Deer Park - Album #1
The life and times of Deer Park, Washington. Please note that not all of these image are in chronological order.
Prior to a town, land was cleared. Timber stands extended in every direction. Visible in the photo to the left are large tree stumps yet to be removed. Few impliments are in use today that were used in logging during this era. An Axe and blasting powder are 2 of them.
The largest store in town in the 1800s.
Log load being hauled down main street in Deer Park.
The newly built Open Door Congregational Church. This photo appears in the May 2008 edition of the Deer Park Gazette in an article by Rev. Berg, current pastor (until 2016). This photo is from the collection of Mr. Lawrence Zimmerer. We feel deeply honored to be part of the celebration of his one full century of life in Deer Park, WA. We also wish to acknowledge the total cooperation of Mrs. Sue Kelsch and Mrs. Pat Bardon of the Deer Park Gazette for allowing us to put this picture in this album.
The same virgin pine still stands today.
The notation reads that this team of mules pulled the Clayton school bus for four years and now pulling logs in 1915.
Crawford Ave, looking west - Deer Park
Early photo of Deer Park looking west from the same angle as the photo above. Date unknown.
Dropping this tree took awhile with a two man crosscut.
This is a brand new rig to pull logs out to the rail siding. The mule teams are on their way out.
Another very nice load of logs heading down Main Street Deer Park in 1925.
There are two stands of virgin timber still located in our Inland Empire as examples of what must have stood in the Deer Park-Clayton area. A few acres off the beaten path between Priest River and Priest Lake Idaho. Another is this one in the Bull River run on the Montana side of its border with Idaho. In both instances these two small tracts of timber were spared from both forest fire and the woodsman's axes. These trees date back to when Columbus discovered America. It is awe inspiring to say the least. This photo of Don Clouse and his sister-in-law Mary was taken in the late1980s.
The Deer Park Pine was only one of over a dozen mills scattered throughout the immediate area but it survived by far the longest.
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This is the earliest known photograph of Deer Park, WA. Taken in 1894.
"NOTE" This photograph is a much enhanced photo of what appears to be scanned from the original photo. It is compliments of Marilyn Magney Newkirk, author of 'The Legacy of Yesteryear.'' The Short Boarding House in very early times is where Sunday School and Church services were conducted. It is said this business sat where the Open Door Congregational Church was built and stll stands today.
Originally The Peoples Supply, later renamed Kelly's.
A haphazard business section soon materialized.
The Evan Enoch residence located at 12 W. 6th Avenue in Deer Park. We believe this photo was taken in 1908 when the home was built. Mr. Enoch was the Vice President of the First State Bank in Deer Park, as well as the General Manager of the Lumber Mill.
Interesting historic fact. Ben Renner and his partner Tuffy Luhr.
A early photograph of downtown Deer Park. When is uncertain.
Newly acquired photograph of Deer Park. The Kelly building and house shown in the background. Notice the nicely dressed group of people standing near the Kelly building. It is initially thought they could be waiting for the train which was located behind the Kelly building at the time. So far we have not yet dated this photo.
Photo credit: Jesse Klemish. Main Street Deer Park, 1926.
This photo of Deer park 1940 is courtesy of Jack Lewis. The street is paved and lined with cars of distinctive design. Odds are some equipped with Smitties. The odds are that no make sounds better than a Ford with Smitties. Odds are every one of them are Black. RIGHT?
Even though this picture was taken in 1968 a few of those early Vintage trucks still plied the streets of downtown Deer Park.
WRONG !!!
What would the Deer Park Settlers Parade be without horses?
The Open Door Congregational church lives on with all the beauty of by gone years. Yet the settlers are all gone and the sons of the sons of the pioneers are slowly dwindling in number. Here, his body lying in state, is Alwood Aamodt. He was a gentleman and family and friends grieve the loss. January 2, 2008.
A saw mill skyline at dusk, Deer Park Pine 1966
Though the vast beautiful stands of virgin timber have long since disappeared, Beauty abounds. Looking toward Mt. Spokane from Half Moon Prairie at 5.30 AM on Clayton Day 2008.
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