From a previous column, we know that Flamo, Standard Oil’s brand name for propane, was first demonstrated in Gig Harbor in 1930, in Berkheimer’s store. That led to the question: Where was Berkheimer’s store located? Answer: at 3118 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor. Berkheimer’s first store in Gig Harbor was on the southwest corner of
In a seasonal version of Gig Harbor Now and Then, our last question concerned a turkey farm on the Peninsula in the 1940s. Question: Where was Slawson’s Turkey Farm located? Answer: On Burnham Drive, on the very spot now occupied by Sun Outdoors Gig Harbor, a recreational vehicle park. Ellwel and Charlotte Slawson owned a
The setup to our last Gig Harbor Now and Then local history question was very simple: In 1930, Flamo arrived in Gig Harbor. It’s still there, although is now known under another name. Question: What is Flamo? Answer: propane. “Flamo” was the trade name of the Standard Oil Company of California’s propane. The first mention
Our most recent Gig Harbor Now and Then questions of local history involve Gig Harbor’s first big industry, logging. Specifically, they concern a single second-growth Douglas fir tree standing tall in the city of Gig Harbor’s Donkey Creek Park. They are: How old is the Donkey Creek Park fir tree? Answer: Between 50 and 100
At the end of our previous Gig Harbor Now and Then column, we invited readers to post their opinions on the Gig Harbor Now Facebook page, addressing the question of whether or not the city of Gig Harbor should take an active interest in correcting its very inaccurate little city park histories and its many
Gig Harbor Now and Then’s last question of local history turned into a foursome, all pertaining to the lost history of the city of Gig Harbor’s Ancich Waterfront Park site. On the Gig Harbor Now Facebook page, Tomi Kent Smith ventured a very close guess of Mato Ivanovich as the owner, before Peter Ancich bought
The previous history questions in Gig Harbor Now and Then were several. They concerned part of the old Jerkovich dock, which is now incorporated into the city of Gig Harbor’s Ancich Waterfront Park. It is used today only by seagulls and crows for breaking clam shells. The questions: Who paved the old dock? When was
The previous question posed by Gig Harbor Now and Then was: What two different sports were the girls’ teams playing in 1930 when Gig Harbor’s Union High School beat Vaughn Union High 17-15, then lost to Olalla 5-4; and in 1935 when Rosedale School beat Crescent Valley School 66-22? Answer: basketball and baseball, respectively. In
We concluded our last column with the question: What kind of lighting system upgrade was installed in the Vaughn Library Hall in 1920? Answer: Interestingly enough, the answer lies in that fun little riddle many of us memorized in childhood. For those too young to remember, it goes like this: How do you make firemen
Our previous question asked: What was the average size of the 32 squatters’ houses on Military Reservation 23, at point Evans, barely north of the Narrows bridges, in 1916? Answer: 215 square feet. However, Lillian Young apparently didn’t have a house, so perhaps the total square feet should be divided by 31 houses. That would
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