Honoring Our Volunteers
Without the tremendous support of our volunteer docents, we could not keep our museums open during the hours that we do. The FCHS board and our public greatly appreciate the hours you all put into this effort. We recognize Donna Beal, Ray Bilderback, Ron Gerde, Toni Graham, Jean Delaney, Ann Delaney, and Jack Slagle, all of whom have assisted at the Slagle Museum. We also recognize Terri Lindsey, Debbie and Roland Thiele, Diane Powers, Christopher Pchecco, Emera Gidding, Madilane Perry. Gregg Wilson, Candi Rittel, Lynne Flagg, Amy Sharbono, Jim Rochelle, Debbie Almquist, Nancy Morris, and Jayne and Jay Jurgensen, all of whom kept the Whitaker-Fletcher Museum open.
We are proud of our collaboration with Republic High School and two students who trained and became docents for the summer. Many of you stepped up on short notice when someone was ill.
Thank you!
We were visited by folks from sixteen states, two Canadian provinces, and Germany. The Slagle House Museum had 96 visitors, and the Whitaker-Fletcher Museum had 364. Both saw a nice increase from previous years. Jean Delaney had the pleasure of guiding family members visiting for a family reunion through the House.
Community Accelerator Grant
ArtsFund, which has partnered with Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) has notified the Historical Society that it will receive a $5,000 grant through the Community Accelerator Grant Program. The program is intended to provide essential capital to Washington’s cultural organizations, including fiscally sponsored organizations and tribal entities, with primary missions of producing or supporting arts and cultural activities. The funds are intended to enhance arts organizations’ ability to invest in their missions and their essential roles in serving communities across the state. This year $10 million in unrestricted grant funding was awarded to 930 organizations in Washington, encompassing all 39 counties. This very welcome funding will be used for our improvements and development at the Slagle Historic Site.
Anonymous Donation
The Board received a surprise late this summer. The Historical Society was notified that it would receive an anonymous donation of $59,000 to be used where needed most. This wonderful donation will help us continue forward in our plans to develop the Slagle Historic Site.
Slagle House Progress
Preservation work on the J. W. & Elizabeth Slagle House and Barn was completed this fall. The Historical Society coordinated with the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation on the project, and TJ Larsen Construction, LLC was selected to complete it. They have successfully inspected the foundation of the House and found it in excellent condition. It was, however, necessary to replace and strengthen several of the original post supports, but overall, there were no nasty surprises. The badly deteriorated wooden skirting was removed and replaced with a metal board and battens-style siding.
The new skirting has closed off the crawl space and can withstand the natural elements much better. All old nails and screws used on the roofing have been replaced with new, longer screws with fresh gaskets to seal out moisture. The north wall of the Barn had slipped from its footing and was leaning more and more, heading for a collapse. The wall was raised, new supports installed, and the wall set back in place, realigning the building. The front porch and steps have been given a new life. The 1″x 4″ tongue-and-groove porch decking is not a standard product, and sourcing it caused a slight delay.
I Remember ……………… By Wanda Fletcher, as told to Nancy Morris
The Fletcher family originally came from Missouri to Yakima via the Oregon Trail. Arthur Fletcher, at the age of 11, was said to have walked the whole way. In 1901, the northern half of Ferry County opened for homesteading. Arthur’s children, Emery, Eli, Mason, and Zella, each filed for 160 acres. Emeri and Zella both proved up their adjoining properties, and Eli and Mason let theirs go and headed North to Canada. Their land bordered the lake. Early on, the cove at the end of the lake was known as Fletcher’s Cove.
A younger brother, Clarence, also settled in Republic and later opened Fletcher’s Garage. He married Ella Rochelle, who had four boys, and they later adopted one more. They lived in the house that is now known as the Whitaker-Fletcher Museum.
Emery farmed the land, raising cattle, pigs, chickens, and bees. He planted fruit trees, grains, and fodder for the cattle. He raised a garden to feed
his growing family of four children, Ruth, Shirley, Jesse, and Edith. He logged the property and sold ties to the Great Northern Railway. Shirley stayed on to help with the ranch work. When Emery died, he left the land to his heirs. He was a kind man and much beloved by his grandchildren. Two of Wanda’s great-grandchildren are named after Emery and Zella.
Emery was born into a horse-owning family, but he eventually owned a car. It was a 1938 Chevrolet. Apparently, it steered a bit differently than a horse, and he had a lot of trouble keeping it on the road, often having to be pulled out of ditches. Finally, he gave up on it and parked it at a corner of the horse pasture, where it stayed for many years. Emery went back to his horse, a Pinto named Patches. Neighbors remember seeing him riding to the Malo Store to buy his cheese and bacon.
Lying west of the Fletcher Homestead was the Bremner Homestead. The Fletcher girls and the Bremner girls used to meet at the twin tree between their homes to play. That pine tree with its double trunk still stands today. Also, the barn Emery built is still standing and being used.
Shirley had three children, Keith, Gracie, and Gary. Keith’s family is the present-day owner of the original two homesteads, making them the fourth-generation stewards of the land. Keith and his wife, Wanda, raised their five girls at the original homestead. This family later became well-known for their musical talents. In 1975, they won the Washington State Grange Talent Show and placed second in the National Grange Talent competition in Ohio. Daughter Brenda composed and recorded a song called Emery’s Ground, honoring her heritage.
New Board Members
For the first time in quite a while, the Ferry County Historical Society is now operating with a full board of eleven. At the July meeting, Denise Wisener was elected a Trustee. She is a long-time resident of the Republic and owns and operates Straight from the Heart Massage on Main Street. Lisa Ortiz, a local businesswoman and owner of 18N Restaurant and Bar, volunteered to serve as a Board member at our September meeting. She brings to the board a passion for recording oral histories.
In October, Gina Graham became a new board member. She was born and raised in Ferry County and graduated from Inchelium High School. She is a member of the Colville Confederated Tribes and currently works at Rural Resources. At the same meeting, Jared Watson was also elected to the board. He came to Ferry County in 2015 as a 17-year member of the United States Border Patrol and has a keen interest in the county’s history.
Celebrating Partnerships at the Ferry County Fair
This year, the Historical Society partnered with the Kettle River History Club – Ansorge Hotel and the Husky Car and Truck Museum to share a booth at the Ferry County Fair. It was a wonderful experience filled with great conversations, familiar faces, and new connections. Having people man the booth helps us keep our museums open during this holiday weekend. We look forward to continuing this partnership each year as we work together with our Curlew neighbors to promote and preserve our shared history through advocacy, education, and community engagement.
