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.

Dollar General swimming pool?

Nov. 24, 2019

This interesting swimming pool-sized excavation at the Dollar General construction site has me puzzled. Wouldn't it be great if it was going to be a public indoor swimming pool, y'know, for kids?

Weirdo-shaped parking strip

Oct. 26, 2019

What is with that weirdo-shaped parking strip between City Hall and the VFW Hall? As usual, there's a story there.

On the right hand of the photo is Beerbower Park. In the old days that chunk of land was Henry McCleary's original lumber mill, which was shut down in the 1930s.

On the left hand of the photo is the present Simpson door plant. In 1910 Henry McCleary bought the Chehalis Fir Door Company and moved the whole operation, including most of the workers to this camp. A giant clearing took place and a mountain of wood was burned to make space for his door plant. When it opened it was all electric and one of the largest and most modern door plants in the world. It also produced airplane and automobile parts when those industries used more wood in their product.

The two huge operations, sawmill and doorplant, were connected by a pedestrian skyway. Roughly about where the first tree in the line on the right sits there were two ugly buildings, big hulky two story cubes on either side of the road. A covered walkway on the second floor connected the twin structures.

For people arriving to town from the north, this gave the impression of entering through a Medieval gate during the feudal times, which in fact was not far off from reality This was Henry McCleary's Kingdom-- a one-man principality where you were paid in script, lived in company-owned homes, and God help you if you ever even entertained the very idea of forming a union.

This pedestrian skybridge did not exist for very long. The building on the west side where the door plant now resides was torn down first. The eastern building remained for some reason and just sat there like a wart. After Henry sold the entire town to Simpson on the last day of 1941 and the park was created by local people out of the ruins of the old mill, they had to work around that building and hence we have that elongated triangular parking strip.

When it was finally torn down maybe in the early 1950s a local newspaper commented that in the old days "they didn't build for pretty."

Sidewalk closed

Oct. 26, 2019

That sidewalk needed replacing anyway.

Until April 1949 that particular stretch of sidewalk was a wood construction walkway designed to rise above the sometimes swampy high water table and where this Dollar General store will be sitting. The 1949 date can be pinpointed to exactly the moment of the worst earthquake in living memory around here. One eyewitness told me the planks on the boardwalk popped out in a wave as the seismic shocks hit.

In the 1990s McCleary's Land Planning Commission (which no longer exists) denied a rezone for this parcel from multifamily to business. The thinking that having a central business core with concentric circles of zoning rather than strip enterprises was preferable. It would be interesting to see when and why the rezone eventually happened, indicating a changing of the municipal guard. Also, when and why we no longer have a Land Planning Commission.

Grazing shovels

Oct. 16, 2019

Two giant shovels graze where deer used to play.  Evidently it is going to be a wet and muddy construction season on Summit Road.

Free Cat / Dog Food

Sept. 8, 2019

This shows up on an irregular basis next to the park.

Doubleback Alley

Sept. 4, 2019

Doubleback Alley

1978 T-Bird

Aug. 6, 2019

Just admiring this pristine classic for sale today.

Another giant falls

May 22, 2019

Another one of the Summit Road trees along the park has been taken down as part of a plan to improve the playground area. From reading the City Council minutes it appears a new memorial will be placed for Lindsey Baum.

VFW quick fix

Apr. 2, 2019
Another victim from the snowfall this winter.

WSDOT Traffic Counters

Jan. 28, 2019

The Washington State Dept. of Transportation has been installing traffic counters today in order to determine whether or not a traffic light is warranted on Anarchy Intersection, i.e., Simpson and Summit. The counting devices will be in operation for a week.

The Christmas Light that Got Away

Jan. 7, 2019

On the corner of Simpson and Summit.

Run wild, little light, run free.

Legal pot

Jan. 7, 2019

Pot has been legal in Washington for awhile now, but even so this shy kitchen utensil took it's time in allowing itself to be seen out in the open. And today it stands proudly at the corner of Summit and Simpson for all to see. No more hiding! A legal pot!

But there might be a law about panhandling on the corner.

There goes the roof!

Jan. 7, 2019

A recent windstorm decided to strip off giant sheets of metal from the roof of one of the buildings at Simpson.

New innovation in playground equipment

Jan. 7, 2019

Yes, a new innovation in playground equipment-- a giant pile of gravel! Fun for the whole family and not as dangerous as many other playground distractions.

Steampunk Sax

Sept. 9, 2018.

Jay Larson occasionally can be seen playing his saxophone at the NW corner of the VFW Hall usually to an audience numbering zero. He's at it just for fun, no hat on the sidewalk waiting for the coin of the realm.

And, he's really good.

His saxophone was rescued from a junkyard in Wyoming and has obviously been brought back to life with loving care, giving it a really wonderful steampunk appearance.

Skidmarks at Anarchy Intersection

Aug. 7, 2018

Skidmarks at a pedestrian cross walk on the Anarchy Intersection where Summit, Simpson, Main, and Third come together. I believe this is under the jurisdiction of WSDOT who likely won't place a much needed traffic light here until someone is killed or seriously injured.

Munching on apples in the shadow of Simpson

Aug. 7, 2018

A young deer enjoys a breakfast of apples under a lone tree next to the VFW Hall right across the street from the Simpson complex.

And you think moss on your roof is a problem? Check this out.

Aug. 3, 2018

For a company that has a long history in cutting down forests, it is somewhat amusing to see several young broadleaf trees apparently thriving on the roof of the Simpson lumber dry kilns.

8 Aberdeen

July 29, 2018

I have lost track how long this detour thing has been going on. Long enough for me to get used to seeing these orange signs be part of the normal landscape.

The detour has resulted in more people from out of town using the eccentric intersection of Simpson/Summit/Third/Main streets, which has now become a case study in anarchy.

The black "up" arrow next to a white silhouette of our first president which has a big "8" numeral in it on an orange background is something Marcel Duchamp would have loved.