E-mail article     Print view

A Healthy Tradition

PREV |  of  | NEXT

COURTESY OF "SNOHOMISH COUNTY: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY Everett's first hospital opened in the early 1890s when Everett was still a new company town with hopes of becoming the Great Northern Railroad's Puget Sound terminus as well. CHARLES P. LEWARNE The old hospital is long gone from this site on Broadway, although the address is home now for a mental-health facility.

LAST WEEK we made a stir about the splendid illustrated history of Snohomish County. Long-time students of county history David Cameron, Charles LeWarne, M. Allan May, Jack O'Donnell and Lawrence O'Donnell wrote the big book. Besides maps and photographs, it features artwork by Bernie Webber, including the watercolor of a sternwheeler on the cover.

The 11 chapters begin with "The Natural Setting" and continue in chronological order with treatments of "The Native Americans" and "European and American Exploration."

The photograph of the barn-sized Everett Hospital appears in Chapter Five, and its extended caption is a good thumbnail:

"In 1894 members of the newly organized Woman's Columbian Book Club of Everett gave major support to the recently opened Everett Hospital, the city's first. Although the facility was forced to close and reorganized in the ensuing depression, the building at 3322 Broadway next was used as a home for Bethania College, and then the location for Bethany Home for the Aged before it was demolished and replaced by a brick structure."

The caption concludes with the cheering note that "both the women's book club and Bethany continue to flourish."

Included with the blurbs on the back cover is this notice: "This history is countywide, reaching from Port Gardner to the Henry M. Jackson Wilderness, and from Darrington to Index. We can hope and expect that this book will be a kick in the heritage roll call of other counties." I'll add that you don't have to live north of King County to study and use "Snohomish County: An Illustrated History." Ask a bookstore or contact Kelcema Books at P.O. Box 107, Index, WA 98256.

Paul Dorpat specializes in historical photography and has published several books on early Seattle.