Dedication of Hans Jensen's Boat Launch

I deem it a great honor to speak of a man I knew so well, and especially on such an occasion as this. Hans Jensen had made this area his home since coming from Denmark in 1904. When he first came to this area he worked as a farm hand in Renton Junction. Later he drove a team getting out shingle bolts at the town of Sherwood, which was near Hobart. He was quite a boxer at the shingle mills and was considered the champ of the area. 

Later he bought two teams and went to Seattle to work. He helped grade down First and Second Avenues in 1906-07 and said he worked grading for the last wing of Providence Hospital. He also helped to haul dirt to fill the tide flats where the Northern Pacific Depot is today. He took his teams to Victoria, B.C. and also spent two seasons on construction work in Nome, Alaska. 

Around 1915 he sold his teams, and went into partnership with Mr. Bill McDonald on the old Prentice Place, now known as the Issaquah Valley Dairy. Then in 1918 he rented the Barlow Farm and went into farming on his own. He would have to hitch his horses up to bring his milk up to the main road, and put it on the milk stand. This became quite a bit of a chore, so he often carried the cans up to the road by hand, a ten gallon can of milk in each hand, that's 200 pounds and up hill. 

While on the Barlow place he was drafted into the armed services, but refused to go: so they came and got him. He hired a brother of his to milk his cows while he was gone to Fort Lewis. While at Fort Lewis he challenged the Fort Lewis champion boxer and says Hans, "Boy, did he clean me." I lost a tooth, too." Hans was sent home after a few months at Fort Lewis and went back to farming. 

He later moved to the Albert Guise place, that's where we are today. Hans bought the farm, though it looked many times as though he may lose it. Times were hard, but he eventually became the sole owner. Hans always had a herd of 60 excellent Holstein cattle on this place. He milked 30 cows by hand and the rest was young stock he raised. 

In later years he bought a beautiful Belgium Stallion and it was a common sight to see Hans pulling a trailer behind his car, going all around the state with that excellent breeding stallion. 

Hans was friendly person and when you met him there was always a great big smile and a hand shake you didn't forget. He had a powerful grip and when he got through shaking your hand, you wondered if all of your fingers were broken. He like to visit his friends and it was common to have Hans drop in at dinner time and join you. He was always loaded with compliments on the host's cooking, but then no doubt it was better than a bachelor's cooking. Hans loved to dance, and was a familiar sight at all the community dances. He had the habit of holding his partners pretty tight, not like the youth of today, they don't even hold their partners. In fact he held some of his partners so tight they said they could hardly breathe. 

Hans had a great love for youth of the country and every child knew he could swim at Hans Jensen's any time and help themselves to his early transparent apples. He always took time out to talk with the youngsters and make them feel right at home around him. On one of his many visits to the Roy Pickerings the subject of making a will came up and Roy told Hans. "for heavens sake Hans you should make one out, if anything happens to you, what will happen to the place?" Well, two weeks later Hans came by to tell Roy, he had made out a will. But Roy says "I didn't know he left the farm to the youth of the area, until after his sudden death. 

To the youth of this area, let me say, it's up to you to protect and cherish this marvelous gift Hans left to you nearly 65 acres to camp on, boat from and enjoy as Hans Jensen wanted you all to do.

Thank You, William Bergsma

Hans Jensen was found dead in his bed on a Monday morning by Bill Flintoft who had purchased some of the property north of the boat launch area from Hans. He died the evening of June 23, 1957 after attending a Sunday night dance at Vasa Park. It was from pressure from Issaquah Valley Grange Lodge by then secretary, Edwin J. Hendrickson, that the State Parks Dept finally had the fountain and plaque erected and the dedication was on June 4, 1966