Category Archives: Historical Photographs

Stanwood’s Namesake

Womens History Month is the same month as the birthday of Stanwood’s Namesake, Clara Stanwood, March 18th.

Clara Stanwood Pearson, Namesake for the town of Stanwood,Washington.

Clara J. Stanwood Pearson was born in Lowell, Massachusetts March 18th, 1849.  In 1868 the came to the Puget Sound by way of the Isthmus of Panama, when she was 19 years of age. She joined the Pearson Family in Coupeville and on the June 3rd, 1868 she was married D. O. Pearson. In 1877 the young couple and their children moved to Stanwood then known as Centerville.  He established a mercantile and had a wharf built on the shallow mouth of the Stillaguamish River.  After living on the waterfront for sixteen years they moved north to their home on Market Street, now the Pearson House Museum.

Her children attended a small school on the waterfront but in 1892 she lobbied for a new school among other social needs.   To learn more, click the photograph below and read more.

New books available!

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]




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.

East Stanwood Busy Corner

This view shows North side of 271st St NW in Stanwood looking northwest.   From left the buildings are the Granary (distant left, originally known as the People’s Union), an unknown storefront, the N. V. KIng Building (1921), the 1918 Mercantile (behind the telephone pole), a cafe and the Depot Service Station garage with its East Stanwood Busy Corner sign. The cafe and service station burned in 1997. Photograph from the SAHS Collection 1995.28.21.

Some might be aware that Stanwood was once two towns: Stanwood (near river) and “East Stanwood” (near the railroad tracks).

The corner just east of the Stanwood Station had a small gas station with an awning that advertised itself as East Stanwood Busy Corner.   It was a popular stop on the Pacific Highway between Everett and points north before Stanwood was bypassed in the 1930s.  In the 1950s the gas station went into the auto part business and was called “East Stanwood Auto Parts” 

In August 1997 the historic buildings that were once the Depot Service Station, a garage and the café (next door) burned in a two alarm fire.  The businesses in the buildings at the time were the Eastside Salon, the gift store Emma’s Cottage and the antique shop, Yo Mama’s Attic.  Firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to other businesses but managed to save the 1918 Mercantile.  The owner at the time had to demolish the fire damaged buildings and currently that space is a grassy open space across from the Stanwood Railroad Station.  Read on..

The white concrete building is the East Stanwood Mercantile popularly know as the Stubb Mercantile.

When the museum opens again for visits, you can see a small exhibit that displays more photographs of this story but for now, perhaps this property can be the first East Stanwood Busy Corner Park as part of the City of Stanwood’s Main Street Revitalization Program.

The Mercantile.  Photo taken in 2003.

The original 1914 East Stanwood Mercantile store business was established by Otto Stubb and Andrew Frederickson. In 1917 Frederickson sold his interest to Otto Stubb but in 1918 the building was destroyed in a fire. The new concrete building that still stands was completed in October 1918.  But there could be no grand opening ceremony because of the Influenza epidemic. (Stanwood News Oct 18, 1918).  One month later, the Armistice was signed ending World War I.      See below…

Opened to the public Oct 19…”The building is certainly a credit to the community … [who] will wish the proprietors, Messrs. Otto Stubb and O. C. Amundson the best of luck…”  Stanwood Tidings Oct 18, 1918.