The Wilburton Trestle
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HERITAGE REFLECTOR Fall 2017 Volume XVII Issue 1II Vision To be a destination heritage The Wilburton Trestle museum and research Standing tall over I-405 near facility that enhances the Wilburton and community identity through Woodridge neighborhoods the preservation and of Bellevue, the Wilburton stewardship of the Trestle is an iconic landmark on the Eastside. It was built Eastside’s history. in 1904 by the Northern Pacific Railroad, as part of the eleven mile Hewiit-Lea Mission lumber spur which was To steward Eastside History completed in 1906. by actively collecting, preserving, and interpreting The trestle stands 98-feet tall, and is 984-feet long. The documents and artifacts, Northern Pacific Railroad and by promoting public built the trestle and spur to involvement in, and support the logging activities Above: The Wilburton Trestle in Bellevue, taken July 1972. #L89-6-8 appreciation of, this in Wilburton, and connected When the trestle was built, heritage through the remote forests of the immigrants, coming from Eastside to Seattle. During Wilburton was a company Japan, Sweden, Finland and educational programming the logging era, there was a town with a larger Ireland, to work and live in and community outreach. mill pond underneath the population than Bellevue. the Bellevue area. Today the trestle, created by the The expansion of the railroad Wilburton Trestle stands as a damming of nearby Kelsey encouraged people in the prominent reminder of the In this Creek. Cut timbers would be Seattle area to relocate to the areas logging history. splashed down and then Eastside to work in the Issue hauled out by scows to Lake lumber mill, the coal mines The trestle and rail line Washington. Prior to the or as labor on the railroad. remained in use intermittently lowering of Lake The first sawmill in Recent Accessions……………...2 after regular service tapered Washington in 1916, the Wilburton opened in 1903 off in the 1920’s. The last Photo Printing……………………..2 Mercer Slough was a and was taken over by freight load went across the Collections Corner……………..3 navigable waterway and Hewitt-Lea Lumber trestle in 2008, and passenger Welcome New ED…...………..4 extended much further Company in 1905 who service ended in 2007 when inland. Just past the Trestle, operated the mill until 1919. Upcoming Events..…………5-6 the Spirit of Washington there was a dock that Dinner Train route was Heritage Corner………………....7 serviced the area near the Many of the workers at the EHC Membership ................7 Wilburton mill. Hewitt-Lea Mill were Continued on pg. 2… Fall 2017 HERITAGE REFLECTOR P age 2 ...cont.. from pg. 1 Recent Accessions Thank you for your donations to the collection: Sherry Grindeland – Rosalie Wheyel Doll Museum Book and Snoqualmie Falls Lodge coaster. City of Bellevue –Black Council of the Eastside institutional archives. Jon Waite – Mangle from Japanese owned laundry in Above: Hewitt-Lea locomotive at Wilburton Mill . #2002.147.004 Kirkland. Mike Schmidt – Winch disrupted by I-405 This project presents the construction. chance to share the vast from Lake Sammamish history of the Wilburton and boathouse. Above: #2017.042.001, Industrial In 2016 it was announced that Midlakes area of Bellevue, including the history of the Barb and Steve Williams – mangle used in Japanese owned King County has assembled laundry in Kirkland. significant funds to repurpose town of Wilburton, the A.Y.P. 100th anniversary the historic Wilburton Hewitt-Lea Lumber Mill, the materials, Spirit of Trestle into an elevated trail effects of the lowering of lake Washington t-shirt, Bellevue that provides spectacular Washington in the area, and parks ephemera. views of the Eastside skyline. so much more! It will be connected to the Eastside Rail Corridor, a 16- For more information on the mile regional trail stretching Eastside Rail Corridor Trail from Renton to Woodinville project, visit: http:// Historic Photo with a spur to Redmond. The www.kingcounty.gov/ project is anticipated to be services/parks-recreation/ completed in 2020. parks/trails/regional-trails/ popular-trails/eastside-rail- Printing Eastside Heritage Center corridor.aspx (EHC) is excited for the Did you know you can order historic photos of the Eastside to historical opportunities that decorate your home or office, or give as a gift? For a modest can be added to this project. fee, EHC staff and volunteers can assemble photos from the EHC collection that illustrate a wide range of topics. Browse some of the photos available online at www.EastsideHeritageCenter.org/Gallery or contact our office at 425-450-1049 or [email protected] Above: Bellevue’s first automobile service garage circa 1919, Above: The Sprit of Washington Dinner Train going over the Wilburton located on Main Street. #2002-129-008 from the EHC Trestle in 2007. #RD2016.006.100 collection, courtesy Bob Hanson. Page 3 HERITAGE REFLECTOR Fall 2017 Collections Corner Sarah Frederick Collections Manager Wish List EHC is seeking the Exhibits: following donations: Our most recent exhibit at the For care of the collection Bellevue Library was on the -HEPA vacuum for cleaning history of the Highland artifacts School. If you missed it, don’t worry, we have several new -Chest freezer for treating exhibits going up around the and isolating artifacts community in the coming -10 Acid Free binders months. Our next exhibit at the Bellevue Library will be in For the collection December. Our current Above: Highland School, c. 1934, courtesy of the Puget Sound Regional Archives. exhibit at the Meydenbauer -1968 Pop Dot paper dress Theater, Bellevue Community facility and has the capacity Collection Care Grant: from the Pacific Northwest to hold up to 125 cubic feet Theater, will be rotating out of records. A huge thank you -Arts and Crafts Fair this fall. And our annual Eastside Heritage Center to History House for this Photos, documents, holiday exhibit will be going has recently been awarded donation of equipment, ephemera related to eastside up at Crossroads Mall for the $2,260 from 4-Culture for which has already increased entire month of December. our 2018 collections care immigration, 1970-present our storage capacity at the needs. Funds from this grant archives! With the recent -Materials from the EHC Online: will purchase archival move from the Winters Crossroads and Eastgate supplies needed to protect House, all research requests Have you checked out and preserve our collection, neighborhoods, any era, are now handled by Eastside Heritage Center’s as well as to install a rolled particularly photos appointment only. Have a Past Perfect Online portal textile rack at our artifact burning question about the -Issues of the Overlake Outlook (www.EastsideHeritageCent storage facility. Rolling large history of the eastside? er.PastPerfectOnline.com) textiles, like quilts, rugs and newspaper recently? We are adding new Contact our Collections banners, puts less stress on records every month from our Manager at the fibers than folding, and -Lake Hills Roller Rink or photo, object and archival Collections@eastsideheritag will help to ensure the Skate King photos or ecenter.org or 425-450-1049 artifacts survival over time. ephemera collections. We currently and we’ll see how we can have around 3,000 items from Additional earthquake -Eastside materials from the help. our collection, searchable by proofing supplies for the 1970’s to present day artifact storage facility keyword, available will also be purchased, online. For use in the office to better secure -Android or Windows tablet Collection Care: unboxed, oversized for use in off-site storage and items stored on pallet Earlier this spring, we racking. Thank you 4- at events Culture for continuing received a donation of -Self-healing (PVC) cutting to support the care for Spacesaver Compact mat for producing labels for shelving, new office our collection! chairs, plexi exhibit exhibit and outreach stands, cubicle walls activities and standing plexi display panels from our colleagues at History To Donate Items: House in Fremont. The Call: (425) 450-1049 or Spacesaver shelving Email: Collections@ has been installed at eastsideheritagecenter.org our archives storage Above: New shelving at the archives, now home to our newspaper collection and eastside schools collection. Fall 2017 HERITAGE REFLECTOR Page 4 Eastside Heritage Center Welcome New Board of Trustees Rick Carlson Mike Nesteroff Executive Director! President Secretary Brittany Barker Mike Luis EHC is thrilled for the 1st Vice President Treasurer experience and knowledge he Stu Vander Hoek Don Davidson will bring, especially in 2nd Vice President Trustee Rep to Exec Cmte outreach programming. He Ross McIvor Jan Van Blaricom comes from The Mountaineers Sherry Grindeland Paul Lwali as the Youth Education Justin Merriman Jerry O’Day Manager, and served prior to Betina Finley Bruce Morgan that as the Program Director Trisha Nerney Mike Johnson at the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Staff We are excited to welcome Center for their partnership Josh Gannis Sarah Frederick Josh Gannis, as our next program with the Pacific Executive Director Collections Manager Executive Director! Josh Science Center and City of Jane Morton Lexi Roberts Bellevue. For over seven years, Education Coordinator Marketing & Community Mgr. joined the team in August 2017, and will lead EHC in he served as the Associate Endorsers our mission to preserve and Director of the Crissy Field Bob & Clodagh Ash Pamela Lee Daphne Schneider share the history of East King Center of the Golden Gate Margot Blacker Ken Johnson David Schooler National Parks Conservancy, Mike Creighton Leslie Lloyd Karl Thunemann County with the community. Jean Floten Doreen Marchione John Valaas where he spear-headed a Kemper Freeman, Jr. Dan McDonald Janice & DP “I’m overjoyed at becoming nationally acclaimed program Stacey Graven Louise Miller Van Blaricom the Eastside Heritage designed to engage Jerry Henry Rose Nohara Bob Wallace Center’s new Executive underserved residents of the Ross Hunter Bob Nuber Scott Wallace Director,” says Josh.