Sumas Veterans_2 of 2_Harvey Canfield (1848-1916)

Civil War veteran, Harvey Canfield in Sumas, WA...1898

picture 1
posted with permission from the J. West family collection
This is an rare, very early photograph taken 14 March, 1898. According to the faded handwriting on the back of the photograph this site is located "1 1/2 miles from Sumas, WA" and the gentleman posing is Harvey Canfield.  The landscape is flat with no hills visible which probably means that the photographer is facing southwest away from the mountains.  The field looks newly logged off and there is still lots of large trees nearby.  It looks as if a little orchard is planted to the right of the cottage. The ground in front of the cottage looks rough and full of  discarded plant debris. (cabbage leaves?)  Certainly a bachelor quarters. 

picture 2
posted with permission from the J. West family collection

This detail of picture 1 shows Mr.Harvey Canfield. He is posed with a 4 button coat, tall muddy boots and bowler hat outside the cottage. 

Harvey was a veteran of the Civil War having served in the Union Army. In the 1880 United State Census, he (who was born in either 1848 or 1849 in Michigan) was working as a farm hand in Oakfield, Michigan and was single.  According to the 1910 United State Census (twelve years after picture 1 was taken), Harvey owned his own land and home. He was listed as a single widower, living in Sumas and as having fathered a child, who was not living with him. 

Upon further research on Ancestry.com I found that he served in Company A, 18th Michigan Infantry. He also served for a time in Co A. 9th Michigan Infantry.  He was mustered out of the army 16 September, 1865. Due to numerous health issues he was admitted to the National Home for Disabled Soldiers in Tennessee February 1916.   Later, he was transferred to another Soldiers Home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he was cared for from August until October.

In the records of the National Home for Disabled Soldier's his closest relative was listed as a nephew named William Canfield who lived in Grand Rapids, Michigan. There is no listing of a son or daughter.   Harvey Canfield died 7 November, 1916 and was buried in the Marion National Cemetery in Marion, Indiana.

Please watch for my next posting about another historical house in Sumas.  

Hotel Sumas and the Howell Family...part 1 of 3

 posted with permission from the collection of Cregan Marmont

I was delighted to receive permission from from Cregan Marmon to share their family's early contribution to the development of Sumas, WA.  in the 1890s.   Above is a picture of the Hotel Sumas which according to Cregan was at the corner of 3rd Street and Cherry street with the hotel  barn across Johnson Creek. It is uncertain on which corner it stood on.  Although, it is believed by the family to have stood on the west side of Cherry Street.  This is an excuse do more research.The Hotel Sumas was more of a boarding house for the railroad workers then a traditional hotel. 

Thomas James Howell was the proprietor of Hotel Sumas and can be seen as the bearded man in the doorway.  His family are lined up to the left of him.  According to the 1900 census he was born in Ireland and  immigrated to the United States in 1872.  Thomas James Howell came to Sumas after losing everything in  the blizzard of 1888, while homesteading in South Dakota.  Thomas  traveled across the country by working for the railroad.  He and his family made their way to Spokane then up to Sumas where they decided to reside and build the hotel.  





Posted with permission from the collection of Cregan Marmont

The photo above shows Ellen Shanahan Howell, wife of Thomas Howell standing in front of the Hotel on the boardwalk.  She was originally from Balbriggan, Ireland.  According the 1900 census she was born around 1842 and immigrated to the United States in 1872.  According to the Washington State Death records, Ellen Howell, the daughter of James Shanahan and Deborah Noonan, died April 3, 1919 in Seattle, WA. 

My next posting will be continuing with further information about this colorful family. They came to Sumas during the town's early growth period and were a vital part of the community.

Sumas street scene in 1898

Photograph credited to the Whatcom Museum Photo Archives, Bellingham, WA.

The description from the Whatcom Museum Archives: " Sumas street scene in 1898 with group of miners and pack horses in front of Schumacher's and Parkinson's Miners' outfitting stores for the Mt. Baker Gold Fields.  Captioned : Railroad Avenue Scene in "98"."

The businesses are focused on provisions for the miner's headed for the Mt. Baker gold fields.  The Mount Baker Gold Rush was active from 1897 until about 1920.  This included the Lone Jack Mine, the Garget mine and many others.

Railroad Avenue was the original business district in Sumas running north and south facing the railroad track.  Later the business district moved one block to the east onto Cherry Street.   We are looking to the east at the buildings which are facing west.  It would be interesting to try to figure out what the gabled barn- like building is behind Schumacher's store.  Also notice on the far right the drug store. 

According to the 1900 census records, George Parkinson and his wife Florence immigrated to the United State's in 1890 from England.  George was born March 1845 and his wife February 1865.  They settled in Sumas and started a dry good store which prospered due to the Mt. Baker Gold Rush. They still had the dry good store in 1920 but by 1930 they were proprietors of the Grand Hotel.  By the 1940s Florence was widowed and still the Proprietor of the Grand Hotel . (To see a picture of the Grand Hotel look at the earlier posting http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-grand-hotel-1917.html. )

Also according to the 1900 census records Anton Schumacher,  an immigrant from Denmark was the owner of the next door dry goods store.  Anton immigrated  in 1879 from Denmark where he was born in 1858.   He maintained his business for many years although it morphed into a men's clothing store and was still mentioned in the 1935 business directory.  I can't find any death records or indications as to where he is buried.

Updated post regarding the first Methodist Church in Sumas and the Sumas Methodist Ladies Aid Society

Photograph is credited to the Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, B.C.

After speculating whether this photograph was of the first Methodist Church in Sumas, WA (See earlier posting http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/02/photograph-credited-to-reach-gallery.html ) it was pointed out that the proof might be right in front of us.   It appears that the Sumas Methodist Ladies Aid Society are posed in front of the tall building with plank siding on the right side of the photograph.  You can see the edge of the roof of the smaller building behind it.  

Were the Sumas Methodist Ladies Aid Society formed to help raise funding to build the newer church with the steeple in 1892?  We will probably never know for certain, but the picture looks as if they match.  This would make the picture above the only picture of the original Methodist Church known.

Photo scanned with permission from a private collection.

For more information regarding the ladies refer to the earlier posting.

http://nooksackvalleynostalgia.blogspot.com/2014/02/sumas-methodist-ladies-aid-society-1901.html

Sumas, WA - 1891

Photograph scanned with permission from original in private collection.

This is Sumas, WA. circa 1891.  The shadows show us it is the late afternoon.  This photograph is facing south-east, taken from on top of Moe's Hill, just south of the international boundary.  The main business road runs north (left) and south (right) following the railroad track.  Notice the railcar parked in front of the false front building.  The building is located facing west on Railroad Avenue and is one block west of the future Cherry Street (the current business district).  

This is the earliest of the photographs I have seen of Sumas from the top of Moe's Hill.  It is the first of a wonderful group all taken from the same general location.  

Sailing on Sumas Lake - Ca 1890

Another greats set of pictures provided by the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, B.C.  If copies are wanted of any of their photos  please refer to their website:

http://www.thereach.ca/

Photograph credited to the Reach Gallery Museum, Abbotsford, B.C.

http://www.thereach.ca/photo/p825

According to the Reach Gallery Museum the description reads:  Group aboard Orion Bowman's sailboat, Argo, out on Sumas Lake.  Bowman would sail the Argo out of Sumas Lake via Sumas and Fraser Rivers and as far as Vancouver Island. 

Photograph and descriptions credited to the Reach Gallery Museum, British Columbia.

http://www.thereach.ca/photo/p5748

 Bowman, family and friends took many trips aboard the "Argo". Ida (Bowman) Campbell chronicled one memorable trip in "The Log of the Argo", available at The Reach. Amongst other things, the Argo was sunk when the Mission bridge swing span closed prematurely but was raised and finished the trip.

Photograph credited to the Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford, British Columbia

http://www.thereach.ca/photo/p826

Another picture of the "Argo".

Orion Bowman resided in Canada.  He operated a Creamery across the border in Canada to accommodate the growing dairy industry locally.