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Schroder
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PostSat Sep 08, 2018 6:17 pm 
I just received this from the Whidbey Historical Society. I never new they had any rails on the island before
Stories From Our Past - Logging from WhidbeyTV Productions on Vimeo.

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PostSat Sep 08, 2018 7:57 pm 
Fascinating. Thank you, Schroder. There are old rail lines (or rail beds) down on the Long Beach peninsula that were built to serve the oyster and salmon canneries around the turn of the century, and in the Willapa Hills between Doty and Menlo the abandoned rail beds snake up almost every drainage.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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Dick B
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PostTue Sep 11, 2018 8:19 pm 
I was born on South Whidbey and left there for the U of W when I was 20. I never knew there were any logging RRs on the south end. The video showed a spur going thru, or close to, the back end of the property we owned at intersection of Cultus Bay road and Possession Pt. Road. Us kids used to hike to Glendale and fish off the dock that was there. I think the old hotel was still standing but vacant. My dad worked a saw mill for a while about where the Glendale Road comes up out of the draw. Steam driven as I remember. My dad and some others operated a mill for a while at the head of Cultus Bay. I think the depression took that out. Dad also drove lumber onto the mainland from the Fry mill. And my brother worked for a time at the Waterman mill on the road into Langley. Also a mill at Maxwelton where the road comes onto the beach. When I was young everything was pretty much logged over but coming back nicely to reprod. Got to watch my moms uncle blow stumps so he could plant strawberries. My first job was picking berries. Hated picking but it produced the first money I ever saw.

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Schroder
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PostWed Sep 12, 2018 6:50 am 
Thanks for that story, Dick. They tore down the hotel building and dock in Glendale just year before last. There are plans for a park there.

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Dick B
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PostSun Sep 16, 2018 10:59 am 
Schroder: We also used to fish a lot from the dock at Possession. Perch and poggies. Dug up a few clams for bait. There was a store there at the time and some beach homes. Last time I was there the area was a park. A few piling was all that was left of the dock. Growing up on South Whidbey was a blessing. We pretty much could roam as we pleased. No one could afford bikes in those days. Went every where on foot. Did a lot of beach combing and no one ran us off. We did our chores then were free to do as we pleased. Just make sure you're home for dinner.

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Riverside Laker
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PostSun Sep 16, 2018 5:46 pm 
Ah... Glendale. One of my favorite local cycling roads was Glendale Rd. But the bridge across the creek (maybe call it Glendale Cr?) went out a few years ago, and was removed. We would cycle to the edge, bushwack down and across it in our cycling shoes, and have no traffic once on the other side for quite a while. Of course, South Whidbey has little traffic anyway and is wonderful for cycling. One fine day a couple years ago, a group of us tried going across, when a woman in the house at the end of the now cul-de-sac came out and said it was private property, and get out. I'm not sure if the roadbed was transferred to her or not, but we decided not to press the issue and haven't returned since. I sure wish there was a pedestrian bridge across the creek! Near the bottom of Glendale Rd is a chainsaw carver who has lots of pretty cool sculptures next to the road.

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Dick B
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PostSun Sep 16, 2018 7:44 pm 
When we were kids we used to fish Glendale Creek. Had some small cut throat. Further upstream there was a series of beaver dams with some nice pools. Fished those also. I think the beaver dams gave way and was what washed out the road below. I still can't understand why the county hasn't built a creek crossing there. That road was usually our prefered route from Cultus Bay to the ferry landing. In Texas they built concrete low water crossings at minor creeks usually with a few culverts underneath to handle low flows. Flood events would simply wash over the crossings. Only problem was that stupid drivers would still try to cross in several feet of water and end up down stream. My surveying experience would tell me that the county still controls the right of way where the road used to be. I think the lady was running a bluff on you. People just don't seem to be as friendly as they were in my day. A quick check with the county road department or assessors office would tell you if what she said was true or not.

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hatchetation
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PostTue Oct 09, 2018 4:59 pm 
Glendale Rd over the creek sure looks public, judging by the county quarter section map. No obvious signs of a road vacation in the recordings for adjoining parcels.

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Dick B
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PostTue Oct 09, 2018 7:05 pm 
In my experience when roads are vacated, which should take an act of the commissioners, the ROW is split down the middle and the halves go to the property owners on either side. It's obvious the attached assessors tax map does not show this happening. As I said before I think the lady didn't know what she was talking about, unless someone wandered outside the right of way. I have never seen this area in it's present condition. The last time I was there it was still a thru road. I still can't understand why it hasn't been rebuilt. Dick B

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sarbar
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PostThu Oct 11, 2018 3:50 pm 
Since moving to South Whidbey (I live in rural-ville, north of Freeland), if certain land owners think they can bluff people, they will. It's like all the huge no trespassing signs on the beaches by the tiny public access points....and then in the tiniest print at the bottom is hidden "Beach walkers are fine if quiet" Yeah, ok buddy. The rest of the sign is in 200 pt bold red...snort. rolleyes.gif rolleyes.gif rolleyes.gif rolleyes.gif

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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sarbar
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PostThu Oct 11, 2018 4:00 pm 
Love the part about the salmon bearing creeks! Glendale and Maxwelton are the two. If you haven't checked it out, visit the Maxwelton Outdoor School, which is run in partnership with SWSD. It's a fantastic place and if a field trip isn't happening there, it is open to walking the trails. It's next door to the brown church on Maxwelton.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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Schroder
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PostThu Oct 11, 2018 4:05 pm 
Hey Sarah, I enjoyed the article on you in the South Whidbey Record.

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sarbar
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PostFri Oct 12, 2018 10:29 am 
That photo of me was awful lol.gif lol.gif But it was a neat article! It felt pretty awesome this month - I put the first seeds in the ground at our new farm smile.gif We've been here 6 months and it keeps me beyond busy. It was sadly the first year since 2001 I didn't hike in the mountains in the summer (ouch). We bought a diamond in the rough piece of land to say the least.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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Dick B
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PostFri Oct 12, 2018 11:54 am 
Sarbar If you ever have been to the Freeland Café you will probably have been waited on by one of my nieces. My brother and his wife owned the café for years and then gave it to their daughters before they passed. Lani, who is the head cook, runs the show. I spent most of my high school and 2 years @ EJC living at the old Mackie property at Maxwelton. We lived in the large house on the hillside above the Swede Hill road at the Maxwelton intersection. Ran a few cows. As kids we never had a problem walking the beaches. No one ever ran us off.

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sarbar
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PostFri Oct 12, 2018 11:55 am 
Love FC smile.gif And yes, the beaches used to be a lot more friendly frown.gif Money does wreck that it seems.

https://trailcooking.com/ Eat well on the trail.
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