PRESERVING THE STORIES OF ISSAQUAH
A Memory Book Project of the
Issaquah Historical Society
Rachel M. Darst
I moved here in 1933.
I came with my parents.
I got married to a home town boy.
I did not attend Issaquah High School, but I do remember how kind all the teachers and students were when my youngest brother, Ira Dilley, was injured during a football game at Memorial Field.
Minnie was a sweet friend. During wartime, it was her job to sign up the boys to go to war. That must have been so hard since she knew them all, and knew that some of them wouldn’t be coming home.
I had children in school during both of the earthquakes.
Fischer’s Meats is still located on Front Street and still sells great meat. Brady’s Dry Goods was located on Sunset. You could buy just about anything there. Steven’s Grocery was located in the IOOF building. They even would deliver. I also remember Dalbotten’s 10cent store, Dormax Clothing Store, and Reg. Thomas’ Furniture Store.
First I went to Alpha’s. It was located just north of the Eagles. After that, I went to Evan’s Salon of Beauty, which was located where part of the Brewhouse is today. I was Bill’s first customer.
At Lewis Hardware you could always get what you needed.
We almost always purchased our groceries at Harry and Rae Stevens’ Store. You could call and they would deliver. They were very sweet people. Occasionally we would stop in at Mr. Moser’s Grocery. He would always have a baked potato cooking on top of his stove. Later we would sometimes stop at the E & F Market on Front Street.
The Grange was like a big country store. Everybody liked it. It had everything you could want. We also rented a frozen food locker there.
My sister owned the Busy Bee.
I knew the owners of Park Inn and so sometimes we would go in just to chat. There was a miniature bowling competition there once in which I won $47.00. That was a lot of money back then!
Mr. Lawill was a very sweet and quiet man. Everyone in town liked him. Mrs. Lawill was very pretty.
She was the mayor when we first moved here. All I can remember is that it was a very scandalous time.
At the time, none of us liked the idea of the change.
I remember having to pick berries to buy school clothes. My mom had to go to Olympia to work in the cannery. I worked at a cannery with my sister in Puyallup. At least once a week, we ate a big pot of beans and fresh homemade bread. It was a hard time for all.
It seemed like everybody had a kid in the war. I knew boys in the war – they weren’t old enough to be called men. It affected everyone.
Yes, I knew the only Japanese family around here, the Nagasawa’s. Everyone loved that family. They lived by 12th Avenue and they had a pea patch and berry patch that a lot of our young people picked peas and berries in. As soon as the war started, they had to leave immediately. They were allowed only one suitcase apiece. Sadly, they never came back.
People worked wherever they got a chance, but there were no jobs in Issaquah to be had. The only jobs possibly brought to the area by the war was Boeing.
At Labor Day there were always big crowds (they were nothing like the crowds at Salmon Days though), but everyone looked forward to it. Everyone always picked a lot of berries ahead of time so we would have money to spend.
Every Labor Day was special.
The parades and carnival were the big events at Labor Day. It was to me, by far, better than Salmon Days is. During the first few Salmon Days, only local people sold their wares and it was fun to buy from them. Over time, Salmon Days has gotten much bigger and turned too much into an arts festival.
The coming of the airport in Issaquah was very exciting. The airport stayed here for many years. The kidnapping of the Weyerhaeuser baby was a tragic event. Another tragic event was the kidnapping and eventual killing of Issaquah’s Anita Houvar and her husband by bandits in Iran. Anita’s parents owned a motel where Skippers now stands.
Gardening was fun and picnicking with my family and friends at Alexander’s Beach was always a highlight. All the men went hunting in the fall. They would go east of the mountains and stay for a week to ten days. A neighbor, Al Arndt, would hunt and camp out on the hill and bring back deer and bear. Quail and pheasant were also common.
The trout were really big and very plentiful.
Alexander Beach on Lake Sammamish was a favorite. We also went to Horrock’s once on the Fourth of July for a picnic and swimming.
My husband worked for a time at Red Hall’s Mill. My youngest brother owned his own logging company when he was in high school.
I remember all of those mills.
I do remember when it burned. I didn’t see the fire itself, but I could see the smoke.
From the time we moved here, my dad worked at the salmon hatchery. It was beautiful then. There wasn’t a day that would go by without people lining up to see the fish. The hatchery was a great creator of tourism.
Yes, we went to Seattle frequently on the bus whether it was to see the doctor, dentist, or just to shop at J. C. Penney.
It really messed up the roads at the time, but after it was completed it was so much easier because you didn’t have to go through Renton to get to Seattle. I-90 really cut down on time.
I didn’t buy a car at any of these dealerships, but I do remember when my daughter and I were hit by a car while crossing the street by Hepler’s.
I went to some really good dances at the Volunteer Fire Department Hall.
I went to dances, benefit dinners, and wedding receptions at the Grange Meeting Hall.
I remember having to wash extremely dirty clothes after my husband came home from the mines. There was nothing like it.
My husband was a coal miner at the Bianco, Harris, Finn, and Superior Mines. The miners had to breathe in that awful black coal dust and many of them had permanent coughs.
I saw many cowboy movies there, but the last movie I saw at that theater was Tammy, which I went to see with one of my sisters and my daughter.
Lois Hines was a pastor at Bethel Chapel. She was always there for everyone and was an incredibly sweet woman.