Forum Index > Pacific NW History > Nels Bruseth, I want to know more about him.
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harriet the spy
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harriet the spy
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PostSat Mar 15, 2008 9:10 am 
Thanks for all the links to the books. I just received Switchbacks yesterday and todays rainy day seems the perfect day to read it. I am still waiting for my Indian Stories & Legends of the Stillaguamish, Sauks & Allied Tribes book by the man himself. Oh and my husband would like to thank all of you for introducing me to abe books, it has taken my book hoarding to a whole new level. biggrin.gif I would love to help out working on Nels Memorial Garden. Let me know the particulars and I will see if I can get a couple of friends to come along with me as well.

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albrightmd
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PostThu Sep 13, 2012 9:21 pm 
A new geocache in Darrington was recently published which features a short biography of Nels Bruseth.

Mark Albright Research Climatologist Washington State Climatologist (1987-2003) Dept of Atmospheric Sciences University of Washington
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mike
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PostFri Sep 14, 2012 10:07 am 
Quark wrote:
I have his 2nd edition (1954) of Stories and Legends that Mike mentioned in his post. A friend of mine was kind enough to send me a copy of it, and I have since located and purchased an actual print.
Glen Adams at Ye Galleon Press in Fairfield reprinted the book in 1977 and it is available priced quite reasonably. edit: anyone interested in local history should check out Ye Galleon Press. Glen reprinted a lot of stuff that normally would only see the inside of a box in a library or require mucho $€£¥. complete list

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the1mitch
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PostSun Sep 16, 2012 10:57 pm 
Any mention of Mr Bruseth without talking about his paintings would be inadequate. His watercolors are the best! His photo is also to be found in the Lookout house on Pilchuck. His younger cousin is my mother in law, who also grew up in Silvanna and yes he was Norski, you betcha.

illegitimi non carborundum!
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Kim Brown
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PostMon Sep 17, 2012 9:14 am 
That's awesome, mitch1! I have a Nels Bruseth painting! Of course its hanging in a prominent place in my house! There are several hanging in the Darrington Ranger station, and several at the Community Center in Darrington. When I was hunting for a first ed. Tales of the Stillaguamish (Sauks were added in the 1954 ed), I ran across a botany book by Nels. I'm ashamed to say I didn't purchase it; it was expensive, and I figured I'd run across the first ed. Tales book, and I couldn't afford both, so I'd buy the botany book another time. I'm such a dumb-bunny. The 1st ed. wasn't cheap, but it's worth every penny.

"..living on the east side of the Sierra world be ideal - except for harsher winters and the chance of apocalyptic fires burning the whole area." Bosterson, NWHiker's marketing expert
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kevinsa
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PostSat Nov 03, 2012 2:21 pm 
Here is a pretty interesting map created by Nels Bruseth in the 30's (just in case you have not seen it). The verbage attached to it says 1930, but that is quite impossible, since it shows the Three Fingers lookout. http://www.glacierview.net/geowinters/1930EraMap.jpg

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George Winters
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PostSun Nov 11, 2012 10:44 am 
kevinsa wrote:
but that is quite impossible, since it shows the Three Fingers lookout.
Check this out

When you are "miles from nowhere" you must have finally arrived at somewhere.
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Snowbrushy
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PostSun Nov 11, 2012 12:49 pm 
The word lookout dosen't mean 'lookout tower'. Most lookout's started as simple camps or platforms with some later becoming lookout towers, cabins. PS At this ariel pic. the actual living cabin for the lookout is below in a meadow.
Old lookout platform around Lake Cascade Idaho.
Old lookout platform around Lake Cascade Idaho.

Oh Pilot of the storm who leaves no trace Like thoughts inside a dream Heed the path that led me to that place Yellow desert stream.
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kevinsa
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PostMon Nov 12, 2012 12:03 pm 
My point was simply this - a lookout completed in 1933 would most likely not be put on a map that was created in 1930. Therefore, my suspicion is that the map was created in the mid-'30s.

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Schroder
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PostWed Nov 14, 2012 1:10 pm 
harriet the spy wrote:
Nels Bruseth was born in Norway on the 30th of October, 1852 a son of Lars and Gure (Sattier) Bruseth
Just a little more detail/correction about the Bruseths: Nels Sr. was born as Nils (or Niels in some documents) Andersen on the Bruset gaard (farm) in Sunndal, More og Romsdal, Norway. His parents were Anders Larsen and Guro Johansdatter - she from Helsæt, Kvernes, More og Romsdal, Norway. Nils had 2 brothers that also immigrated to Snohomish County - John and Lars. They took the name of their farm, Bruseth, as their surname when they came here, as was often customary with Norwegians. Nels and Lena had 9 children, only 4 of whom were still living in 1900. John and his wife, Elen, had 13 children in Silvana. Beate was born 27 Aug 1898 in Porsgrunn, Telemark, Norway and her parents were Peder Johannesen Staff and Laura Aall. Laura's second husband was Hjalmar Falk. Nels and Beate had 2 daughters: Liv Aall and Betty Gerd. Nels was born 1 Aug 1886 and died 24 Mar 1957. Beate died 13 Feb 1975 in Bellingham. Their daughter Betty still lives in Ferndale. If you drive through Silvana, Bruseth Road goes south from Main Street.

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Arthur
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PostMon May 27, 2013 5:52 pm 
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Martha Rasmussen
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PostFri Nov 22, 2013 5:21 pm 
Nels Bruseth's childhood home still stands today in Sillvana, WA. If you go to Jim & Willows Cafe and look west across the tracks you will see it. His mother and father are buried at the Lutheren church in Sillvana up on the hill. There graves are down the slope in the cemetery. When Nels came to Darrington he was the first lookout for Mount Pugh in 1916 when it was still a tent or "Rag House" When the cupola lookout was built he met a young woman from Norway named Beate. Every Saturday he would head into town for the dance and be back to the lookout by sun up. Mount Pugh's lookout burned by a lightning strike and was rebuilt in 1927. He asked Beate's hand in marriage that year and that summer they "manned" the lookout together. I could go on but this is starting to look like a book. He was remarkable, passionate, artistic man and believed everything was possible. I'm glad you are interested in him.

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Jules4u20
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PostSat Oct 24, 2020 3:34 am 
Yes both Nels and Beate were 100 Percent Norwegian . He was born in Wa , she was born in Norway. Nel’s parents met at a liberal (similar to Fairhaven/Evergreen Colleges) in Denmark. Most of Nels siblings died of childhood diseases because no vaccines were available .His brother Alf settled in the San Francisco Bay Area and one of his surviving sons is also named Nels Bruseth whom I communicate with ongoing and know personally. Alf was a gifted artist (he in whose who in America )for his artistic accomplishments. He illustrated Nels published book on Indian Folklore with portraits of the Native American friends and fellow Trail Blazers (the Bidell sisters and Nels trailblazed the Cascades naming the trails and mountains). He died suddenly when I was about 5 years old. He never hunted. He was always painting when we visited them and would hand me little paintings of birds. He was extremely kind and was voted man of the year in WA for his influencing so many young people to treasure the mountains, and wildlife He was an award winning shot putter, very strong, and would go into the woods for days leaving my mother Liv with the Native American Biddell sisters . My mother was in regular contact with the sisters her entire life and had much love for them. TheIr life stories were recently published . I’m writing this all from memory from what my mother told me.

Granddaughter of Nels Bruseth
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Jules4u20
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Jules4u20
Robin Booth
PostSat Oct 24, 2020 2:59 pm 
Thank for this history. I’m his grand daughter. My mother was Liv. Did you know her? See my entry from last night

Granddaughter of Nels Bruseth
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Brushbuffalo
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PostTue Nov 03, 2020 10:52 pm 
Schroder wrote:
Their daughter Betty still lives in Ferndale.
I just noticed this old post. Several times I have cleaned the chimney and cut firewood on the farm north of Ferndale for Betty, who is now Betty Eichenberger and lives with her husband Chuck (my dentist until he retired). In chatting with Betty a while ago, I learned that Nels was her father. I was amazed, since Nels is a folk hero to me.

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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Forum Index > Pacific NW History > Nels Bruseth, I want to know more about him.
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