Ebey's Forever

2011-11-14T09:32:00.001-08:00

Dear Friend of Ebey’s,

Thank you for your support of the 2011 Ebey’s Forever Conference and Community Event. This year’s potluck had 199 attendees and the Conference featured over 230 participants.

Thanks to your dedicated support and hard work, the conference was a great success. From the abundant and festive potluck at the Crockett Barn, to the great stories of the Reserve’s pioneer homes, Ebey’s Forever was a deeply moving gathering. People of all ages had a rare opportunity to explore Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, with experienced guides and voices of local character. We savored the many tastes of Ebey’s, and Camp Casey grounded us in its historic setting.

Above all, the people involved enriched our understanding and enjoyment of Ebey’s Forever. This event could not have been possible without your impressive efforts. Thank you. We look forward to working with you again soon.

Photos courtesy of M. Denis Hill & Lisbeth Cort

4th Annual Ebey's Forever Conference Promises Fun for All!

2011-09-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Registration opened this week for the 4th Ebey's Forever Conference & Community Event, and this year's program promises family fun, field trips, and tasty fresh food. The program was just released for the November 4 - 5 event hosted by the Trust Board of Ebey's Reserve and its partners.

Its full day of workshops and field trips will be headlined by a keynote on sustaining our fragile land by Roylene Rides at the Door, Washington State Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Rides at the Door grew up on her family's ranch on the Blackfeet Nation in Montana where she learned how to care for the land.

After kicking off on Friday night with a free "Celebrating Rural Character(s)" potluck featuring pioneer stories, live bluegrass and a homemade dinner at the Crockett Barn, Saturday morning's workshop sessions will be held at the historic Camp Casey Conference Center. Afternoon field trips will let attendees hike some new trails, tour historic buildings, and enjoy a "taste-off" featuring Ebey's famous Rockwell Beans prepared by local chefs and farmers.

A full day of concurrent field trips for families to enjoy together will explore birds and beach, the Ft. Casey Lighthouse and culminate in a trolley ride through Ebey's farmland. The conference wraps up with a special farmers market and closing pie social. For the full program and to register, go to http://www.ebeysforever.com/

*Photos Courtesy of Denis Hill

An Enchanted Evening - Ebey's Forever Fund Benefit at the Jacob Ebey House

2011-08-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Last week the community came together for a benefit to support the Ebey's Forever Fund, which will award grants to a new selection of heritage buildings on the Reserve in 2011-12. The goal was to raise $10,000 towards the fund. As seems to be the case with supporters of this cause and our dedicated community, folks came through, donated their time, money and services, and made the trek down the path to the historic Jacob and Sarah Ebey House on a beautiful evening to celebrate.

There were antique cars, as well the owners who donated their time, organized by Richard Anderson, waiting to whisk the donors around the Reserve to view recipients of last year's Ebey's Forever grants.

The Ebey's Forever Fund Committee served appetizers provided by Serendipity Catering, including local Penn Cove mussels,

and scrumptious fruit...

and drinks from the Bayleaf, Whidbey Island Winery and Flyers to add to the festive environment.

Laughs were had by all.

In a perfectly exquisite environment, the money was raised, new and old friends conversed, people had a chance to take in the scenery and enjoy music from island favorites Trio Nouveau.

We also heard from last year's grant recipients, Julie Lloyd and Dave Engle,

reminding us that the gathering was a celebration of preservation in the works, and how lucky we are to enjoy this view, and to share it for generations to come.

Big thanks to Scott Chamberlin for the pictures.

Chinese Students Visit Jacob Ebey House

2011-07-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Today 32 students from Southwest China, along with teachers and hosts, stopped by Ebey's Reserve to visit the Sunnyside Cemetery and the Jacob Ebey House. Jewel Czutcha, a volunteer docent for the Reserve, smiling in the picture below, organized the event.

Roger Sherman was kind enough to talk to them about his grandparent's connection with one of the few permanent Chinese immigrants of those times, who was also buried at Sunnyside Cemetery.

The students are from a city with a population of 30 million, and had not seen prairieland and open space like they witnessed at Ebey's Reserve.

Roger also gave them some history of the Jacob Ebey House, the blockhouse and the surrounding crops. It was a lovely day on the prairie witnessing the students, some as young as thirteen, interacting with folks, treasures really, from our community - giving their time to help those from far away understand the beauty of this place.

Jacob Ebey House Opens to the Public

2011-06-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Since 2007 the National Park Service and volunteers have been rehabilitating the Jacob Ebey House and preparing it for its new role as a Visitor Contact Station, when visitors will be able to engage with a living piece of history. Al Sherman, farmer, volunteer docent and member of the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing, cut the ceremonial ribbon today, signifying that the house is officially open and a new phase is beginning. Our first two volunteers, Lee Williamson and Anne Katherine, accompanied Al for the opening, enthusiastic about taking in the scenery while interacting with inquisitive visitors.

Besides the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing and its staff, the amount of time and work that has gone into this project from our partners and community members is inspiring, embodying a sense of unity that the pioneers and Native Americans before them may have also felt. The National Park Service, the Island County Historical Society and the Lions Club (along with Rob Hetler) are just a few. Volunteers from the community have worked tirelessly on every aspect of this project, from the rehabilitation to the interior displays, and now staffing the house through the summer. The Pratt family and the Nature Conservancy cannot be forgotten, without them this land may not be enjoyed as it is today.

Most importantly, the Ebey family, who courageously travelled across the country to their new found paradise, will be recognized - and their lives, which seemed tragically short, will not be forgotten. They are living on through the stewardship of this land and the special feeling that resonates while exploring it. A new life has begun for the Jacob and Sarah Ebey farmstead, come and celebrate it!

The Jacob Ebey House is open Thurs-Sun from 10am - 4pm through September 4th.

A Call for Volunteer Docents

2011-04-12T14:37:00.000-07:00

As the sun begins to peak out from the clouds and summer is finally alluring us to take to the trails, the Jacob Ebey House awaits its grand opening. Past and present will convene, and the house that once inhabited one of the original settling families on Whidbey Island will be opening its doors to the public on June 2, 2011.

But we’re not quite there. As was true in the past, when Jacob’s son, Isaac, raised his home on the prairie in two days with the help of fifteen local men, this home needs community volunteers to complete the final push towards the unveiling of this rich historical element of Ebey’s Landing.

We need volunteers who are interested in participating in a docent program at the Jacob Ebey House Visitor Contact Station. The rehabilitated home from the 1850s is located off the Ebey’s Prairie Trail that begins at the Sunnyside Cemetery Prairie Overlook and eventually links with the Bluff Trail at Ebey’s Landing. The scenery is awe-inspiring. The home overlooks farms of the prairie, Ebey’s Landing, the Puget Sound and the prestigious Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. On a clear day, Mount Rainier can be seen, making this one of the most stunning all-encompassing viewpoints on the island and arguably in the Pacific Northwest. When you stand on the front porch of this home, there is no question why Jacob and Sarah chose this spot, and there is an undeniable sense of the timelessness of the prairie.

We are looking for members of the community who want to enjoy the pristine setting of Ebey’s Prairie while educating the public about the intriguing history of the Jacob Ebey House, the perils of the Ebey family, and the surrounding land. This is a unique opportunity to share our cultural heritage, while talking with curious locals as well as visitors from all corners of the globe. We are looking for docents to fill 3.5 hour shifts during the summer months of June 2^nd through September 4^th. There is no previous knowledge necessary, but a passion for history and interacting with people is a plus.

The two daily shifts will be from 10am – 1pm and 1pm – 4pm, Thursday through Sunday. We are looking for docents to fill weekly, bi-monthly or monthly shifts, as well as standbys that can fill in if necessary.

There is a mandatory orientation on Saturday, May 21^st, from 10am–3pm, lunch and goodies included. We will cover history of the family and the area, logistics, expectations and duties of a docent and also find out what shifts work best for you.

Email alix_roos@nps.gov or call Alix Roos (360) 678-6084 at the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve office for further information about this opportunity or to sign up for the orientation.

February signals - Spring is on the way!

2011-02-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

I could not help but notice that small (but real) signs of spring are beginning to pop up around Ebey's Reserve. Although I know we aren't out of winter's cold (yet), I can appreciate all of nature's happenings below ground, bark, and buds, during months we generally think of as still. The majority of hues outside are still shades of brown, but below are some quick shots of the activity signaling the many colors to come. Happy February!

Oregon Grape, getting ready to share its yellow flowers.

Lilac with growing buds of purple delight.

Daffodils, peeking out of the ground, my favorite signal of spring.

Red Flowering Current, gracing the world with scarlet highlights - hints of what is to come.

All photos were taken at the Ebey's Reserve Trust Board Cottage.

Faces from Central Whidbey's past

2010-12-14T13:57:00.000-08:00

What can we learn by looking into the eyes of the past? Is it how, over time, people haven't really changed?
With the joy, sorrow, optimism and perseverance of humanity?
Or is it how quickly an entire life can be forgotten? How much is left unknown.
How quickly the young grow old, when looking back.
How easily a life is extinguished.
Who were they? What were they like?

What, today, can we learn from them?

Thanks to the National Park Service archives for digital copies of these glass plate negatives, shot in a studio at Fort Casey, Central Whidbey Island - exact year unknown.

Beets 101

2010-12-14T13:19:00.000-08:00

Awe…Ebey’s Prairie - a quilt landscape of crop farming on Central Whidbey Island.

Ever wonder about the vegetable we call a Beet? Do you know where it originated? How about the age of the Beet?

When I began working for the Reserve as a seasonal Ranger I found out there are more colors to beets than just the reddish/purple kind. Prairie farmers are harvesting beets that are also white, golden, and some that are even red and white stripped when cut open to expose the inside flesh.

I did not care for beets as a kid but now love them and wanted to find out where these sweet, edible root vegetables came from. After doing some digging and becoming more inspired as my search continued, here is what I found out. This is pretty awesome.

The Beet is an interesting, healthy vegetable that originated as a wild beet on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea during pre-historic times and was called the “Sea Beet”!

During the 8th century B.C. the beet was part of the Hanging Gardens on Babylon in the Mesopotamia area known as the Cradle of Civilization. Beets are really old!

The ancient Greeks used the beet green (the leaves) for medicinal purposes and as a culinary herb. They even offered their glorious beet to the Sun God Apollo. The Romans, on the other hand, were the first to actually eat the root as part of their diet. The beet root back then was either white or black, no other color.

Now we all remember the Roman Empire and during this time of expansion was when the beet was introduced to many European cultures. Eventually, the beet seed hit the United States in 1830 (about 20 years before Isaac Ebey settled on Whidbey Island).

Today there are a variety of beets available and people use beet juice (especially the reddish/purple beets) to dye material with and for hair dye and this practice has been going on since the 1500’s.

If you are health conscious, the beet is a bonus for you! It is an excellent source of fiber, potassium, calcium and other minerals and is classified as a Super Food! Power-packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants it also lowers blood pressure, contains Vitamins A and C, is low in fat and rich in nutrients. Wow! All that from a beet!

Try this juice recipe to get your jump-start for the day:

Carrot and Beet Juice
6 – 8 Carrots
¼ medium Beet
1 stalk of Celery
Press all ingredients through a juice machine and, Voila! Instant energy.

Come to Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve and see what nature has to offer.

By Sally Straathof

Five Phesants

2010-12-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Tucked along the hedgerow
A brilliant white band
Wrapped like hockey tape
On a stick.
You could skate
The side roads here
Like I used to do in
MN. The furrows filled
With snow, the lines so
Familiar, like an old
Book dog eared.

The great humps of
The Olympics to the
West -- a view that
Ebey knew well as
He recollected his
Own upbringing
Back East somewhere.
Planting this new ground
Never comprehending
What would really
Grow up from these
Fields, a singular
Place -- set aside
For all to experience
Our collective rural roots
And the stories
They evoke and sustain.

By Mark Preiss, Reserve Manager

What fun we had - Ebey's Forever 2010!

2010-11-09T13:08:00.001-08:00

Field trip participants visit the Reuble Farmstead. (Denis Hill)

Lauren Hubbard and Shelby Gansemer sport their new Ebey's Reserve (temporary) tattoos. (Lauren Gansemer)

Roger Sherman shares stories of prairie farming with Prairie Home Production's "Squash & Wheat." (Denis Hill)

David Engle shares stories from his family at the Harmon/Engle Farmstead. (Denis Hill)

Keynote Anthea Hartig of the National Trust for Historic Preservation greets us at Camp Casey. (Denis Hill)

Farmer, Valerie Reuther high-fives Trust Board Member, Molly Hughes at the mini-farmers market.

It was a full house at the Celebrating Rural Character(s) Potluck at the Crockett Barn. (Denis Hill)

The days to celebrate!

2010-11-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

One hundred ninty-nine plus or minus
the official line
but we know better
that numbers can't
explain the spirit
of community in that
barn that has held
community gatherings for
a hundred years and more.
Enough food and wine
to be mistaken for a scriptural
event. This Crockett barn
a place to come into out
of the rain and wind
A plate for everyone
a warm greeting
meeting you at the door weather
pioneer or visitor.

And Ebey's Landing
tattooed in temporary
places like arms and cheeks,
but more perminently fixed
in people's hearts and minds
through the shared stories
exploration and investigation
of a destination called Ebey's Forever.
- By Reserve Manager, Mark Preiss

Halloween on the Reserve

2010-10-31T08:42:00.000-07:00

All around the Reserve, frightening & welcoming sights of the season can be seen.

Up and down mainstreen, this year's scarecrow entries stand sentinel along the sidewalks, frightening and amusing those who dare to pass by on a chilly evening. The Sherman Pioneer Farm has been doing a brisk business in pumpkins, with families regularly arriving to choose the best pumpkin to carve their ghoulish jack-o-lantern face. Children have spent the last few weeks dreaming up elaborate costumes, and parents have been working to make those costumes a reality or to find more appropriate/ economical alternatives to suit their children's taste.

Everything has been in preparation for tonight's Halloween festivities. Whatever your choices tonight, have fun, be respectful of other people's time and property (go easy on the tricks), and stay safe. Happy haunting!

http://www.ebeysforever.com/

Oh my, PIE!

2010-10-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

When I was a child 'pie' was a four letter word (OK, not really... it was still a three letter word) describing some mysterious dessert filled with some sort of fruit, or vegetable, or meat that adults seemed to love. Grandparents and friends would offer me a slice promising that I would love it if I'd just take a bite. Me? Take a bite? No way!!!

Later on in my school career I learned of a two letter pi (or one letter using a different alphabet). I wasn't any more fond of this pi, than I was of the other pie... though it did help me earn good grades in math. Pi or pie, I didn't want part of either. http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2010/03/weekend_diversion_happy_pi_day.php

Times have changed...

Some time after I finished college and got married I finally gave in to an offer of pie. I remember the occasion. It was an early Christmas dinner at an aunt's house and it was hot apple pie served with vanilla ice cream on top. Actually, when the offer was made, I think I turned the pie down. I don't know if my host was offended or didn't hear me, but a few minutes later there was a huge piece of pie on the plate right in front of me. I looked at the pie as it looked at me. I glanced left and right, looking for support, an extra hungry relative or the family dog to discreetly slide the plate over and let them enjoy. No luck. The dog must have been out and everybody at the table was working their way through their own equally large pieces of pie. I was on my own. I didn't want to make a scene so reluctantly I took the teeniest forkfull of apple pie, along with slightly more vanilla ice cream. I took a deep breath and then slowly put the bite in my mouth...and fell in love with Aunt Mary's apple pie!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2052/ultimate-apple-pie

For weeks after I HAD to have apple pie... every...single... day! I'd buy it at the store, take some home from restaurants or coax Aunt Mary to make some, and finally learned how to bake it myself. After a few months of apple pie, my husband was ready to stage an intervention. He has nothing against apple pie... his objection was to apple pie every day. He suggested branching out a bit... pumpkin pie, cherry pie, or blackberry pie for starters. At first I balked, what if the others weren't as good as apple pie? What if I hated them? However, I did finally agree to try other pies... pecan, blueberry, sweet potato, chocolate peanut butter, cranapple. Some I liked better than others, but all of them have been great.

Moving to Whidbey Island has been a treat for my pie palate. I got to try marionberry pie and loganberry pie for the first time. My current favorite is strawberry rhubarb (I still don't say no to apple pie). The island is full of wonderful places to buy ready locally made pies or the ingredients to do it yourself. No longer do I turn up my nose to pie, and I do acknowledge that my grandmother was on to something when she said I'd like it if I just gave pie a chance. (As usual, I should have listened to you the first time grammy!)

And on Saturday, November 6th, between 4 and 5pm if you've read the rest of this post I bet you'll know where to find me... The Ebey's Forever Conference Pie Social nodding my head in agreement with whatever my supervisor is saying since I'll have a bite of that heavenly prairie-made strawberry rhubarb... or apple... or berry... or some other delicious pie on my tongue. See you there!

Lauren Gansemer
NPS Ranger

Rebecca - A Pioneering Woman

2010-10-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Davis Ebey must have been an amazing woman to strike out alone, without her husband, on the Overland Trail heading west from Plum Grove, Missouri, to the Washington Territory. In 1851 her journey begins with her two young sons (Ellison and Eason) ages 5 and 7 as part of a Wagon Train. She met up with her brother Thomas Davis and the Walter Crockett family from Missouri and they all continued west to the Oregon Trail and then to Whidbey Island, Washington, to meet up with her husband Isaac Ebey.

Rebecca and Isaac married when Rebecca was 21 and living in Missouri. After their marriage in 1843 they resided at Plum Grove Place Farm. Five years later, in 1848, Isaac reluctantly left Rebecca and the boys on the farm in Missouri and he headed for the Oregon Territory and then the California Gold Rush. After returning to the Oregon Territory Isaac took the opportunity to look for farming land for his family to live on. Later, Isaac staked his claim for 640 acres on Whidbey Island in Washington Territory. When he sent for Rebecca and the boys, in early 1851, the excited family loaded up what they could take with them and started their pioneering journey west, in April of 1851, arriving on Whidbey Island in October of the same year.

How difficult and heart-wrenching it must have been for such a young woman and her two small children to leave their familiar surroundings of Plum Grove and her childhood family behind, not knowing if she would ever see her parents again. Life on the trail could be rough and brutal and exhausting, but Rebecca pushed forward knowing she would soon see her husband Isaac again (after a three year absence) and bring joy back into their lives with her family together again. She and Isaac had only been married 8 years by the time she reached their new farm on Whidbey Island.

Shortly after her arrival on the Island Rebecca came down with Tuberculosis, which was common during this time period, and after the birth of her 3rd child Hettie she became very ill with her sickness and never recovered, dying 4 months after her daughter was born, in 1853. Rebecca and Isaac had only been married 10 years when she passed away and she left behind a devastated husband and 3 small children for him to raise and care for alone.

After the arrival of Isaac’s parents in October of 1854, Isaac’s father Jacob staked his claim of 320 acres right next to Isaac’s claim. Jacob and his wife Sarah named their new farm “Sunnyside” after the original family farm in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. Sarah cared for her son’s disabled young daughter at their new log cabin home on the ridge above the Prairie, until she died a very young 7 year old.

Rebecca’s parents headed west from Missouri as well, to join their children in the new Washington Territory. As Rebecca feared, her mother died on their journey west and buried along the Overland Trail; she never saw her mother again.

Rebecca’s short life was packed with responsibility, adventure, the unknown, loneliness, hard work, and the love for her family. A woman of personal strength and determination set the platform for other American women to look up to and follow. Rebecca died in 1853 and is buried next to her husband Isaac in the Sunnyside Cemetery next to the Jacob Ebey homestead, which still stands today almost 160 years later.

More details of the life of Rebecca Ebey will be revealed by professional storyteller Jill Johnson at the Ebey’s Forever Conference November 6th. Sign up today!

Thanks to Sally Straathof for this post.

Historians at Work!

2010-10-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Local Historians, Roger Sherman and Judy Lynn comb through historic negatives in the Reserve Library (or kitchen!) for a special project. See Roger & Judy - and talk with them about the history of this place - November 5 & 6th at the Ebey's Forever Conference.

Geo-Caching with Reserve Rangers in November!

2010-10-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Ebey's Reserve rangers have been busy preparing for this year's Ebey's Forever Conference. Rangers Sally & Lauren have plenty of fun activities planned for this years conference, including Old-Fashioned Geo-caching. What's that you say?

Geo-caching is a fun family activity using GPS to find hidden 'treasure' or cache. Geocachers have hidden their treasure boxes around the world in public places. After placing a cache, they usually post the cache and GPS coordinates on geocaching.com. Currently there are more than 1.2 million active caches listed on geocaching.com, some of them placed in easily accessed places... other in very difficult places requiring special equipment like scuba or mountaineering gear to get to them.

Anybody with a GPS, time and the desire to geocache can go on a hunt. The first step is to decide where you want to look for a cache. At geocaching.com you can search by zip code for your potential cache hunt. A quick search of zip code 98239 yielded 1692caches located within twenty five miles of Coupeville. Within the list are details including the difficulty of finding the cache on a scale of 1-5, special items called travel bugs (more on them later) that might be in the cache, the date the cache was placed, and the last time the cache was found. Select the cache that interests you from the list to see more details. (You'll have to register with the site to get the main GPS coordinates, but you should be able to read any background information written by the person that placed the cache. Some geocachers add interesting historical or regional information to their cache posts, such as the Mosquito Fleet #5 Rosalie cache which gives a history the steamer Rosalie and her service as a ferry around the Puget Sound and farther.

After you get the coordinates, you head out to the location given in the geocache listing and start your search. Be sure to bring a pen or pencil and a small, family friendly trinket to place in the cache when you get there. Once you find your cache, you'll want to sign the geocache log inside if there is one. You'll also want to select one of the items in the cache to swap with the trinket you brought with you. As a geocacher its important to follow the take one leave one rule in order to keep the fun going for other geocachers. When placing geocache items, its a good idea to avoid leaving food too, so animals aren't attracted to the cache.

After you head home, the next part of geocaching fun is to check back in with geocaching.com and log your discovery on the website. You'll be able to leave notes about your adventure. If you've found a travel bug, you'll be able to announce your find too. Travel bugs are special, registered trinkets that taken from geocache to geocache by players. Once you find a travel bug, to keep the game going you'll need to hide it in a different cache and log your move on the website for other people to look for.

There's your quick background on geocaching, now back to what the rangers have planned with their 'Old-Fashioned Geo-Caching'. We've been busy mapping out a game of our own for registered participants of Ebey's Forever Conference. We'll be starting out with an introduction to map, compass & GPS before sending groups off on their own adventures. Each group will start with a set of directions (similar to the Amazing Race show on TV though we'll keep it local and avoid dangerous and/or embarrassing stunts) leading them to an envelope containing more directions. They'll have several stops where the group will sign a log and get the next set of directions before ending up at the final cache.

We're looking forward to playing our game, having fun, and learning at the same time. What a great way to spend a fall Saturday morning with your family. Children are welcome to come too, you must bring a parent if you are under 10 years old. Register for Ebey's Forever Conference at http://www.ebeysforever.com.
Here's a list of family friendly options at this year's conference:
Old-Fashioned Geo-Caching
Junior Rangers to the Rescue
Adventures with Giant Trees

Don't forget about the Friday night potluck dinner at the Crockett Barn. Bring your family and a dish to share!

Special Thanks to Whidbey Island Bank; main sponsor of the Ebey's Forever Conference 2010

2010-10-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Janice Vaughan, Whidbey Island Bank presents Mark Preiss, Manager, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve with the check for the main sponsorship of the Ebey's Forever Conference.

The military on Central Whidbey Island

2010-10-10T17:38:00.000-07:00

View of Camp Casey barracks.

The military has been a part of Whidbey Island history for more than a century. Shortly after the first Donation Land Claim (1850) settlers arrived, they began sending letters to Olympia requesting a military presence on the Island to ease their concerns about the possibility of attack by native Americans. Local natives warned settlers of fierce northern tribes that sometimes came down to raid their villages. Pioneers also wanted to defend their claims from British and Spanish expansion into the region. With the US/Canada border not yet specified along the inland waterways of Washington and British Columbia, US pioneers wanted to make sure their newly claimed lands would be incorporated into the United States rather than subject to British rule or even Spanish influence. While the pioneers awaited the answer to their requests, they built blockhouses to protect themselves in an emergency.

The territorial government decided to focus their protection efforts around Port Townsend, Olympia, the San Juan Islands and near present day Bellingham, leaving Whidbey Island without soldiers assigned for protection. With the exception of Col. Isaac Ebey's murder in 1857, the islanders found that life with local native American neighbors was rather peaceful. In 1859 Pig War defined the final disputed boundary between the U.S. and Canada.

Eagle on the Camp Casey parade field.

The growing population and the importance of the Puget Sound region for world-wide commerce brought Whidbey Island to the attention of the national government in the latter nineteenth century. The U.S. Government had been closely watching events in Spanish Colonies for a while. In the late 1800s the possibility of war with Spain finally convinced the government that protecting Puget Sound was a priority. The government sent the U.S. Army to the West Coast to find land suitable for coastal forts to protect major ports. Situated at the gateway to Puget Sound, home of the Bremerton Naval Shipyards and the ports of Tacoma & Seattle, Admiralty Head on Whidbey Island was an ideal place to construct a coastal fortification. The campaign to build a fort at Admiralty Head went on for more than 25 years. The fort construction was finally approved to begin in 1897 after purchasing donation land claim holdings from Dr. Kellogg. The new architecture of military fortifications on the West Coast featured the Endicott style, named after the Secretary of War at that time. Endicott style forts featured a basically symmetrical arrangement of guns starting with three inch guns on the end. Gun size grew progressively larger until the middle of the line of guns, then grew smaller again ending in three inch guns on the other end. The entire line of guns was hidden behind a cement parapet and was built in a way so it couldn't be seen from the water.

In conjunction with two other coastal forts across Admiralty Inlet, Fort Casey was one side of the formidable Triangle of Fire protecting Puget Sound from foreign navies. Construction began on Fort Casey shortly after the 1897 final approval. Fort Casey was still being built when the Spanish-American War broke out in 1898. The 10-week long war was fought in the Pacific and Caribbean, though not near the Washington coast.

Fort Casey created a new population cluster in Central Whidbey Island. The new base often hosted community events such as dances attended by Coupeville residents. The base played an active role in World War I, however the invention of airplanes and their role in modern warfare reduced Fort Casey’s usefulness as a source of protection for Puget Sound. The base was placed in caretaker status in 1926 until World War II.

The threat of aerial warfare in World War II forced the U.S. government to broaden their coastal defenses. No longer were large coastal artillery forts situated at the entrance to harbors effective protection. Better protection was offered by keeping hostile fleets and aircraft far from port entrances, preferably far out at sea. Fort Casey was reactivated during World War II, mostly as a training base. Anti-aircraft guns were places at Battery Kingsbury among other defenses. In 1942, to augment the Army defense of Puget Sound, the modern Fort Ebey was constructed along with the Oak Harbor’s Naval Seaplane Base to the north. Working together, these and other Washington bases successful deterred hostile forces from directly impacting Puget Sound.
After World War II Fort Casey and Fort Ebey were both placed in caretaker status and eventually sold. Washington State Parks and Seattle Pacific University purchased Fort Casey in 1956 and still own the properties today. Whidbey Island’s coastal forts no longer have protection as their main mission, now the mission is recreation.

Basketball game at Camp Casey.

Fort Casey State Park is home to the Admiralty Lighthouse, a beautiful waterfront campground, several hiking trails and the majority of the Fort Casey batteries. Camp Casey operates a conference center composed of most of the original Fort Casey barracks, mess halls, officers quarters and several other original buildings. This year, Camp Casey is hosting the Ebey’s Forever Conference, November 5 & 6. Come and explore Whidbey Island’s military history at Camp Casey and Fort Casey during this year’s conference. Register at http://www.ebeysforever.com/.

All photos provided by Seattle Pacific University's Camp Casey.

Special thanks to Sally Straathof for her expertise in Fort Casey history.

A Snapshot of Autumn

2010-10-06T13:51:00.000-07:00

...although the word on the street is we never really experienced summer. Regardless of what happened in the past few months, there is no doubt that fall has arrived. The slanted light across the prairie, clouds caught in treetops, brisk mornings, and constant desire for a cup of tea leave some (myself included) invigorated, and ready to cuddle up 'till spring. Included here are only a few of the many good moments of Fall.

It's time to enjoy a local favorite - the Hubbard Squash! Thanks to Dale Sherman and Sherman's Pioneer Farms, Hubbard Squash can be seen aplenty in the fields of Ebey's Prairie.. Simply bake these green giants open faced with butter and brown sugar for a delicious and nutritious dinner. Or get creative with pie, quick bread, stews and more! Sample Hubbard Squash prepared by Dale's wife, Liz - attend the Taste of Ebey's Workshop at the Ebey's Forever Conference November 6th.

The ferry house watches another season pass by.

The depths of Crockett Lake

2010-09-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

Because my dad has an
adventurous, up-for-anything attitude, I took the opportunity of his recent visit as a chance to do something I've been dreaming of for awhile - kayak in Crockett Lake. This body of water, sitting consistently still yet amazingly close to the ocean had beckoned me with endless possibilities - hidden passages through the sedges, dozens of bird species, and who knows - maybe
the remains of a mammoth, buried for centuries in the mud.

Crockett Lake is situated on the western edge of the middle of Whidbey Island, separated from Puget Sound’s waters by the tenuously thin strip of land called Keystone Spit. Today Crockett Lake and Keystone Spit are home to numerous plant and wetland bird species overlooking the majestic Olympic Mountains southwest across the Admiralty Inlet, and the quiet field and forest patchwork that charmed explorers and pioneers from the mid 1700s on.

Sometimes brackish, sometimes fresh, Crockett Lake has undergone many changes since the Crockett families staked their Donation Land Claims in the 1850s. When Walter and Samuel Crockett arrived, the lake was over 500 acres. By the 1940s and 50s the lake had been drained to little more than 10 acres, making way for more farmland. Through the years, the lake levels had fluctuated depending on the status of the tidegate installed between the Lake and the Sound.

Today the lake is a shallow brackish body of water with salt and freshwater marshes and wetlands with a large rocky beach berm separating the lake from Admiralty Bay on Keystone Spit. Migratory waterfowl can land on loafing islands in the lake when the lake is low and feed on these critical feeding grounds after making their journey from the North. This special wintering and nesting area is a perfect habitat for 13 species of ducks. Nature is plentiful here with wildlife and an ecosystem that can survive the elements of a harsh windy landscape along Whidbey’s West side.

Knowing our kayaks could travel through 5 inches of water, we entered through a long, narrow channel on the Southwest side of the lake - hoping it would open up into manageable waters. Unfortunately it never did.

Instead, we had to constantly maneuver our boats to the deepest possible route, frequently digging our paddles through almost-black mud with an impossible smell. We debated turning around, but I was determined to kayak around the mysterious remains of a road, running through the center of the lake.

Progress often flirted with Crockett Lake and the Keystone Spit during the last century and a half. Anticipation of the Great Northern Railway passing through Whidbey Island on its way to Port Townsend sent speculators into a frenzy platting the towns of “Chicago” and “Brooklyn” on the Keystone Spit to take advantage of the new commerce promised by the impending railroad in the late 1880s. Within two years, it became apparent the railroad would not arrive and the newly minted town plats were abandoned. Little remains of the two towns platted for Keystone Spit, but the pilings of an old bridge crossing Crockett Lake are still visible. Around 1890, boats would arrive from Port Townsend and people would disembark carrying picnic baskets to walk across the bridge on the lake to Crockett’s Orchard for a day outing with their family. The Crockett’s allowed folks to picnic in their orchard next to the lake. The pilings are all that remain of the bridge today that once was the inspiration of big development on “the spit” that never came to be.

Although I did get stuck in the layer of thick scum that covered the water - especially around the pilings - it was pretty neat to see the multitudes of Great Blue Herons that used these upright beams as a resting place.

In the 1970s, progress again turned its eye to Crockett Lake and Keystone Spit. American affluence and recreational desires led to the next development speculation. As other coastal Whidbey Island regions developed and land prices drove higher, plans were again drawn to develop Keystone Spit, including a marina on Crockett Lake and 182 home development titled ‘Seabreeze’. The new proposals induced the local community to band together against the proposed development and fight for preservation. As the developer began constructing roads, service lines and model homes on the spit, activist group Save Whidbey Island For Tomorrow (SWIFT), the Washington Environmental Council, the Seattle Audubon Society and Dr. Cecil Riggall of Coupeville filed suit to stop the development. In time, the Army Corps of Engineers halted the proposed marina and the lawsuit against development succeeded in permanently halting the Keystone Spit development, though after roads and service lines were in place.

The push to conserve the Keystone Spit and Crockett Lake area took many turns and lots of money during the 1970s and played a large part in the creation of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve in 1978. The creation of the new Reserve didn’t preclude development on Keystone Spit entirely, but updated sewage disposal restrictions made development on the spit unlikely until technology could overcome the problem in the future. Crockett Lake and Keystone Spit conservations twists and turns continued well into the 1980s before all the pieces fell into place to conserve the area as it is today.

Crockett Lake and Keystone Spit’s brushes with ‘progress’ are barely noticeable to Whidbey Island visitors today as they arrive on the Coupeville/ Port Townsend ferry to visit the local fort, or watch birds through field glasses. Visitors on the shore will notice the pickleweed in the spring, near the lake’s edge, with strings of orange dodder wrapped around its small succulent branches, and the sweet smell of the wild rose in the summer. Thanks to luck and the foresight of Central Whidbey Island residents, visitors are still able to enjoy that majestic mountain view and park-like setting so enticing to the explorers and pioneers of the past.

When our boats, covered in mud, were safely strapped to the car at the end of our trip my dad remarked, "Well, I'm glad we came. I don't need to do that again, but it was pretty cool."

Special thanks to Reserve Rangers Lauren Gansemer and Sally Straathof for their great research on Crockett Lake!

September 15, 2010

2010-09-15T13:54:00.001-07:00

Ebey’s Reserve offered a glimpse of the future this morning as several guests accompanied Reserve Ranger Lauren Gansemer on a short hike from the cemetery overlook to the Jacob Ebey House. The participants heard some rarely shared back history about Isaac Ebey’s travels before settling on Whidbey Island in 1850, including his trip to California during the gold rush and his purchase of the brig ‘Orbit’ as a business venture with three other partners to head to the new Puget Sound region. They heard how Ebey was credited with naming Olympia after the Olympic Mountains he’d passed while sailing on the ‘Orbit’ and how he explored many areas of Puget Sound in his search for the perfect place to stake a claim. On October 15, 1850 Isaac Ebey claimed the prairie that now bears his name and immediately set out to persuade the rest of his family to make the journey out west. Isaac sent practical information, counseling his family and friends making the journey to transfer all their wealth into oxen and cattle, to ride horses on the trail instead of staying in the wagons, and to carry only necessary items such as food. His wife, several of her family members, and the Crockett family made the trip west in 1851. A few years later the rest of Isaac’s family followed, arriving in 1854. Isaac’s father, Jacob Ebey claimed the ridge overlooking the western side of his son’s property, naming his new land ‘Sunnyside’. Isaac and Jacob built the house that still stands overlooking the Ebey Prairie, and the destination of this morning’s hike.
Upon arrival at the Jacob Ebey house, after coffee, fruit and scones, the guests gathered at the front steps and heard Ebey’s Reserve Operations Manager Craig Holmquist give details about the restoration work done on the Jacob Ebey house over the past four years. Craig told how the original windows were restored, how a new foundation was put down is a style similar to the original foundation, and how the chimneys were lifted with the rest of the house and re-pointed by the NPS restoration crew. He pointed out the new hand split cedar shake roof and talked about the changes on the interior of the building in preparation for the Jacob Ebey House debut as the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve Visitor Contact Station in spring 2011.
Reserve Manager Mark Preiss then welcomed the guests inside the house where the Long Range Interpretive Plan (LRIP) was presented. The plans are the work of many months and many people who care deeply about Ebey’s Reserve and are committed to sharing the messages central to the Reserve with visitors from around the world. With the LRIP distributed to the guests, Emi Gunn spent a bit of time reviewing the main interpretive themes, showcasing some of the Reserve’s recent achievements and talking about the next priorities on the horizon.
The Long Range Interpretive Plan, while quite a mouthful to say, is the cornerstone of all Reserve educational projects. The LRIP serves as a resource for businesses, non-profits, volunteers and other stakeholders within the Reserve to share Central Whidbey Island’s natural, cultural and historical heritage with visitors.

Boyer Barn project comes to a close

2010-08-18T15:53:00.000-07:00

After four weeks hard at work on the restoration of the Boyer Barn, volunteers for the 2010 Preservation Field School will come together on Friday for a final work day and finish with a barbecue celebration of a job well done. I spoke with two members of the Coupeville Lions Club who worked on the project this year. Here is what they had to say about their experience volunteering at the Boyer Barn.

Fred Bronson shares,

"As a lions volunteer, I think it’s a great opportunity for a service org. to be involved in the preservation of the history of the area, of the island. It brings cohesiveness in the community—togetherness in the pride for what we have here.
As personal experience, I love to make things, and build things. It was new and different. There was a lot to learn. It was a great experience, and I look forward to working on any ongoing projects that will be out there. I really enjoy it just personally. Even if I wasn’t a lion, I would still do it.

It is an opportunity to see what we have today and what we do in relation to what those who originally built these structures. It just amazes me that we were able to do what they did do.

Jason [NPS preservationist and project leader] is quite good. He’s a very knowledgeable person and he works well with people. When you take a bunch of old guys who have all been bosses or in a position of direction, to handle a group of people like that is a very difficult situation. But he did excellent…the way he let people work and do what had to be done, and acceptance of ideas. I think he was an outstanding individual.

I look forward to next year’s project. it was a good crew, a good group of people. I could not describe a better experience."

And Dale Riddle adds,

"I love those kinds of projects. I like working with wood and I like the camaraderie. I like to see those little barns get preserved. We [Lions] do a lot of projects like that, building wheelchair ramps and such. It’s just something we enjoy doing. I’m retired so it’s better than sitting around getting gray."

I also had the opportunity to work a few shifts on the project. It was a lot of fun to learn what goes into the construction of a barn like that, or rather, what originally went into it 150 years ago. My favorite part was getting to work alongside the other volunteers and see the enthusiasm and dedication of everyone who came day after day to work together and make the project a success. My second-favorite part was learning to split shakes and getting to smell the sweet aroma of Western red cedar with each new shake that I peeled off the block.

Post by Sierra Young

Clam-digging

2010-08-08T11:42:00.000-07:00

Penn Cove offers everything from fine dining on the shore, to beautiful vistas of mountains and prairies, to protected waters for incoming vessesl, to muddy butter clam habitat. Armed with a licesnse from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, a bucket, a shovel, and plenty of enthusiasm at 8 AM, Reserve rangers, Sally and Sierra, and Reserve intern, Emily, went to the head of Penn Cove to dig for clams. From our first squelching footstep in the mud to the crispy fried clam for lunch the next day, we had fun throughout the entire process.

Sally digs into the mud, knowing where to dig because she watches for where the clams squirt water as they retract their necks.
After rinsing the sand off the clams and putting them in the bucket, I count the clams to see if we are close to the catch limit of 40. These are some nice looking clams!

Filter feeders that live deep in the sand and mud, the clams were pretty dirty when we first dug them up. We certainly didn't want to eat them full of grit, so Sally had the obvious solution: "I put them in a bucket of salt water and let them spit all day."

I squealed with surprise to come back after a couple hours and find all of the clams with their necks sticking out. When I picked them up, they pulled their neck back into their shell, squirting me in the process.

Sally poses with the morning's catch.

A Life in the Surf

2010-08-07T15:27:00.000-07:00

Staying grounded against the constant tug of waves and changing tides is no easy task, but the bull kelp is well adapted for this kind of marine life.

Kelp resembles a plant in many ways--it performs photosynthesis and has parts that look like roots, stems and leaves--but it is in fact a member of the brown algae kingdom because it does not have distinct organs like plants. The part that looks like roots at the bottom of the stipe (stem-like structure), as in these pictures is known as a holdfast and attaches the tall kelp to the rocks. Gas bladders, known as pneumatocysts, form at the base of the blades (leaves), allowing them to float near the surface of the water. Kelp is an annual plant, meaning its life-span is about one year, but can be as long as 18 months. It reproduces by dropping spores.

(Photo by Sierra Young)

(Photo by Sierra Young)
I often look out at Admiralty Inlet from the beach at Fort Ebey and at first think I see the tops of the heads of several harbor seals, but then realize they are only moving with the water. I am actually watching bull kelp, which, while not nearly as cute as harbor seals, is nonetheless interesting and delightfully slimey to the touch.

Post by Sierra Young

Deception Pass Bridge Anniversary

2010-08-06T09:33:00.000-07:00

Saturday, July 31, 2010
Seventy-five years ago Whidbey finally got its connection to the rest of the world! Two bridges were built connecting two counties and three islands (Fidalgo, Pass and Whidbey). It took one year to build both spans (Deception Pass and Canoe Pass), making the Whidbey connection a complete success after many years of trying.

Construction began in August of 1934, with the Civilian Conservation Corps helping to blast for the bridge approaches. Puget Construction Company out of Everett was given the contract for building both bridges. Before the bridges were built, people coming and going from the island had to rely on a "man-made" ferry service between Cornet Bay on Northern Whidbey Island and Dewey Beach on Fidalgo Island.

Deception Pass State Park had a festive celebration for the bridge's 75 years of existence, honoring the grand old structure with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and vintage pre-1935 cars crossing the bridges as was the protocol on July 31, 1935, when the bridge connection was initially dedicated.

The bridge connection has increased population on the island, built the island economy, become home to a United States Naval Base in Oak Harbor, and established Whidbey Island as a popular vacation destination. Little did anyone realize at the time of its completion that the Deception Pass Bridge would become a "must-see" tourist attraction in Washington State and the most photographed site in the Pacific Northwest.

Post by Sally Straathof, Park Ranger, Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve

Planting in the Hedgerow

2010-07-26T17:48:00.001-07:00

Four volunteers were hard at work with me on July 10 planting native plants, like Oregongrape and Nootka rose, in the hedgerow by the Jacob Ebey House. With the opening of the Jacob Ebey House as a visitor center, we expect more foot traffic down the farm lane, so building up the hedgerow is part of an effort to be courteous neighbors to those people living just on the other side of the fence. This was the first time planting for the three girls, yet working as a team, we were able to get 40 plants into the ground and have a lot of fun while we were at it!

Ruby holds up a Nootka rose before planting it in its new home.

Briana is working hard, but always with a smile on her face.

Madissyn digs the next hole.

After digging lots of holes in the hot sun, Nick deserves a break.

Another first for Ruby: She got to be the photographer for this one.

After the fun of planting was done, this awesome team all became Ebey's Reserve Junior Rangers.

From everyone at the Reserve, thank you to the volunteer crew!

Post and photos by Sierra Young

Jacob Ebey House

2010-07-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

The National Park Service crew has been hard at work restoring and renovating the Jacob Ebey House. On the way to Perego's Bluff from the Sunnyside Cemetery, the Jacob Ebey House overlooks Ebey's Prairie and is the future home of a visitor contact Station for Ebey Landing National Historical Reserve.

The house was built in 1855 by Jacob Ebey, father of Isaac Ebey. Isaac staked his donation land claim on Ebey's Prairie in 1850, and that swath of land from Ebey's Landing back to Cook Road still looks much like it did 160 years ago.

The house has also changed very little from the outside, except for the ramp, which was added to make the house accessible. Go for a walk on the Bluff Trail and be sure to pass by the Jacob Ebey House to check out the progress over the next several months. We hope it will be open to the public with our first exhibits by next summer.

Post and photos by Sierra Young

Boyer Barn

2010-07-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

To learn little bit more about the history of the Boyer Barn and the farmland there, I spoke with Freeman Boyer. This year's Preservation Field School Project is to install new cedar shake shingles, using historic construction techniques, to the roof of his barn. The structure has been in continuous use since the 1860's, and hopefully with this community restoration work, it will stand for another 150 years or more.

Here is what Freeman had to share.

Hugh Crockett came here in 1862 and staked out a claim of 160 acres under the Oregon Land Act. He married Rachel Bond. Hugh Crockett was the first sheriff of Island County. He then sold his claim to Captain B. F. Loveland. Loveland sold it to the Kaehler family. They sold the land to James Huston after many years, in 1942. James Huston, however, was not much of a farmer and did not have aspirations to devote his life to working this piece of Crockett Prairie. In fact, as Freeman tells it, Huston only bought the land as a way to avoid being drafted for WWII. Thus, he sold it only two years later to Freeman Boyer Sr. in 1944. Freeman Boyer started working on the farm as a young boy and took it over and farmed with his father until he took over the operation.

When I asked Freeman what they farmed, he said matter-of-factly, "We farmed just about anything we could make a nickel on." This meant they grew barley, wheat, and various vegetables. They also raised sheep and would rotate both crop fields and sheep pastures. While the sheep were on a particular field, they would eat the grass, but they would also fertilize the soil for the next round of crops that would be planted there once the manure was tilled into the topsoil.

Going into the barn, Freeman pointed out that the barn was constructed entirely without nails. Instead, the hand-hewn beams were fitted together using a tongue-and-groove technique.

The barn used to have a second-floor loft for storing loose hay before they used bales. Now the barn is open from the wooden floor all the way to the roof, but the beams that supported the second floor are still intact. Bales could be stacked much higher and did not need the same air flow that piles of loose hay did, so the loft was no longer necessary. However, the original hay hook still hangs in its track on the ceiling of the barn.

The other piece of machinery that sits in the barn, no longer in use, is the floor saw. It is the predecessor to the modern chain saw and has a seven-foot blade and a one-cylinder motor for cutting logs. Two people could move the heavy saw.

Post and photos by Sierra Young

A Modern Take on Historic Barn Raising!

2010-07-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

Volunteers needed for 3rd annual Ebey's Reserve Community Barn Raising Project at the Boyer Barn

The Trust Board's 2010 Preservation Field School will focus on completing the protection of one of the Reserve's oldest barns--the Boyer Barn on Crockett Prairie, circa 1860. The Trust Board, National Park Service, Coupeville Lions and volunteer crew members will complete the restoration of the barn's cedar shake roof using historic techniques, which began in 2009. The Preservation Field School is scheduled to run four weeks, July 19-August 12th.

Field School participants will experience, first hand, what it was like for pioneers to build barns--before electricity, heavy machinery, or modern convenience. This is an opportunity to split cedar shakes with mallets, pound nails, work aside friends, and experience the satisfaction of helping retain an invaluable historic resource for another 150 years.

"The preservation field school introduces a new kind of community barn raising," said Mark Preiss, Reserve Manager, "instead of community coming together to build a new barn, the community is coming together to restore one of its heritage buildings--as well as learning and applying the preservation trade."

"Restoring old buildings is a real pleasure," adds Ron Boyer, Coupeville Lions member. "We learn techniques and methods on how to preserve old buildings, actually restore a valuable barn, enjoy the company of other volunteers and appreciate the work that is accomplished."

The Trust Board seeks volunteers to complete the project. Volunteers with any range of experience are welcome, especially individuals with a background in carpentry and construction. The four-week Field School will run Monday through Thursday from July 19 to August 12, 8 AM to 5 PM.

Sign up to participate as a member of the crew today! Volunteers are welcome for one day, or for all. Shifts are 8am-Noon and 1-5pm. Pre-registration is required; sign up at 360-678-6084, emi_gunn@partner.nps.gov.

Program Background

The Reserve's field school was established in 2008 to provide technical support to the owners of the Reserve's historic buildings, and to gove community members a hand-on opportunity to help preserve nationally significant buildings for future generations.

National Park Service Preservationist, Jason Benson will manage the project and oversee the crew of volunteers. All work will be consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Benson attributes previous restoration project success to volunteer engagement. "The sheer enthusiasm and energy the volunteers bring makes the job easy," Benson said, "It is inspriing to witness people obtaining a new set of skills at all ages and finding meaningful ways to give back to their community."

In 2009, the field school completed half of the Boyer Barn roof, in addition to priority stabilization. In 2008, the Preservation Crew members reconstructed the roof of the Alexander Blockhouse, owned by the Island County Historical Society.

Boyer Barn

"The Boyer Barn's structure is very unique with large interior beams hewn, or split, by and, and fitted together with wooden joints," said local historic building expert, Harrison Goodall. "And the interior structure is in very good condition, considering its age of over 150 years, which makes it an especially important barn to preserve."

Goodall has evaluated the Boyer Barn and prepared the Stabilization Plan for the project. The Boyer Barn, circa 1860, retains a significant portion of its integrity as both the exterior and interior has changed little from its construction date. Its historical significance is tied to its form, shape, and scale including a textured shingle roof, vertical rough-sawn siding, hewn timber frame, mortise and tendon joinery, and original setting within the building complex and surrounding fields. The nature and quality of the craftsmanship, construction details, and evidence of specific tools that were used are especially unique.

The Boyer Barn is one of over 400 contributing historic structures within Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, most of which are privately held. By establishing a preservation field school, property owners and community are given tools to protect national treasures for future generations. The 2010 Ebey's Reserve Preservation Field School is a partnership between the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing, National Park Service, the Coupeville Lions Club, Freeman Boyer, and volunteers.

Hedgerows

2010-07-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

If you take a moment to picture the British countryside, hedgerows probably come to mind. These are rows of brush, weeds and flowers that line roadsides and fields, acting as fences and property lines. There are over 500,000 miles of hedgerows in Britain, some over 1,000 years old.

The hedgerows at Ebey's Reserve play a similar role in the landscape to the woody British icons. While the hedgerows at Ebey’s Reserve date back only to 1850, the time of early Euro-American settlement, they, too, provide a link to the past of the prairie and the first farms in the area. Hedgerows mark some of the original Donation Land Claim boundaries.

Hedgerows in the Reserve start as unmaintained fencelines, where grasses and shrubs are left to grow up rather than getting mowed. Birds that land on the fences excrete shrub and grass seeds, and more seeds are deposited by wind and water movement, or by small mammals, farm machinery and other vehicles. Before long, the fence becomes hidden among the vegetation, and the hedgerow can grow to be eight feet wide. Over time, a greater diversity of plant species in the hedgerow attracts more wildlife that works to protect the crops.

Hedgerows are beneficial because they…
• Control water runoff by slowing water down as it flows through allowing it to filter into the soil and the aquifer and deposit suspended silt onto the fields, as opposed to it washing into road ditches as it would without a hedgerow.
• Prevent loss of topsoil from wind and water movement. When nutrient-rich topsoil is lost, farmers make up for it by applying fertilizer, which is both expensive, and can overload water bodies with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus.
• Buffer wind to maintain soil moisture, leading to increased crop yields. Hedgerows with brushy vegetation and taller trees can increase precipitation over fields by up to fifteen percent.
• Help control pests by providing habitat for insect-eating birds, insects, small mammals and amphibians. Some resident birds feed on weed seeds. If this habitat is destroyed, farmers must instead use poisons, which, like fertilizers, are expensive, and can kill beneficial organisms, and often become ineffective against resistant strains.
• Improve wildlife habitat by providing shade, shelter, food and nesting sites for many mammals and migratory birds. They also provide habitat for bumblebees, which pollinate clover and other cover crops.

Photos by Sierra Young; post adapted from the Ebey's Landing "Hedgerows" brochure

Barley

2010-06-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

(Photo by Sierra Young)

Any plant that has spikelets ranks high on my long and growing list of cool things about Ebey's Reserve. Hordeum vulgare, or barley, is a grass grown as a cereal grain, livestock feed, and hops for brewing beer. At this time of year the spikelets give verdant fields all over the Reserve a soft look, especially when the wind creates wave patterns across acres of barley, inviting onlookers to relax and set their thoughts free onto the prairie.

Local farmer harvests barley on Ebey's Prairie in front of the Ferry House (Photo by Mitch Richards)

Barley is an annual grass, meaning it must get its seeds into the soil in order survive, unlike perennial plants, like the sunchoke, whose roots survive underground and store energy over the winter to sprout new growth the following year. Wild barley grows spikes that contain the seeds, and when these spikelets reach maturity they split open so that wind and animals can disperse the seeds. Domesticated barley, however, has a mutation so that its spikelets are non-shattering, making it easier to harvest the ears. Farmers then plant new seeds for the next year's crop.

Ancient Egyptians used barley to make beer and bread. It has also been a staple in Tibet since the fifth century A.D., where it is made into a flour product called tsampa. Today it is cultivated in temperate climates as a summer crop and in tropical climates as a winter crop. Barley thrives in cool conditions, but it not very winter-hardy, making the mild climate of Central Whidbey Island an ideal place to grow it. It is also relatively tolerant of soil salinity, making a practical seaside crop, as it is here.

(Photo by Sierra Young)

As you walk, bike, or drive through Ebey's Reserve, by all means enjoy the more distant vistas of the rugged Olympic Mountains, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainier, but don't forget the simple beauty of barley fields on the prairie--the same fields that the pioneers began farming here more than 150 years ago.

Post by Sierra Young

Helianthus tuberosus

2010-06-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

What do potatoes, artichokes and sunflowers all have in common? They are all ways I have heard sunchokes described. Heliantus tuberosus, known commonly as sunchoke or Jerusalem artichokes, is a type of perennial sunflower, with a tall stock that grows in the summer and blooms with a yellow flower, smaller than that of the common sunflower Helianthus annuus.

Sunchoke plants at the Coupeville Farmers Market on Saturay (Photo by Sierra Young)

After the stock dies back it grows tubers underground, like potatoes, to store carbohydrates through the winter. Those tubers can be broken off the main root of the plant and harvested all winter long. The plant gets the name Jerusalem artichoke because of its sweet nutty flavor, akin to artichokes.

Sunchokes have a crisp texture when raw and make a tasty addition to a salad. They can also be treated just like potatoes when cooking: au gratin, boiled, added to soups and casserols, you name it.

Post by Sierra Young

Lettuce

2010-06-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

I was a "Sesame Street" fan as a kid. On the show, Kermit the Frog lamented about being green, singing "Bein' Green." That song came to mind yesterday afternoon at the Coupeville farmers market while I looked at a table of lettuce, leaves "tired" after a few hours on display.

"Bein' Green"

It's not that easy being green
Having to spend each day the color of the leaves
When I think it could be nicer being red, or yellow or gold
Or something much more colorful like that

It's not easy being green
It seems you blend in with so many other ordinary things
And people tend to pass you over 'cause you're
Not standing out like flashy sparkles in the water
Or stars in the sky

But green's the color of Spring
And green can be cool and friendly-like
And green can be big like an ocean, or important
Like a mountain, or tall like a tree

When green is all there is to be
It could make you wonder why, but why wonder why
Wonder, I am green and it'll do fine, it's beautiful
And I think it's what I want to be

The lettuce that farmers cultivate today began as a weed in the Mediterranean Basin. References to it go back more than 4,500 years in the form of Egyptian tomb paintings. Greek scholars also identified various types of lettuce. Christopher Columbus allegedly introduced it to the New World.

Available May through October at the Reserve, lettuce provides cool, crispy refreshment on even the hottest summer day. I love sitting down with my salad at dinner and reflecting on my conversation that day with the farmer who picked and washed the greens the day before. I hope to someday feel a similar connection to all my food.

Photos and post by Sierra Young

Rain and Smiles

2010-05-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

"Don't rain on my parade!" We all know the expression, but the clouds chose not to listen. The Memorial Day Parade went through downtown Coupeville on Saturday and despite the rain, many smiling spectators lined up along Main Street and Front Street to show their support for the community. The parade opened with the Northwest Junior Pipe Band and included veterans, local businesses, candidates, schools and many community groups. Memorial Day on Whidbey Island would not be complete without this long-standing tradition.

After several rainy days here at the Reserve, the sky now looks brighter and the rain has stopped. Silvery droplets still cling to the leaves of the wild roses and the bees fly among the fragrant pink flowers, stopping frequently to drink nectar from the yellow centers.

The rain hasn't stopped me from smiling and I can only imagine it has been good for the fields with their rich, chocolaty brown soil and neat rows of recently-sprouted squash leaves. In other fields, the bright yellow of the cabbage plants is already beginning to fade, reminding me that whatever the weather, the season keeps changing and summer really is on its way. Finally, the sun found a hole in the clouds and shines through the window, warm on my face, to keep me smiling for awhile longer.

Photos and post by Sierra Young

Cabbage Seeds

2010-05-27T13:07:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Coupeville on Monday to work at Ebey’s Landing as a summer ranger. I was struck by the large field across from the Sunnyside Cemetery where huge sprigs of bright yellow make even a foggy, rainy day seem bright. The yellow flowers are so dense I barely see the green of their stems and leaves. Cabbage plants, I learn, are grown here on Whidbey Island for their seeds, which are sold to markets all over the world. In fact, Washington State supplies 75% of U.S. production and 50% of the world production of cabbage seed.

At the end of one of the rows stands a stack of boxes painted white. Bees fly (somewhat slowly on a cool day like today)in and out of these hives. They share an important relationship with the cabbage plants. The bees fly through the field of flowers and get nectar which they use to make honey while pollinating the cabbage plants, thus allowing them to grow their valuable seeds.

When I travel to Germany and eat sauerkraut, I will remember the bright yellow field at Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve and consider how plants, though seemingly immobile, can connect places and people over thousands of miles.

Note: No cabbage was damaged in the taking of these photographs.

Photos by John Chao and Steve Olson
Post by Sierra Young

Painting a prairie spring portrait

2010-05-04T19:48:00.000-07:00

All over Washington, the earth is reawakening. Can you see it?

In a period of only a few weeks, spring has come, a monumental paintbrush caressing the landscape, stirring it back to consciousness. Dabs of bright white, pink and yellow compliment deeper streaks of lavender, red and orange, all placed upon a backdrop of fresh green. Buds change to blooms on wildflowers and the hardier of the tree species sport new-growth fuzz.

As part of the 17,500-acre Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve, the 3.5-mile Ebey's Bluff trail provides a vivid representation of western Washington shoreline plants in spring. Located on central Whidbey Island, this trail is one of many that provides an opportunity to see both the natural and agricultural communities come alive this new season.

I have created a photographic guide to some of the spring wildflowers just now blooming on Ebey's Bluff and Ebey's Prairie. I have created this guide based on the plants' family common names, followed by the plant common name and latin name, in order for easier identification to those who enjoy field guide identification. Enjoy this spring on Ebey's Prairie and see how many of these beautiful colors you can find in your own backyards, as well as new spring additions.

ASTER FAMILY – Asteraceae

Common dandelion – Taraxacum officinale

FERN FAMILY – Polypodiacea

Bracken fern – Pteridium aquilinum

LILY FAMILY – Liliaceae

Common camas – Camassia quamash

Death camas – Zygadenus venenosus

PEA FAMILY – Fabaceae

Seashore lupine - Lupinus littoralis

PINE FAMILY – Pinaceae

Douglas fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii ssp. menziesii

PINK FAMILY – Caryophyllaceae

Field chickweed - Cerastium arvense

STONECROP FAMILY – Sedum

Brittle prickly pear cactus - Opuntia fragilis

VIOLET FAMILY – Violaceae

Alaska violet – Viola langsdorfii

Whale watching boat makes a stop in Coupeville

2010-03-13T14:55:00.000-08:00

The town of Coupeville welcomed the Victoria Clipper dockside today during the lunchtime hours. Today was the first of many wale watching trips which the Victoria Clipper plans on stopping in Coupeville. One hundred and one tourists disembarked the Clipper at noon and made their way to the various shops and restaraunts in Coupeville after a successful morning with at least one sighting of a Grey Whale in Saratoga Passage. The crew anticipated seeing more during the return trip after lunch. The Grey Whales have made their annual stop in the Saratoga Passage on the eastern side of Whidbey Island in search of food during their long migration.

The Victoria Clipper operates from Pier 69 in Seattle.

Their Grey Whale Watching information can be found at: http://www.clippervacations.com/whalewatching/packages/gray-whale-watching

A 150 year lookout from the edge of Ebey's Prairie

2010-03-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

For 150 years, the Ferry House has nestled into Ebey's Prairie (bottom by Mitch Richards). Old newspaper is still visible lining the walls in the upstairs of the Ferry House (top).

(From "Ancestral Walls" by Sally Hayton-Keeva)

Buffeted by storms, struck by lightning, enlarged by careless carpenters, neglected and, at last, abandoned, this 1860 structure teetered on the doorstep of its own demise. Enter the National Park Service and Nature Conservancy which, in the very nick of time, rescued the Ferry House from ruin.

Old buildings are sometimes the best - at times the only - eyewitnesses to their own history, exposing the past to the present by the testimony of their walls. Architectural elements like staircases and porches leave evidence behind when they disappear, and restoration experts search for these clues to learn what the building looked like during its evolution through time.

Early Spring at the Ferry House

2010-03-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's a beautiful March day at Ebey's Landing NHR. I decided to go for a short walk this morning and take advantage of the early morning light to photograph the Ferry House and the beach at Ebey's Landing. The crisp March air quickly reminded me that I'd left my jacket in my car but the bright sun and cloudless sky hints that the day will be much warmer if I am patient. I opt to leave the jacket where it is.

There was a light frost last night, still visible where the ground is most shaded. The rest of the ground glimmers from the water droplets clinging to blades of grass along the path.

The Ferry House's white paint faded a long time ago leaving weathered gray siding that suggests the house is a natural part of the prairie, that it grew, nutured by land, just as the grove of trees that stand behind it. One hundred fifty years and several generations have passed since the house was first built to mark a new start for Col. Isaac Ebey's children. As I walk around the house, I wonder about the people that have walked through its doors or looked out its windows. I imagine Eason or Ellison Ebey driving the stage to Coupeville for travelers that had stopped at the Ferry House for the night. I picture the women and men gathering for conversation in their separate sitting rooms and guests looking out the window toward Admirality Inlet as they think about tomorrow's business in Port Townsend across the way. As the local highway, the Admirality Inlet must have been bustling with steamer traffic and other merchant vessels.

I spent about a half hour walking around the Ferry House, taking pictures and day dreaming about the past. The sound of the waves lapping the shore of Ebey's Landing, uninterrupted by traffic in the early morning make it easy to imagine I have stepped back in time. A beep from my cell phone brought me back to the present and a reminder that I have more work to do today so I started to walk back toward my car, turning back to look at the Ferry House one last time. The sun was a little higher, shining more light on the house and affirming for me that the Ferry House still has a bright future.

The Ferry House has a facebook fan page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Coupeville-WA/The-Ferry-House-on-Whidbey-Island/332890913105?ref=ts#!/pages/Coupeville-WA/The-Ferry-House-on-Whidbey-Island/332890913105?ref=ts

Wild Fall Ebey's Day

2009-11-17T08:48:00.000-08:00

Photo from an Ebey's Visitor.

Ebey's Forever Conference welcomes keynote speaker Judy Wicks

2009-10-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ebey's Forever Conference and Community Event is quickly approaching, now just 6 days away! This year's conference keynote speaker is Judy Wicks, a nationally recognized entrepreneur promoting local economies through service, community, employees and the natural environment. She is also the founder of Philadelphia's renowned White Dog Cafe and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. The Alliance strives to bring together small business leaders, economic development professionals, and community leaders to promote flourishing local economies. She has won numerous awards including Oprah Magazine's "5 Amazingly Gifted and Giving Food Professionals."

Local film producers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin recently featured Judy Wicks. Check out http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3033909137706747300&ei=MMbpSpbYNImaqAOTwsznBQ&q=finding+solutions+-+movingimages.org&hl=en# to view a preview.

If you haven't registered for the conference yet, head on over to http://www.ebeysforever.com/. Friday's fieldtrips are filling up quickly, and the whole event is shaping up to be an fun-filled learning experience. We look forward to seeing you!

Life on the Reserve

2009-10-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

Life keeps moving on the Reserve. Farmers are busy tilling in the wheat and barley stubble, preparing the fields for a new crop. The beets were mowed a few weeks back, helping to control the weeds- but also reducing the cover for those persistent few pheasants on the run. I saw a male out on a date with two hens in a drainage ditch the other day. Not the most romantic local, but it is out of the way of those strangers dressed in Orange.

We are less than two weeks away from the start of the conference. If you have not registered yet, or know someone who needs to, now is the time!

Orcas off Ebey's Landing

2009-10-25T10:18:00.000-07:00

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve residents and visitors had a special treat twice this week as resident orca pods swam past Whidbey Island along the Admirality Inlet. The pods were heading south early in the week and passed by again heading north on Wednesday, October 21, 2009.

Observers at Fort Casey State Park had a great view of the pods as they passed leisurely by, hugging the Port Townsend side of the waterway.

The orcas have passed by several times this summer, including in July when Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve Interpreter Lauren Gansemer snapped this phot of a J-Pod orca spy hopping near the Keystone Ferry landing.

Fall Is Here

2009-10-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

After a gorgeous weekend it feels like a real Whidbey island fall has blown in. Neither the rain nor the rainbows want to stick around long. With the clouds moving fast, the sun has just enough time to light up the golden straw in the Fields, highlighting the leftovers of the season's grain crops.

The last Coupeville Farmer's Market of the season attracted large crowds Saturday. The Harvest Festival was complete with gourd bowling, an overgrown zucchini competition and the heaviest pumpkin contest. This year brought a Harvest Festival competition record for the heaviest squash, almost tipping the tractor at 1016 pounds.

You may have seen our booth at the festival handing out information on the 2nd Ebeys Forever Conference. Registration continues for both the field trips on Friday the 6th of November and the conference classes on Saturday the 7th. Also look for our posters around town and at our sponsors like Whidbey Island Bank. Where you see our displays you can pick up registration cards to mail in which also have information on how you can register by phone or on the Ebeys Forever site.

Have fun walking the gorgeous trails of the reserve this week, keep an eye out for all of the mushrooms popping up and those few wiley pheasants still hiding out in the leafy beet fields. Hopefully those pretty Olympic Mountains will continue to keep us out of the major rain showers for a little longer. Happy Exploring!

2nd Ebey's Forever Conference

2009-09-02T12:43:00.000-07:00

This November 6 & 7th help celebrate America's rural roots once again. The 2nd Ebey's Forever Conference & Community Event features a new slate of behind the scenes field trips, hands-on workshops, music and a taste of Ebey's - hosted by leading voices in agriculture, historic preservation and sustainability.

Visit www.ebeysforever.com or call 360-678-6084. We hope to see you there!

Ebey's Forever Conference - Nov 7 & 8 - REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

2008-09-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

You can register today for the Ebey's Forever Conference. Click here for the schedule and the registration form. There is limited space and this is sure to become one of Whidbey Island's signature events. The amazing array of partners who are participating in the conference will make this a fascinating and inspirational event.

Field trips, national keynote speakers, community potluck, panel discussions, and barn dance.

Go to the EbeysForever.Com for more information.

Memories of the Bluff

2008-07-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Ebey’s Landing holds so many memories for our family that I will only mention a few or it would take up too much space! It all started for us 28 years ago with one of our first dates. It consisted of a romantic gourmet dinner prepared in secret and carried up the bluff to be set up with wine and music. That summer dinner date was followed by watching many sunsets from Hill Road, walking the beach and building a relationship that would grow into a family of five children. The bluff and reserve have become an integral part of our family’s lives and memories.

Now fast forward a few years to hikes on Mother’s Day and the obligatory family photo op by the “tree” every year, to videotaping school projects, parking a car at one beach (Fort Casey) and hiking to the beach at the bottom of Ebey’s bluff and exploring every inch along the way, spending wintry stormy days watching in awe as the wind rolled the storms in, searching the beach for debris after a storm, finding with delight all those “nose cones” as we call them from left over fireworks to bringing guests and visitors to share the beauty and watch their faces as they take in the beauty.

Every January on my father’s birthday I come to the beach to toss flowers in the water in his memories. We watched an amazing lunar eclipse from the cemetery a few years ago and I thought I felt the presence of a recently departed friend in the crowd. It seems like yesterday when we hid goodies from the Bayleaf on the bluff to be discovered by our daughter and her prom date.

The Reserve is and continues to be a huge part of lives. My spirit soars as I run the bluff trail and my eyes take in the beauty of the mountains, water, eagles and the friends you run into along the way. Happy 30th Anniversary!

Lisa Bernhardt

Prairie Rambings

2008-07-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Today I drove down Engle Rd. through the prairie 3 times. I have driven out there the last 10 years. I don't ever get tired of it. Right now there are 4 inch tall corn plants growing, next to that is a huge field of alfalfa. There are cows lounging around the Jenne Farm and the Engle Farm off Hill Rd. I'm slowly getting the understanding about growing food - keeping it local - organic or nearly organic - supporting our farming neighbors. The Coupeville Farmers market is now full of lots of fresh, locally grown greens for an incredibly tasty and fresh salad. Greens, garlic, onions, potatoes end up in our kitchen and are regularly showing up in local restaurants. At the end of the Coupeville Wharf is the store Local Grown - it shows the variety and abundance of small farms and businesses on Whidbey. Now I'm hungry - time for a handful of miners lettuce. Yum!

Restore your Old Windows - With Help! Free Window Restoration Workshop

2008-06-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

Looking around my home, circa 1886, I can count 3 cracked window panes without getting out of my chair. Sashes hanging down, little cracks, big cracks - I need help!

Windows are one of the most distinctive part of a house. It's great to have windows that fit the look of your house. Original windows in a historic house impart the house's distinctive character.

Before you buy the vinyl clad windows at the box store, why not consider giving new life to your old windows through repair and restoration. And . . . theres help!

Ebey's Reserve is offering a FREE, hand-on workshop for historic home owners all about restoring old windows. The Window Restoration Workshop will be led by National Park Service craftsmen and restoration specialists. It takes place in a barn/workshop - it's not a passive, sit and listen to a speaker workshop. Bring in an old window and get professional assistance and advice on how to make the needed repairs.

Plan to attend the Window Restoration Workshop on JUNE 21 FROM 10 AM - 3 PM in Coupeville. The location is the Reuble Barn at the corner of Fort Casey Rd. and Patmore Rd. Call 678-6084 for more information. See you there!

Penn Cove Water Festival - Canoes, Sun and Stories

2008-05-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at the keyboard, falling asleep after a day of too much fun in the sun. Unseasonably and gloriously warm weather blessed the Penn Cove Water Festival today. Native American competitors from around Washington and BC come to race long, beautiful and suprisingly agile canoes around the waters of Penn Cove.

The weather made this an exceptional festival - a lot of people came to Coupeville. Good food - (we had the bbq brisket and I missed out on the Indian fry bread - dang), amazing entertainmen

t - captivating storytellers, fiddle/violin, Native American dancing, arts and crafts booths, educational and informational booths and the kids activities - my kids made boats from scrap wood, native whale hats and had their face painted.

All of these things are a glimpses of Ebey's Reserve. Old and new, good food, culture(s), natural beauty, fun, art, sport. The Native American stories and dances are about honoring and embracing the natural world, being stewards, looking back as we move forward. What a day!

(time to rub aloe vera onto by sunburned neck).

Mitch Richards
Coupeville

ebey's forever

2008-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:00

I. It's easy to talk about the beauty of this place.

The iconic barns and working farms elevate us.

The deep dark chocolate dirt enriches us.

But some days we have challenges that threaten the integrity of the Reserve

That undermine our community's working rural heritage.

II. In some fields, on top of soils of national significance

Some folks want to grow big, big houses.

Houses of 5,000 square feet to replace

Historic homes of 1,200 or so.

Well, we all want our view, a dream house.

III. What has always been required for the Reserve to succeed is people participating.

This is still the case.

People have to come to the table to participate,

To momentarily set aside individual pursuits for the greater good.

In this manner extraordinary things can happen.

Quaint?

Democracy has always been about optimism.

Sure it's a bit corny,

IV. But the beauty and heritage that surround us today in the Reserve

Is no accident.

And those million dollar views are here because local farmers sold

Their own development rights to protect these farmlands for future generations.

This gives us quite a responsibility.

What's our legacy going to be?

Mark Preiss

Reserve Manager

Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve

Wow, that's some Barn!

2008-04-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

Twice in one week I was in a huge old barn in the middle of Ebey’s Reserve. One night I was dancing at a party with a rock band and a great group of people, average age 60, dancing their hearts out.

The other time was an auction put on by the local Lions Club to raise money for scholarships for local Coupeville kids. We were served soup and bread – in a barn. A farmer was the auctioneer. We won 5 hours of labor from a Boy Scout Troop. $20K was raised.

I’ve heard the Crockett Barn called a “century” barn. I don’t know if it’s because it’s more than 100 years old, or because it’s gigantic, I just know it has become a great place for events. There’s no livestock in the barn, no hay or feed (accept maybe for décor), but this beautiful, solidly built barn has a new life and is fast becoming the best place in Central Whidbey to hold an event.

We have an old barn behind our house. It leans in 4 different directions and sits on dirt – lots of character – just not too sturdy anymore. I hope we can keep it standing – not for dances and auctions, but because it says as much about the history around here as anything.

Reflections

2008-02-26T09:29:00.000-08:00

My first house on Whidbey was on a Cul-de-Sac by the beautiful Compass Rose. Walking down to Ebey's Landing became a nightly ritual for me. Some days when I didn't have the energy to walk the distance, I did anyway. I always knew the prize at the end would be worth it. I sometimes walked twice a day on the weekends.
It is such a comfortable place for me. It knows all my secrets; all my hopes and dreams. It's a spiritual place for me. The beauty of Ebey's Landing brought me through some hard times I thought I would never recover from. It is a place I walked to with my children as they grew up. We had SOME conversations on the way to Ebey's Landing and back.
My first "date" after 3 years of being single, was a walk to Ebey's Landing; as was the first kiss. There were also many picnics at Fort Ebey, our second favorite location. After a time, it was a natural conclusion that the proposal came on a beautiful and sunny Christmas Day - at Ebey's Landing! Followed months later by a beautiful, outdoor wedding at Fort Ebey State Park. How could I not love this place?
We've grown up here, as much as our children have. Once you have experienced this beauty, it's hard to remember anything or anywhere else. And it doesn't let go. My fondest memories are always somewhere within the confines of Ebey's National Historic Reserve. Thank you to those with the foresight to preserve this land.
~Anne Hallam

Night Comes In

2008-02-17T12:22:00.000-08:00

Night comes in
Like a fog on a city bay
A dream that’s still far away
Like ocean rain

Sleep comes in
Like a song in a minor key
The ghosts that are surrounding me
Never going back again

One day
One afternoon
One night
Just to feel this way again

Graveyard on the hill
And it’s filled with the family names
Morning still looks the same
I’m lifted like a veil

Day comes in
Everyone’s got somewhere to go
Trucks rooster-tail this gravel road
Everything leaves a trail

Everything leaves a trail
Around here, everything leaves a trail

Eric Christensen

Cabbage

2008-02-14T19:20:00.000-08:00

I wonder if the cabbage knows

He is less lovely than the Rose;

Or does he squat in smug content,

A source of noble nourishment;

Or if he pities for her sins

The Rose who has no vitamins;

Or if the one thing his green heart knows --

That self-same fire that warms the Rose?
Anonymous

Prairie Winter

2008-01-31T15:52:00.000-08:00

Corduroy stripes of green on black
Tractor roaring forth and back
Gulls' procession in its track

Hills of over-wintering beets
Sown inside their black earth pleats
Plants for seed in August's heat

Winds can howl up on the hill
Or whisper, Isaac lives here still
Or shout, you're here against my will

Gold fields crusted white today
Hedgerows dressed in ice array
Smith farm ponies get some hay

Solitary walker on his way.

Kathy Stella

Snow on the Prairie

2008-01-29T19:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I woke up to look out my bedroom window and see huge snowflakes floating to the ground. A beautiful and rare site on Ebey's Prairie. I was reminded of the first winter I spent here, as a young woman. I had been a "city" girl for years before coming here with my husband, Bill Smith. We spent our first 3 years in California in the Coast Guard, then came "home". Bill was born in Coupeville at Polly Harpole's Maternity Home, left here to attend college and be in the Coast Guard (Viet Nam draft time) and this was his one and only choice to spend the rest of his life.

Almost as soon as we got here it started snowing. And it snowed and snowed and snowed! I haven't seen half as much snow as that first winter 40 years ago. It was 3 to 4 feet, with huge drifts along the road up to Bill's parents place on the ridge above Ebey's Prairie. His dad, Knight Smith, got out the old sleds, sleighs, and some of his magnificent horses. We had exciting sled rides behind the horses and beautiful sleigh rides day and night. Knight Smith was a true character and rugged individual and he loved the prairie and his prairie home. I was privileged to get to know him before he died suddenly in 1970. I believe he would be happy to see our prairie preserved much as it was when he died and to know that his granddaughter grew up riding horses and now is a farmer (albeit an organic farmer!). He'd also be thrilled to know his little great-granddaughers, Knight Renee and her sister Wynter Annette, who are riding their first ponies on the prairie this year at ages 4 and 2.

Its hard to believe I've been here 40 years, and still love this enchanted place. I feel truly blessed.

Renee Smith

A Photo of the Smith Farm taken during the snow of 2007 (L. Richards)

Prairie Snow

2008-01-29T07:40:00.000-08:00

“Snowy day on the Prairie
The children are scary…
Yelling to go
Play in the snow
Quick! Out the door
Number two and number four
Before it starts getting hairy!”

David’s haiku inspired me. Although this is perhaps a bit more “Dr. Seuss.”

Georgie at Willowood Farm

P.S. Nootka rose are one of the native shrub species that once covered much of the Ebey’s Prairie (except the parts the Indians burned to keep their camas fields going) and can still be seen in the existing hedgerows. They have lovely delicate pink flowers in late spring and then these great hips that the birds love (and my children also seem to think are quite tasty, they are certainly a good source of vitamin C…). If you would like to re-establish some of your own, check out the local conservation district plant sale. This particular plant was from a little twig planted about 3 years ago.

Haiku

2008-01-25T15:38:00.000-08:00

walking on the bluff

Olympics covered in snow...

morning at Ebey's

David Day

Is that a ghost?

2008-01-24T13:35:00.001-08:00

Living in a place where history is embraced is pretty cool. Old buildings, prairies carved from ancient glacial activity, the long green Packard driving the streets when the sun is out.
Sunnyside Cemetery (the name makes you almost look forward to going there) in the middle of the reserve, is chock full of history and the early settlers of the reserve. Last May, a dozen residents of Sunnyside came back to life for a living history lesson of the people who lived, died and left their mark on Whidbey Island. One was Isaac Ebey, portrayed by Coupeville Middle School teacher Wilbur Purdue (nice period style beard). Isaac/Wilbur shared about traveling to Whidbey in the mid 1800’s, the first land claims, life with Native Americans and about the dramatic end of Isaac’s life. As parents and as Coupevillians we love this stuff. We haven’t bought our plots yet, but I think Sunnyside is in our (hopefully far-off) future. Mitch R.

January Sunrise

2008-01-24T07:50:00.000-08:00

Ebey's Landing and the bluff are spectacular anytime, but at dawn on a cold morning (25 degrees), as the sun rises and the moon still shines, it is fantastic.

We’d like to keep it a secret, but sharing is nice. Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and the Olympics plus the Cascades and the frozen prairie, you shoulda been here.

Marylu

January Daze on Ebey’s

2008-01-23T16:20:00.000-08:00

What a day. I’ll take one day like this on the reserve for a week of hot and dry in August. (Born and raised in the Pac NW, anything over 70 degrees is too freaking hot). I know lots of folks retire to their Florida and California winter homes this time of year. The dread of a windy, wet winter. Whatever (you wimps!). I’ve never understand the allure of a forever sunny climate. Isn’t it boring? If it wasn’t for those wild and wet windy days, and the many heavy grey days in between, a day like the one in this photo would be nothing more than just another day, mark it off the calendar. Instead, it’s a DAY. Blue, blue sky. Even bluer ocean. A circle of mountains etched in snow. Dark fields, steaming grey mist in the warmth of the sun, blades of winter barley greening as you watch. Bald eagles swooping, spinning, diving, weird high-pitched screams as they get it on in the sky, their yearly springtime rites. So sign me up. I’ll take all the nasty days we’ve had, and all the ones yet to come, just for a day like today.
Signing off from Willowood Farm,
Georgie

Kelp Forest

2008-01-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Ebey's Landing beach is the best spot on the entire island to go for a walk. It's constantly changing! There is always something new! This photo was from one early morning walk in late winter, I had never seen kelp look so pretty. On a different walk I met a young boy walking with his dad and he made me aware of the entire kelp forest at Ebey's Beach. I had never noticed nor thought of the massive kelp bed south of the parking lot to be apart of the beach until seeing it out of the water. The young boy made me realize it's a different forest which is always there!
Beth Graves
bayleaf
101 NW Coveland
Coupeville WA 98239
360-678-6603
http://www.bayleaf.us/

Misty Memory

2008-01-14T15:45:00.000-08:00

I love this barn over on Hill Rd. - the faded green paint, the field it's in. I used to give directions to Ebey's Landing Trail by saying "turn left when you see the green barn on your left and the red barn on your right." I took this picture on a foggy morning in January '07. I'm glad I did, the barn burned down 4 months later. The rubble has been cleared away, but after driving by this barn everyday for 9 years - my memory fills in the void when I look over that field.

Mitch Richards

Inaugural Blog, Happy 30th Ebey's

2008-01-12T18:56:00.000-08:00

November 10, 2008 marks the 30th Anniversary of the creation of America's first National Historical Reserve. I've been hired by the Trust Board to initiate a series of programs during the year and plan a celebration event for November 7 & 8, 2008. My hope for this blog is a site that tells the many stories that make up the Reserve. My goal is 300 posts by November! I'll be soliciting posts from residents about life today and their memories of this place --scanning the cultural landscape of the the people and places that make this place worthy of a National Parks Service designation. More to come!

Lynda Richards