Learn more about the history of Stanwood Main Street and other mysteries in our new books
Main Street (270th Ave NW) is the last of two brick roads constructed in the late 1910s and 1920s in Stanwood. Many changes are in planning stages but hopes are high that they will be preserved. Many little shops are tucked away in both Stanwood’s historic west end and the depot district (East Stanwood)
Copies available at SAHS ~ Scroll down…
Contact us for copies, see SAHS Hours for picking them up.
[See also Coyote Hill Press which includes A Scrapbook of Stories – a History of the Utsalady Ladies Aid]
Category Archives: Historical Places
FAQ – Odd Fellows Halls
We often are asked who were the Odd Fellows? and why did they own a hall?
Our Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center was built in 1902 as a fraternal hall of local Stanwood businessmen known as the Stanwood Fraternal Association. They quickly sold the building to Anton Anderson who eventually sold the hall to the newly formed Stanwood Odd Fellows #249 in 1909. They used it for community music, meetings, events, performances and other events until the 1930s when it was sold to be a storage building for the local Bryant Hardware. In 2000, the Stanwood Area Historical Society purchased and named it after our major donor, Floyd Norgaard, a local resident who wanted to see it saved.
Scroll down to check out a random list of Odd Fellows Halls throughout the country and some contemporary organizations websites to learn more about their history and how widespread they once were. Note the amazing variety! Many are on the Historic Register, local and National.
Please also search on your own for your own home town, many of the buildings exist throughout the country.
Demise of the old Railroad depot
Painting from a recent gift to SAHS. 2023.07
The Stanwood railroad depot was built in the 1890s when the Great Northern Railroad was connected the Puget Sound with the midwestern section of the United States.
The painting on the right captures the details of the siding. The initials of the painter are not familiar but was certainly done before 1973 when the depot was finally destroyed after the last passenger run in 1971 when Amtrak (National Railroad Passenger Corporation) took over the run. Amtrak regulations at that time did not allow service to any point outside of the United States.
Last train carrying passengers from Stanwood depot was April 30, 1971. Photo by Howard Hansen of the Stanwood News
The depot was demolished two years later in April 1973. The Stanwood Station now provides passenger service using Amtrak and connect with Vancouver B. C. and the Empire Builder from Everett.
Visit the Dave Eldridge Center (formerly called the Stanwood Camano museum) to see more photographs and maps of the community.
Harvest Jubilee History
During the 1930s the Stanwood Commercial Club held a Harvest Jubilee parade. It was held until about 1942. The above photograph is from a collection of snapshots taken over the years and donated to SAHS by Viola Schmidt Michael. It shows an elaborate float along the brick street (270th) in front of what was then the First National Bank building (now the First National Professional Building.) A short history was published in one of our past newsletters for you to read.
D. O. Pearson’s gardens
Flaval Pearson, daughter of Fred Pearson, granddaughter of D. O. Pearson in their garden north of the FNCC. 2004.79.01
Our recent clearance of the lot on 102nd Ave just north of the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center has opened up a large city lot that apparently had been empty until 1971 when the house was built. Just by chance we happened to discover these two photographs in our collection and some notes that show this garden on lot in the 1920s – 40s.
Apparently D. O. Pearson and perhaps his son Fred, used this lot as a garden. Here are two photograph of his Fred’s daughers, Claire and Flaval in the garden.
The snapshots were donated by Claire Payne in one of her visits to the Pearson House from her home in Spokane. The lower photograph is her sister Flaval who became the Anacortes librarian in 1939.
1948 cropped aerial photograph of the gardens north of the FNCC (former I.O.O.F. Hall ) Photographer: J. Boyd Ellis. By 1948 the roofline of the FNCC is no longer peaked. The house in the top right photograph was moved one lot north of the gardens in 1976.
Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center restoration
A progress photograph taken on Dec. 1st of the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center of the restoration and repairs by ARA Construction and D. G. Hopkins painting. The project will continue as funds are available and weather weather allows. (Photograph courtesy Jack Archibald)
A recent photo of the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center awaiting repainting after meticulous repairs by ARA Construction and painting by D & G Hopkins Painting. Thanks to all who helped with a supporting donation for restoration costs of the Floyd Norgaard Cultural Center this Tuesday, Dec 1st. during SCGIVE.org.
Many generous donors have contributed, our list of recent donors is in progress.
Though currently closed until COVID is under control, efforts towards preservation of our historic public hall building for future events are well underway. Please help if you haven’t had a chance yet.
For more information our Facebook page!