McCleary City Band Bandstand

Dec. 23, 2019

Around the area of this corner, Maple and Third, there used to be a bandstand for the McCleary City Band. Yes, such a group actually existed. The story goes someone ordered a ton of musical instruments and then they were handed out to interested and no doubt bored out of their mind workers, many of whom had not the slightest idea of how to play any instrument or read music.

So the bandstand was built and uniforms were issued. For short time the muddy metropolis of McCleary had a city band. It must have been a hoot to hear. The placement of the bandstand would indicate this was considered close to the center of the action at that time, more so than it is today.

After the probably merciful short life span of the band, the bandstand was enclosed as a small building and served as the office for a dentist for a brief time.

The current McCleary City Hall is in the background and a sandwich sign for an espresso stand in the foreground attempts to divert coffee addicted Washingtonians. It still amazes me that McCleary has not had a tavern for several years yet we have not one but two, two drive-thru coffee stands.

When future historians write about McCleary's creeping gentrification, this switch from alcohol to caffeine will be an early indicator. Not making a judgment here, just an observation.

After the floods

Dec. 22, 2019

This town was built on a cedar swamp and sometimes the branches of Wildcat Creek like to get out and stretch a bit. Over 100 years ago Jake Anderson, who owned the west half of town, used to pole through what is now the Maple Street area in his little skiff.

In modern times First Street is especially bad. In 1990 the street was a raging river as I recall. Cars in the Rainbow Park lot off of First were in the water up to their door handles. Beerbower Park was a lake. The little pedestrian bridge between the Park and Mommsen washed out. Actually it was almost gone as a result of the high water and a couple kids rocked it away, finishing the job. I saw it happen.

The 1990 flood happened right after Simpson clearcut a hill on the southeast corner of town. Following the flood Simpson turned the property into a housing development and after having cut all the trees comically named it "Evergreen Heights." Although too late for the 1990 victims, they did install a retention pond.

Another place that used to flood was near the intersection of Summit Road and what is now Buck Street out in the new development north of the railroad tracks the McCleary Grange lost due to some unfortunate financial decisions from what I understand. Anyway, I see they have a retention pond there now.

Nick Rillakis

Nov. 12, 2019

The McCleary HealthMart Pharmacy currently has a portrait of Nick Rillakis on display.

Rillakis had a store called Rhodes Grocery which basically stood on the very spot his portrait is on display. It was built in the 1920s and heralded as the first concrete structure in town. In the final years of this building it was festooned with murals by James Abbott and served as a storage unit place as it fell into increasing neglect and disrepair. In the 1980s-1990s Abbott's work was all over the place but is now more difficult to locate.

Anyway Nick was part of the Greek wave of workers who came to McCleary when old Henry lured foreign workers here who were not likely to unionize and would be prone to demand to be treated like human beings instead of the slaves they became. Unlike the Italians who came here, the Greeks were economically better off from their point of origin. Those who were not killed in the woods or died from other causes and landed in the McCleary Cemetery just made their wad of dough and went back home. But a few Greeks hung around and the last ones survived into the 1970s.

Some of the Greeks ran a gambling house and bordello in the building that later served as The Pines restaurant and tavern. The Greeks also hosted some of the earliest meetings for the workers to unionize there. The space is now the big empty lot on Main and Maple.

I recall Nick as a rotund, bald, gregarious and bombastic fellow. The most notable part of his store was an old timey giant wheel of cheese close to the entrance where customers could select the size of their slice. Going into his store was sort of like making a trip back in time. But that describes a lot of McCleary in the 1960s.

Aircraft Warning Service Lookout Tower

Oct. 23, 2019

Here's a view looking south on 4th with Maple as the cross street. During World War II McCleary had at least one, maybe more, lookout towers designed for the Aircraft Warning Service. This was a program where civilians, armed with little charts showing the shapes of Japanese military planes through the use of silhouettes, would voluntarily give their time to scan the skies for enemy aircraft.

In McCleary the location of one lookout tower I am pretty sure about was on the SW corner of 4th and Maple, on the right hand side of the photo where the brown duplex sits.

Stop means STOP

Apr. 16, 2019

A huge new STOP sign to replace the one that got clobbered and remains on the ground, intersection of Maple and Third.

Path through the Pines

Aug. 7, 2018.

This path on the SW corner of Maple and Main goes through the Pines. But where are trees, you might ask.

The Pines was a name applied by Cal Clark in the 1950s to the final incarnation of one of the old-time two-story false buildings in downtown McCleary until it was closed by the IRS who padlocked the doors and then later burned (allegedly by kids playing with matches) after being abandoned for a few years in the 1980s.

On this lot at different times in history was a gathering spot for the local Greeks, it was also a house of prostitution upstairs, a topless bar in the 1960s, a family restaurant, a meeting spot for labor agitators in the 1920s-1930s, and a card room where Cecil "Primo" Boling was the dealer with his giant hands.

I recall watching the high flames shoot up from the roof which pretty much gutted the place. The burned out derelict remained standing for far too long as a wrecked reminder of McCleary's colorful past.

The former Timbear Cafe stands across Maple St.

1957 Plymouth

 July 8, 2018

A pristine and artfully customized 1957 Plymouth on display at the McCleary Bear Festival car show.

Haunted ambulance

 July 8, 2018.

This 1962 Pontiac served as an ambulance in the Raymond area many decades ago. The card describing this unusual vehicle during the McCleary Bear Festival car show claims the ambulance is "haunted."  Love the skeleton adornment.

Subconscious icon

Apr. 3, 2018.

This guardrail off of Maple St. is one of those town icons we'll only think about after it is gone.

Indoor swimming pool!

Mar. 11, 2018

The Maple Street view of the former Timbear Cafe, opened ca. 1957 and in operation as a restaurant under various names for a few decades before ending up as a second hand store.

Before there was Grays Harbor Transit there was Washington Coast Lines and this Maple Street corner was their main McCleary stop.

This structure is now for sale and as you can see by the roofing it comes by default with its own indoor swimming pool.

Hay! An Outhouse!

July 7, 2017, Bear Festival setup, Main and Maple.

Traffic cones at the ready, 5th and Maple

July 7, 2017, Bear Festival setup.

Longest alley in town

Aug. 26, 2016. Looking west from Main to 10th St., between Simpson and Maple. The old "Float Barn" resided on the west end, until it was finally torn down a few years ago. On the east end we see the Union Hall on the left and the new clinic on the right.

Maple Street contrast

Aug. 2, 2016

Dusk at 5th and Maple

July 23, 2016, facing east.

Maple Street Mud Mosiac

July 9, 2011

Wash me

Maple Street, July 9, 2011

Transit Station

Apr. 21, 2013.

In the past decades the public transit bus did not come to McCleary. A commercial outfit called Washington Coast Lines with a Greyhound style bus stopped next to the Timbear Cafe on the corner of Maple and Main (currently a 2nd hand store).

This Grays Harbor Transit station on Third St. is in an area where a gas station once stood.

GMC Trucks in the waiting room

Off of Maple St., near J&F Automotive, Apr. 8, 2012