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Nuggets of History By Dean Baker - 08/09/2006 The Columbian More Info on This Book: Washougal
Fairhurst's book, "Images of America: Washougal," was published by Arcadia Publishing, a South Carolina company that has also published history books on downtown Vancouver and Pearson Field. "This isn't just a history book," she said. "It's the story of a place. That is a little different. No oral history. No dates and numbers. But the story of the people in the place." She writes about American Indian legends, pioneers' encounters with bears, fishermen, loggers, millworkers, housewives, schoolchildren and football players. She said she got a helping hand from Bev Hughey, a Washougal native who has volunteered for a decade, cataloging the photographs for Washougal's Two Rivers Heritage Museum. "My mom was a librarian, and she raised us kids in the library," said Hughey. Her mother, Hazel Burris, was Washougal's city librarian for 25 years. Here is one of Fairhurst's tales: "Children raised in Washougal developed an enduring love of river travel, river mammals, fish stories and fishing. In 1931, a juvenile killer whale swam up the Columbia River. The whale was named Oswald, and many local stories have grown up around this event. According to one story, a Washougal Norwegian immigrant harpooned Oswald after he got stuck in the Washougal slough. This turned out to be a mistake, as the town turned on him. Oswald was placed in a wooden coffin, complete with metal supports for his fins. The coffin was transported up to Livingston Mountain and left above the ground." Fairhurst's objective was to single out stories that catch the spirit of the place. So she told a story of a little girl who adopted bear cubs; a story about the romance of Betsey White Wing, the Indian maiden; the story of a bank robbery, and so on. "It was frustrating, because I had to do this in captions limited to 70 words," she said. She admitted she violated the rule a few times. But she turned out a booked filled with colorful anecdotes. It was a pleasure to discover the community's history after moving here with her husband, Jon, and their three children 11 years ago from Grass Valley, Calif., she said. "There is just so much to know," she said. "You never know how little you know about a little place until you start learning." Looking back at the experience, Fairhurst has a bit of advice for folks living in Clark County. "Find out who homesteaded the property where your house is," she said. "It's fun. There's always a story there. That would be my message." Dean Baker writes about history. Reach him at 360-759-8009 or e-mail dean.baker@columbian.com. Did you know? * Richenda Fairhurst who lives in the "Washougal triangle" between Larch Mountain, Fern Prairie and Sunnyside recently published a history of Washougal, including 200 photographs from the Two Rivers Heritage Museum's collection of 10,000 images. * Fairhurst has published poems and short stories, but this is her first published book. * The book is "Images of America: Washougal." It costs $19.99 and is available at Two Rivers Heritage Museum in Washougal and at area bookstores, independent retailers, online bookstores, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com, or 888-313-2665. Buy It Now: Washougal $19.99 |
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