tree, two feet thick, was felled and the three young men began to chop it out. It was slow work. In the morning Charles Gilman walked a short distance from camp to try to shoot some game, but he could find none. About noon suddenly some ducks flew down the river toward them, and in a few minutes a canoe with four white men rounded a bend and stopped beside their camp ( 2 ). They had been up at the lake selecting claims but had run out of provisions. There was room for only one more person in their canoe, so it was decided that Charles Gilman should go along with them. He could send supplies back with the Indians. Work on the canoe was halted and to keep warm enough, Sam Gilman, Banta and Sharp kept a big fire burning. It stormed all that afternoon and they went without any supper. Just at dusk a grouse lit in a tree nearby and Sam Gilman shot it. Monday, Dec. 30, 1889: "We had a fine breakfast. Bill of fare: Grouse soup! Three cups full to each man and plenty of coffee. About five o'clock p.m. we heard a gun go off down the River, then we knew we were all right. The Indians, Jim Chow Chow and Molex had made a quick trip. Mr. Gilman didn't reach their house until ten o'clock that day. The four white men had been caught in the storm without any tent and stood around a fire all night. Gilman had told the Indians we were without "Muck-a-Muck" so they brought potatoes, flour, salt-salmon and three loaves of bread." The following day an uneventful trip was made down the river to the Indians' house ( 3 ). Here they had a good meal and then proceeded to the Indian Agency at Taholah located where the Quinault River flows into the Pacific Ocean. The party was greeted warmly by the Agent, "Mr. Ayers" ( 4 ). After dinner they had a pleasant evening telling of their experiences, then they bedded down in the storeroom. Charles McIntyre, the government teamster, was also a sea otter hunter, whose station was a hut bolted onto Copalis Rock. He was there at the Agency. Dr. ( Robert J. ) Huston, the government physician, was there also. The next day was New Years, January 1, 1890. After breakfast Gilman hired Jackson, a Quinault Indian, to haul their baggage on down to Oyhut. This was the landing on the northwest side of Grays Harbor. The distance was 25 miles from Taholah and the packer's fee was $6.00. Banta wrote in his diary: "The beach [ south of Pt. Grenville ] is all taken up by parties who think it will be a grand summer resort someday. There is also quite a business being carried on there. Shooting sea otters. The Hunters have high derricks fixed up with a little house on top large enough for a man to stand up in- shoots the otter way out in the Ocean and waits for the Tide to bring them in. A good sea otter skin is worth one hundred dollars. ( 5 ) The day was extremely cold and so windy they had to wrap up in blankets to keep warm as they hiked along the beach. One mile north of the Copalis River ( then called Chepalis ) they stopped at Grigsby's Place, where they "Had a splendid dinner, paid 25c apiece." They arrived at Oyhut at 7 p.m.. Mr. McIntyre had loaned them the use of his cabin there. They were grateful because the boat to Hoquiam and Grays Harbor City which made only one trip a week had left the night before. There was nothing to do but wait until it returned. During the next few days it stormed steadily and they ventured out only once to dig some razor clams. There were plenty of provisions in the cabin and it might not have been unpleasant, but the Gilmans quarreled constantly, probably due to extreme fatigue. On Saturday, Jan 4: "Mr. Bull the boatman has arrived," noted Banta with relief. When they walked the six miles on to Damon's Point the following morning, it was 10° above zero with a biting east wind. By constant tacking, Captain Bull maneuvered his sailboat off Grays Harbor City just as the tide was going out. The boat hung up on the long shallow flat about 40 rods from shore, so they had to wade ashore to their knees in sticky mud. The Gilmans went on to a relative's home nearby while Banta and Sharp registered at the Grays Harbor City Hotel. Next day was Sunday. Banta and Sharp walked about the village, which at the time had big plans for future growth. The wharf there was over a mile long and a large warehouse was nearing completion. ( 6 ) It had snowed three inches during the night and it was 20° above zero. Banta had to throw his shoes away here as they would scarcely stay on his feet. Since none could be purchased on Sunday, a man at the hotel gave him a pair of old rubber boots until he could get some shoes in Hoquiam. Charles Gilman came to the hotel that morning and bid them goodbye. Then Banta and Sharp walked on to Hoquiam where they stayed the night at the Gamage Hotel. The proprietors were Charles Gardner and his wife and Mrs. Abe Jones. On Monday, January 6, 1890, they boarded the "Tilly" bound for Montesano with a brief stop for passengers in Aberdeen. Following up the Chehalis River the boat passed by Cosmopolis, then a "thriving mill town". The river rises eight feet with the tide where it passes within a mile of Montesano. In the latter town Banta and Sharp stayed overnight in the Olympia Hotel, at $1.00 per day. They admired the new courthouse costing $14,000 and the well-lighted streets, but agreed that Montesano appeared to be a "dull town". The snow was quite deep and many people were out sleigh-riding in carts drawn by horse or oxen. From Montesano the two men traveled by train up to Kamilche which is on an arm of Lower Puget Sound. There they boarded the sternwheeler "Multnomah" and went on to Tacoma. It was evening when they arrived on January 7, 1890, "Being out just five weeks, total expense per man- $37.00." On January 6, 1890, Charles A. Gilman passed through Tacoma en route to his home in St. Cloud, Minn. He was interviewed by a Tacoma reporter, and an article was published next day telling of his experiences. He related how he and his son "had explored the region in the Peninsula never before made in any season of the year by any person now known." "The Governor," the article said, "is much fatigued and shows the effects of the hardships of that trip by considerable lameness." Gilman made no mention that J. J. Banta and S. Price Sharp had been on that daring expedition- and that the trip would have been impossible without them. When Banta made his January 7th entry in the diary, he pasted this news clipping in it with the following comment: "Mr. Gilman is quite selfish in making his report of the trip as Mr. Sharp and myself were with them all the way." January 8, 9, and 10, 1890: "S. Price Sharp and I kept ourselves busy getting an office ( Room 14 at 1002½ Tacoma Avenue ) and in making arrangements to organize a Colony to settle on the Queets River. We charge $50 for our services. They pay us nothing until they see the land and are satisfied." On February 4, 1890, Banta accompanied the first settlers to the Queets. They were Ed. Grant and L. S. Carr. The three men marked out the land claims of 160 acres so there would be no trouble in locating. They took in $31.50 in provisions. Cost of them getting there was $37. The Indian packers were Dick and his wife and Jim. Banta remained there one week while he built himself a small crude cabin and helped the other men with their cabins; then he returned to Tacoma via the beach. Ads for the proposed colony were placed in several Tacoma newspapers: the "Daily Ledger", "Evening News" and "Morning Globe". ( 7 ) Cards were printed too, and distributed about the town. Results were very gratifying. On Tuesday, March 11, 1890, Banta and Sharp took a party of eight men by way of the beach route up to the Queets. They were: Adam Matheny, John Hollenbeck, J. G. Tigsdale, B. Workman, F. H. Gardner, E. W. Grant, J. J. McGarry, and F. E. Barker. ( The last two men didn't like it up there and returned to Tacoma without taking claims. ) When Banta came back to Puget Sound after that trip he heard that the Portland-Port Angeles and Victoria Railroad had just been incorporated. "Now," he wrote in his diary, "we will soon have a road and our country will Boom!" Halfway between the Raft and Quinault rivers is one of Washingtons most rugged coastal areas- those towering cliffs of Cape Elizabeth. Early pioneers called this impressive headland "Point of Rocks.". Here the Sonora Reef sprawls out into the Pacific Ocean. They could pass around this place only at lowest tides, and then it was necessary to go through a natural low arch in the outer cliff carved out by action of the sea. They named this the "Casteel Tunnel." Over the years it has become eroded and the opening is larger now, but in 1890 Banta described it as 20 feet through and about four feet high. Banta's account of that trip with the eight men shows how dangerous it could be. "We had quite a scaly time in passing Point of Rocks on the beach. The wind had blown hard all night and was still blowing that day. Kept the tide in and going through the Tunnel- it would fill entirely with water. We had to watch our chance and go through when the wave receded. We all got wet up to our arms. Tisdale and Gardner ( poor fellows ), they thought they would never get out of that hole. But thank the Good Lord, we all came out safe and sound and "well salted." Hope to live to see the Queets Settlement the Best in the Land!" April 8, 1890. "Took the following homesteaders to the Queets: Philip Mathews, George Cleveland, C. S. Burnett, A. Strugle, F. Schaupp and G. W. Westfall. Also located a claim for Capt. Copperhat. "All the parties were well pleased with the country. Found Dad Hollenbeck working like a beaver in his garden. I remained there just one month, marking out some more claims, building houses, etc. Sharp, Schaupp and I left there Tuesday eve- went to Dick's Hotel at the mouth of the Queets [ he was an Indian ] that night and made it to Grigsbys next, tired and hungry." On May 20, 1890: "S. P. Sharp accompanied by Schaupp, Cleveland, W. G. McRoberts, N. Nellis, E. Campbell and F. W. Bass started for the Queets. F. W. Bass gave out on the way up the beach. He stayed at Grigsbys and later selected a claim near there." June 10, 1890: "I went out again with another crowd [ by way of Grays Harbor ] : H. B. Lyman, J. H. Dickerson, D. C. Burk, Chas. Barnhart, Wm. Maskell and Chas. Crabb. Mr. Fred Mead started out with us but for some reason he only went as far as Hoquiam. Mr. Lyman selected claims for his son-in-law, Mr. Randall, one for his son and one for Thomas Croft and one for himself." ( In later years Thomas Croft owned the Croft Hotel in Tacoma. ) "I located a claim for Miss Dickey, Edward Belch and 3 for Mr. Basset's sons. It rained every day, but the building of cabins went on rapidly." Banta made another trip on July 31, 1890, with H. B. Lyman, H. K. Mayhew, Charles Lawler, S. Thornton and F. White, Mr. Burroughs, Mr. Baldwin, and Mr. and Mrs. Schaupper ( 8 ) - and a box of cherry bitters. As Banta wrote: "We had quite a time crossing [ Grays ] Harbor in Mr. Conkling's boat... We got badly stuck on the Sand Spit that day as well as on the box of bitters." It was rough and the Schauppers became seasick. Mr. Burroughs fell overboard, but was pulled back into the boat by Mrs. Schaupper. At Damon's Point while they had waited for the tide to come in, they built a beach fire to dry Burroughs' clothes, and had a clambake. Johnny Johns was hired to take their freight on his boat from Oyhut to the Queets; charge, $22. Two weeks later, Banta returned to Hoquiam and brought back 2.700 pounds of provisions to the Queets. The cost of transporting this by sailboat was $55. The colony was growing. On September 22, 1890, Banta returned to Tacoma while Sharp accompanied I. G. Pegford, a Mr. Stewart and Mr. Billings to the settlement. October 6th Banta went back there with J. L. Thomas, N. A. Cushman, Chas. Barnhart and Fred Brase. These men planned to stay in Barnhart's cabin while they built their own homes. A heavy downpour, however, caused the river to rise suddenly. The cabin was being surrounded by water so they sought safety in the nearby hills. They spent such a wretched night trying to sleep without shelter that Thomas and Cushman relinquished their claims and left the country immediately. In late October, 1890, Banta, Barnhart, and Lyman hiked north up the ocean beach to Quillayute ( La Push ), where they purchased supplies at Pullen's store. It was a difficult trip because there are several high jutting headlands along this section of the coast. Some Indians were hired there to take their freight back to the Queets and Barnhart went with them in their ocean canoes. Banta and Lyman had decided to return to Tacoma from here across the Olympic Mountains. They followed up the Quillayute, then the Solduck River, then dropped down to the Strait of Juan de Fuca by way of the Pysht River Valley. From Pysht Bay they travelled to Tacoma by steamer- arriving on November 1, 1890. On that journey across the Olympics they knew there was no danger from any hostile Indians, so they had a pleasant time. January 27, 1891: "Mssrs. G. A. Martin, Eugene McGuire, Harry Hibbard, John Hanson and I went up the Queets River. Had a splendid trip. Made it in 5 days. Hibbard and I got plenty wet in going through the Tunnel. The river was high, came very near to my house. Two Germans lost everything they had- guns, blankets, canoe, etc." During the early part of April 1891, a meeting was called in Tacoma to investigate the possibility of chartering a vessel to take a large party of homesteaders and their equipment to the Queets. John Banta was elected chairman, with J. E. Grant, secretary. Others on this committee were R. H. Rinehart and F. W. King. April 22, 1891: "Our colony set sail today on board the "Lucy Lowe" chartered for the trip. We are to pay seven hundred and fifty dollars. The Capt. [ McDonald ] agrees to board our party and land our freight safely at our destination. There are 56 in our party, consisting of the following named persons: J. J. Banta, Nelson McKee, his wife and their six children, [ Mrs. McKee was Banta's sister ] , H. K. Mayhew and wife, John Powel and wife and daughter, E. Belcher and wife and daughter, F. W. King and wife and son Merle, D. B. Ballard and wife, Miss Dora Head, Miss Anna Dickey [ both were nurses ] , N. A. McKinnan and wife, W. S. Hartzell and wife, B. Vanslyke, D. H. Hurst, P. Phelan, G. Phelan, E. W. Grant, Henry Hibbard and son George, E. McMartin, John Hanson, John Hollenbeck, Geo. Martin, Lenard Martin, S. S. Glover, G. L. Fleming, Chas. Byer, I. Smith, B. M. Bailey, Geo. Mannington, L. Hile, W. B. Connerly, John Kanade, L.S. Snow, F. Atwood and Frank Starling. "We had on board enough provisions to last three months. Some chickens and 4 dogs and 3 cats. Hoisted the flag and started about 9 a.m. "We arrived at Neah Bay Thursday Night ( 23rd ). Went out to the Cape ( Flattery ). Found the Wind blowing from S. E. and the Sea rough. Put back to Neah Bay. Went out again Friday afternoon beyond the Lighthouse ( on Tatoosh Island ). Returned again to the Bay. Waiting a day, we went out again to see how the wind blew. Too rough. Returned again!" April 29, 1891: "Made another unsuccessful attempt to get down to the Queets. The Captain thinking it best not to go too far unless he saw that the wind was going to change." On this attempt the "Lucy Lowe" went as far south as Destruction Island, then was forced by huge seas to go back to Neah Bay. All the passengers were very frightened and seasick. There was much discouragement among the party. The elder Mr. Grant decided he had had enough and returned to Tacoma on the next boat from Neah Bay. On May 1, 1891, the wind suddenly changed and the "Lucy Lowe" made the trip down the coast without incident the following day, and anchored off the mouth of the Queets. There was still a heavy surf as they watched several long ocean canoes approaching, manned by skillful Indians. Coming alongside the ship, the shouted to Captain McDonald that they could easily unload their freight, but they ought to take the passengers ashore first. Mrs. McKee and her six children volunteered, and Miss Dickey and Miss Head went next. After they had been deposited safely on the beach, the other women and children agreed to go, but it took some courage to step into those narrow canoes. By Sunday afternoon all frieight had been unloaded except some crates of chickens, four sacks of flour and 50 pounds of meat which had fallen into the ocean. The Indians charged $2.50 per canoe load. Total cost was $91. Their troubles were far from over, however. The Queets, from a heavy rainfall, was now too high for them to go on up the river, so the colonists were forced to camp for a week there on the beach. It rained constantly but during this delay the men slashed a trail along the river as far as the first settler's cabin. Meanwhile, back in Tacoma there had been no news of the "Lucy Lowe", so it was presumed she must have foundered. Finally, F. H. Grimes, a druggist whose former clerk, Stith Hurst, was in that party, agreed to go up to the Queets by way of Hoquiam to find out if they had ever arrived at their destination. On May 12, 1891, an article appeared in the Tacoma "Evening News" that word had been received that the settlers were "safe and well." The "Lucy Lowe" was chartered for a second trip to the Queets on July 12, 1891. She left Tacoma with a load of freight and six homesteaders- John Pome, T. D. Turner, R. A. Ripple, L. McAdams, John Doodell, and Jack Beard. Until midsummer of 1891 Banta and Sharp had been so busy they had not had time to hike on up into the high country of the Olympic Mountains, so they packed some supplies and poled their canoe six miles up the Queets above Banta's place. Then they climbed up to the summit of Mt. Olympus. It was an exhilerating experience. They had planned to do some prospecting in the foothills, but the snow was too deep so they headed off for home. They had come about three miles downstream when their dugout hit a large rock. Banta, who was in the front part of the boat, was thrown into the river. Somehow he had caught his foot in a roll of wire and was being dragged along underneath the dugout, but he managed to break the wire and free his foot in time to avoid drowning. "A very close call!" he wrote. Their dugout had split end to end from the impact. It sank, and all they saved were two blankets, their tent and a small amount of food! Four days later they arrived at Banta's cabin, hungry and tired. Soon after this mishap, Dave Kerr and the two Phelan brothers went hunting in the foothills. Their canoe was loaded with deer and elk meat and as they were coming back down the Queets River it suddenly filled with water and sank. They were two days without anything to eat. It was very dangerous on that river because of log jams. A fall into the swift current could have been fatal. Those early pioneers, so utterly dependent on river transportation, soon became expert canoemen. It was midyear of 1891 that a contract was signed to have the mail carried via the beach route between the Indian Agency at Taholah to "Evergreen [ Banta's place ] on the Queets." The lowest bidder was John Hansen. H. K. Mayhew was appointed the treasurer and he collected the money from each homesteader. Hansen received $7.00 for each trip. In the Queets settlement the people always helped each other. They all turned out for a "house raising"- which was usually accomplished in one day with a big picnic afterward. There were Saturday all-night dances too. Young men from the Quinault settlement sometimes attended these gay functions. Their gardens flourished- potatoes especially. Apple trees had been set out by Banta and before long, prune trees bore sweet fruit on many homesteads. One sentimental newcomer felt there should also be "flowers to brighten things up," so he brought in cuttings of red cabbage roses as a gift to every woman in that valley. For food there was plenty of game- deer, elk, and bear. There were wild ducks, pigeons, and grouse too. Berries were abundant- blackberries, huckleberries, salmonberries, and elderberries. Fish were easily caught in the rivers and razor clams were numerous on the ocean beach. It was a hard, but good life there. About this time Charles Barnhart and Stith Hurst made a trip up the beach to Quillayute to bring back a load of supplies. "We will never do that again. Those Indians ran in too close to the rocks to suit us," they said. In early August 1891, a survey was started by Noel Taylor and Bailey for two townships- No. 24 North, Ranges 12 and 13 West, and to make a survey of the Indian Reservation. The steam schooner "Mischief" departed on August 21, 1891 from Tacoma with more colonists: H. B. Lyman and his wife, John Olson and wife, Geo. Holms and wife, S. A. Niver, W. H. Rathbun, James Irwin, John Kanode, Fred Tressen, Jas. Hall, Jack Peterson, Gus Carlson, D. H. Lyman and D. Groves. D. H. Lyman and Jas. Hawthorn has a large quantity of groceries on board to start a store up there on the Queets. Banta wrote this account: "We encountered high seas and layed over at Port Angeles one day. Landing at Cove, four miles north of Queets River...August 22nd. Didn't want to land at this point, so anchored steamer at Destruction Island that night. Next day the Indians, after making an attempt and getting their canoes full of water, tried it again and made seven trips to the boat. "One set of Indians upsetting their boat and dumping a load of goods into the ocean, losing Mr. H. B. Lyman's cook stove, but saved all other goods. Somewhat damaged by the water. The other Indians made another attempt to go to the boat, met a heavy swell which stood them on end, met another which turned them completely end over end, smashing the canoes to pieces and the Indians were 20 minutes swimming ashore. "This ended the unloading of goods at that place. So the boat pulled out for Grays Harbor and D. H. Lyman hired J. F. Hanks to take the rest of the frgt. up the Queets on his sailboat. This made the freight come in rather high. Str. "Mischief" $8.00 per ton. Hanks $10. Total $18 per ton. With this August 22, 1891 entry the J. J. Banta diary ends. It appears, however, that several pages may have been torn out at this place in his notebook. While in Tacoma, John Banta and Price Sharp stayed at a boarding house in "Old Town" which was operated by the elderly Mr. and Mrs. Clement Johnson and their recently widowed daughter, Alice Annie Read. She had moved here from Canyon City, Colorado with her son, William Clarence Read, who was born in 1881. Alice Read and Banta were married in 1893 and the following year they moved up to the Queets. The Johnsons ( her parents ) went also. By then a trail had been cut through the forest from Lake Quinault to the Queets. This party made the trip in on horseback. Alice Banta's mount was frightened by something and ran under a tree with low hanging branches, pressing her chest hard against the saddle pommel. This injury was thought to have caused her death three years later. John Banta was a restless man. He enjoyed establishing the Queets colony; but now that it was becoming well settled, he persuaded his wife to go to California with him in the early part of 1895. He went into a lumber venture down there, but Alice Banta became very ill and decided to return to the Queets. She died in 1897 at the age of 48, and was the first white woman to be buried there in the valley, in a graveyard on the Adam Matheny homestead ( Matheny Creek ). Banta did not return from California, and several years later we wrote a letter stating that he had moved up to Oregon and was an orchardist near Salem. When W. Clarence Read ( Banta's stepson ) was 15 years old, he began carrying the mail from "Evergreen" post office ( Banta's place ) on to the Clearwater River Settlement. That round trip was 18 miles, which he always made in one day. Three trips a week were scheduled. On one occasion, he was stalked by three cougars- a pair and their yearling cub. He had to throw the mail sack at them several times to scare them away. After that, he always carried a gun on those trips. The James Donaldson family came to Tacoma from Scotland in 1891. He was a marine engineer and so was able to obtain work on the Puget Sound steamer, "City of Seattle". After a few years he became chief engineer on the "Victoria" which made trips to China, Japan, and Alaska. Donaldson heard about the new Queets settlement and decided to take a homestead claim up there. He planned to keep his position to earn cash to set up a ranch. It would mean that he would be away from his family for months at a time. It was September 1892, when the Donaldsons "settled" in the Queets Valley, three and a half miles downstream from Banta's Place. As they walked up the ocean beach toward the Queets River, they came near disaster. They were passing through the "Casteel Tunnel" when a large wave surged in until it was nearly full of water. They were very frightened, but other than their cat being drowned, they came through safely. When they arrived at the Queets River, they heard that a Clearwater family had upset in their canoe. The mother and two children had drowned. That was the Donaldsons' introduction to the pioneering life. Donaldson had hired, through Banta, a man on the Queets named Fitch to build a cabin and plant a garden before they arrived there. When the tired family reached their homestead site the Donaldsons were dismayed to see neither had been done. Fortunately, there was a small unused cabin not far away. They lived in this crude shelter until their own house was constructed. The Donaldsons had been on their land only one month when James Jr., then 10 years old, crushed one of his feet in attempting to fell a tree. He was taken down the river in a dugout. Then he was carried those many miles down the beach on a stretcher to the Indian Agency at Taholah. There, Dr. Huston amputated the foot. ( In later years James Donaldson became a shop teacher at Lincoln High School in Tacoma. ) There were four Donaldson children- James Jr., Margaret ( Maggie ), Jane and Isabel. Jane remembered vividly an important figure in the settler's lives- Captain Hanks. In 1891 Hanks owned a 30-foot sloop, the "Mary E.". He freighted for several years from Hoquiam to the Queets, Hoh, and Quillayute rivers. His ship could enter those streams, a great convenience to the early homesteaders. Sometimes he went around Cape Flattery to Clallam Bay and a few times even to Seattle. Hanks established his family in a cabin at the mouth of the Hoh River- a wife and three small daughters. It was a lonely life for them because he saw them only occasionally as he was passing up and down the coast. He built a dock so he could tie the boat up at night. By 1900 Hanks had acquired a larger sailboat, the two-masted, 45-foot "Surf Duck", which could carry more freight than the "Mary E." Hanks was a very skillful navigator. Jane Donaldson was married to Charles Streater, member of another Queets pioneer family on November 30, 1904. ( 9 ) Earlier that month, her father wrote from Seattle to say that he would send a large supply of provisions, enough to last the family for many months; also there were some wedding presents for Jane- linen, blankets, and towels- from a family friend in Seattle. All of these things would have to be brought to the Queets by Captain Hanks, leaving Seattle about November 20. "Hanks "Surf Duck" needed extensive repairs," Clarence Read recalled, "before that trip to Puget Sound. Hanks, however, just tacked some strips of linoleum to her hull saying 'I'll fix it properly when I return.' " So the "Surf Duck" was loaded at Seattle and sailed away. A violet storm blew up two days later, and Captain Hanks was never seen again. Jane Donaldson Streater remembered the early teachers on the Queets. The first one was Mrs. Laura Hartzell, who conducted classes in her home. The next teacher was Helen Toles, who boarded free in the Donaldson home. After her came Marie Osby. Those teachers earned $40 a month and the school terms were never more than three months each year- sometimes in the early spring or fall, sometimes in the summer. A small abandoned log cabin became the schoolhouse. The neighboring ranchers kept an ample supply of wood to keep the cabin warm on chilly days. The people had great respect for educators. The old school register from 1901-1911 was in Mrs. Streater's possession. The first teacher listing is Ingeborg Lundgren from Aberdeen. ( 10 ) She was only 18, the same age as James Donaldson, Jr.. Benson L. Northrup, whose homestead was on the Clearwater River, was the next teacher. He was followed by his eldest daughter, Ruth Northrup. Katie ( Katherine ) Knack, from a pioneer Queets family, came next; then a young woman, V. P. Hunter. After her were: Luella Moody, Carl Cooper, Augusta Bruce and Charles A. Barker. By 1901 the mail contract between the Lake Quinault settlement and "Evergreen on the Queets" had been awarded to Alfred V. Higley, the U.S. Land Commissioner and Justice of the Peace at Quinault. Higley and his son, Orte, ( 11 ) had crossed the Olympic Mountains from Hoodsport to the lake in the fall of 1890. Their homestead was located on the north shore of Lake Quinault. Orte Higley backpacked the mail about 28 miles each way, with an overnight stop at Banta's Place. Those mail sacks were always heavy coming over from Quinault because most of the settlers subscribed to the San Francisco "Call Bulletin". It had so many pages that could be used to paper their cabin walls before real wallpaper was available. Many items were purchased from mail order catalogs. The forest trail made by pioneers of both settlements was pleasant in spring, summer and fall; but during winter it was rough going, sometimes through deep snowdrifts. The second year after the mail route was established, Orte Higley's cousin, Ransom Higley, ( 12 ) alternated trips because it had proved too strenuous for one man to make two trips a week. It was during his turns that Ransom Higley courted Maggie Donaldson at the Saturday night dances. September 12, 1902, was a day those pioneers of both settlements would never forget. The sun rose as usual in the southwestern part of Washington. About 7:30 a.m. it gradually became darker and darker, until by noon lanterns were needed. ( The center of this phenomenon seemed to be at Tenino. ) People on the Queets were frightened, and many of them believed the world must be coming to an end. Mrs. Streater recalled that several neighboring families gathered at the Donaldson homestead that "Dark Day." Since no smoke was detected in the air, they had no way of knowing that a cloud of ash from great forest fires in Clark County, Washington, and in Oregon was obscuring the sun. On a June Day in 1904, Maggie Donaldson and Ransom Higley were married in Seattle, and were given a wedding trip by boat to Neah Bay by Mr. Donaldson. The boat was the "Alice Gertrude", and Donaldson was her chief engineer. ( He had built her engine. ) The Ransom Higleys, with Alfred V. Higley, opened a hotel on Lake Quinault's south shore at the townsite. They also had the post office and the store. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 1 ) There have been four different ways to spell Quinault. In 1855, when Washington Territorial Governor Isaac P. Stevens held the Chehalis Council, it was spelled Quenaielt. By 1890 it had become Quiniault. The present spelling, Quinault, came into use about 1922. To avoid confusion, the last one is used except when quoting from the Banta diary. ( 2 ) Although Banta does not give their names, these four men could have been "Shorty" Axtell and three friends, who were at Lake Quinault about this time. Axtell was a famous sea otter hunter. Although he took a claim there, he never "proved up" on it. "Shortie's Riffle" was named after Axtell nearly drowned in the dangerous rapids on the lower Quinault River. ( 3 ) The Quinault Indians who lived here were Charlie High, Ha Ha Mally, Jim Chow Chow and their families. They had a large smokehouse. Many times, lives of early pioneers were saved by these friendly Indians. ( 4 ) Probably E.W. Agar, who was superintendent and principal teacher of the Indian school on the Quinault Reservation from late 1889. ( See "Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs", 1891, pp. 453-454, etc. ) ( 5 ) Some pelts brought $200 and even more. Sea otter hunters collected these animals so relentlessly off Washington's coast that the entire herd was exterminated by 1903. Charles McIntyre was the last white hunter to collect a sea otter there. Victor B. Sheffer, "The Sea Otter on the Washington Coast", Pacific Northwest Quarterly, Vol. XXXI ( October 1940), 386. Recent efforts to start a new colony are reported in the Tacoma "News Review", August 1, 1969. ( 6 ) Today this wharf is a long, double row of crumbling piles and none of the old buildings are left. ( 7 ) Files of 1890-1891 issues of the Tacoma "Daily Ledger", "Evening News", and "Morning Globe" are in the Washington State Historical Society Library, Tacoma. Colony ad cards are reproduced inside back cover of OHQ. ( 8 ) Though the diary has Schaupper, no mention of his name is found elsewhere, and Banta probably meant Schaupp. The writers feel this couple may have been parents of Frank Schaupp. See note 14. ( 9 ) When the writers were doing the research for this article, Jane Donaldson ( Mrs. Charles ) Streater ( born April 18, 1886 ) was the only surviving member of the original Donaldson family. She lived in the Masonic Home at Des Moines, Washington, and died April 26, 1971. James Donaldson, Sr., retired from the sea in 1906 and built a sawmill powered by a waterfall on his homestead. He also operated a fish and clam cannery at the mouth of the Queets which he sold in 1912. He died in 1929. ( 10 ) Ingeborg Lundgren taught one year in the Queets settlement, and boarded free with the Donaldson family. "The primeval forest and beautiful scenery were wondrous. Shut out from the rest of the world, it was an 'Arcadia of The Northwest.' " From interview published in Aberdeen "Daily World". ( 11 ) From family records of Orte Higley's son and daughter, Orlo R. Higley, Amanda Park ( Lake Quinault ), and Helen Higley Sparks ( Mrs. Frank ) of Olympia, Wash. See also "The Higleys, Lake Quinault Pioneers" by Rowena L. and Gordon D. Alcorn, in six parts in the Aberdeen "Daily World", Jan. 27 to March 5, 1966. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ( * It would appear ( from the mention of "note 14" and the lack of a conclusion to the article ) there was originally more to this story than what I have been able to post. It may be that this is all I was able to get at the time ( in the late 1980s ), or that portions of the article were lost during several moves between 1989 and 1998. Ski )

[captain jack]

I really enjoyed reading this, thank you for posting it ski. I wonder if there is any signs of the old settlement still there ?

[Ski]

"Dotting the lush bottom land of the Queets Valley are clearings having the appearance of natural meadows, but a closer look shows they have had direct influence by man. Orchard and ornamental trees, not native to the area, are prominent features. Building foundations, broken machines, and old garbage pits can be found, and, in some of the clearings, barns, cabins, and pump houses still stand. These are the remains of a once thriving community." source: "A Survey of Abandoned Homestead Clearings in the Queets Valley" 1975 S. Williams ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- At present, the only visible remains of previous human habitation in the Queets Valley are: Remains of the original homestead cabin of George Shaube ( Smith Place ) - structure collapsed a couple years ago. Remains of cement foundation of barn at Andrews Field - now mostly overgrown with Himalaya and Cut-Leaf Blackberry. Cement gate post in NE corner of Andrews Field - originally sited in front of 'big house' on Andrews Homestead. Remains of barb-wire fencing and posts on southern edge of what previously was "Andrews Upper Field", approx. 500 feet down-trail from the "Big Fir" trail junction. Remains of structure ( origin unknown ) on north side of road in lower valley. ( It's been several years since I've been to that one- it may well be collapsed by now. May have been a pump house? ) Remains of grave sites of original homesteaders. Shelter structure at Pelton Creek collapsed within last two years. ( Not part of original settlement- constructed by NFS in 1930 ) Fruit trees and ornamental trees in various locations. ( Cowan Field, in the southeast portion of Sams Loop Trail is probably one of the most visible examples. ) The "broken machines" Williams refers to are probably no longer extant- there used to be two 55-gallon steel drums in Andrews Field, but over the years I've watched them assimilate into the landscape. My guess would be that any other artifacts of iron have probably gone the same route, although there are still pieces of iron machinery on the Roose homestead at Ozette. Ironically, in spite of the original intent and purpose for incorporating the Queets Corridor into Olympic National Park "... to preserve one river, from the mountains to the sea...", the imprint left on the landscape from the short-lived attempt to settle the valley is not in the form of buildings, but rather the non-native invasive species which were introduced by the original homesteaders. Canadian Thistle ( Cirsium Arvense ) and Himalaya Blackberry ( Rubus Procerus ), both of which were exclusive to Andrews Field in 1975 ( S. Williams ), have become established far up the valley. Cut-Leaf Blackberry ( Rubus Laciniatus ), planted on several early homesteads, has become established far up the valley. -

[RodF]

1902 Olympic NF map

1911 Olympic NF map

The 1902 and 1911 Olympic National Forest maps depict the Queets and Evergreen Post Offices! The 1911 map also shows the Queets wagon road extending up to Spruce Bottom. Map available online from WSU at this link search "Olympic National Forest", select a map, scroll down and select View Map Image (Zoom).

[Ski]

Note spelling of "Queniult" at lower right. Note trails up Christmas Creek and creek immediately to the west ( Stequalaho Creek? ) and "Postal Trail" from Lake Quinault to Evergreen P.O. at mouth of Tacoma Creek. Note "Sams River" is "Sam's Creek" on map ( using the possessive form "Sam's" .) Early aerial photos show log stringer bridges far up the valley, which supports the argument of roads having existed farther up-river than presently exist. ( pers. comm. JL/UW Fisheries )

[Ski]

( * waiting on mail for correct information regarding Andrews and Shaube history in the ONP shelter thread - will post in that thread later. 09-14 BK )

[tinman]

Ski, thanks for all the history information on the Queets. The creek to the west of Christmas Creek is Miller Crk., Stequaleho is upstream of Christmas Creek. When I first visited the Queets in 1981 is was easy to see that the trail was on an old roadbed at least as far up as the Andrews upper field. Also, there is an old clearcut (1940's era) on the north side of the Queets downstream from the present trailhead and up on a bench above the river. Although I have not hiked all the old roads, early photos appear to me to show the road heading down to the Queets probably to one of the bridges you mentioned. Keep it coming! Thanks

[Ski]

The aerial photos mentioned above ( which I myself have not seen ) show logging activity took place far up the river above the present location of the campground. [1] The road in 1949 went as far as Andrews Lower Field ( where the barn was located ) [2]. While the blowdowns and brush alongside the trail make it difficult to imagine the first couple miles having once been road, there are stretches where it is easy to see it was once a roadbed. [1] pers. comm. JL/UW Fisheries [2] pers. comm. EKL/BK ( 2003, 2005, 2008 )

[tinman]

Ski, I'll see if I can come up with some of the old photos. I know I have seen some from the 40's, not digital but maybe can be scanned. For sure I should be able to get some from 60's and newer.

[sams rapids]

Ski is the mayor of Queets River. We admire his work and knowledge. Maybe someone will carry out the old hide-a-bed frame next to the Smithplace cabin before it rusts into the earth.

[Ski]

that's an old glider, not a hide-a-bed. has nickel-plated armrests. presently being consumed by wild blackberries. too damn heavy to move.

[ncramer4]

[Ski]

If Banta was down in the vicinity of Tacoma Creek, six miles upstream from Banta's place would have taken them up just past Phelan Creek, or a bit downstream from where the NPS "back door" road meets the Queets River Road; about 4 miles downstream from the campground. That's a long ways from the vicinity of Paull Creek, which is where one begins the ascent up into the high country (see MacFerrin's narrative of this route) (Although I once did run into a party who went straight up Kilkelly, traversed the ridge crest, and went up over Olympus and out the North Fork Hoh.) The usage of the term "foothills" gives me pause. There are no "foothills" once you get past the western ends of Sams, Matheny, or Tshletshy Ridges: it's pretty much straight up once you come up out of the floodplains. My take on that statement is the same as a lot of "Queets stories" I've heard over the years: pure BS.

[ncramer4]

Right on Ski, thanks for the input. Yeah, I had just finished reading the story and was skimming through it to see if i had missed anything, I saw that and thought....hmmm....the first recorded attempt was in 1890 but was failed, another few over the next 15 years with confusion over which summit was highest, then the first recorded in 1907.

[Ski]

the summit of Kloochman Rock is 3356 feet above sea level. highest point along the Queets Ridge until you get up to Pelton. from the top of Kloochman, it seems you could reach out and touch Olympus, and it seems as though you're looking down at the Olympus massif (or at least at the same level.) (there's a photo of me sitting atop Kloochman here wonder if maybe they went up Kloochman and thought they'd gotten to the top? or maybe Pelton... although I don't know how the hell you'd get up Pelton from the Queets side... maybe javman found a secret route up there we don't know about yet...