Chester, Willard and Leslie Doud --Doud Bros. Lumber Company

I came across the above business card belonging to Chester Doud.  On the back of it is scribbled Christmas greetings to my great Grandparents, William and Ella Jane Sherwood who lived in Wisconsin, from Grace and Chet Doud.  I noticed that this card was from when the company was headquartered in Buckley, WA rather than Tacoma.  The three brothers were Leslie, Willard and Chester.   The fact that this card says Buckley means that it was probably written on around 1905. 
Ironically this card was mailed to Wisconsin in 1905 and it has now made a round trip back to the Seattle area almost 110 years later!    Buckley is a small town east of  Tacoma. It now has a long history of logging industry and still has a large logging festival every year!  It's fun to know that the relatives had a part in this.  And the father of Chester, Leslie and Willard -- Chauncey Doud, -- died and was buried in Buckley in 1912. 

So I looked up the Doud Brothers Lumber Company and discovered that according to Robert D Martin, Jr. a descendent of Leslie's daughter Geneva,  "In early 1906 they decided that they wanted to have a mill nearer civilization and shipping facilities (both rail and cargo) and bought a site on the waterfront, just south of the Tacoma smelter. The Defiance Lumber Company incorporated that year with a capitalization of $275,000 and the mill was soon built. By 1907 the company owned 18 acres with 1,400 feet of shoreline and employed 150 men."   There are also photos of the Defiance Lumber business available on the internet from the Tacoma Public Library.

This was Chester Doud around 1920.  He only lived another year from when this photo was taken.  

This photo below and the close up from it above, was taken at Chester and Grace's house at Mason Street in Tacoma. 

On the back of this photo it says "March 21st, 1920." Sam Sherwood (brother of Grace) wrote on the back that the "Doud-Sherwood clan all get together and having a bit of a summer weather decided to have their pictures took". He also said "We were sorry that Bird and Binder could not be with us." The couple in the back right are DEFINITELY Ella Jane and William Sherwood, and the couple in front on the left are DEFINITELY Sam and Daisy Sherwood. I believe the couple standing in back on the left are Chet and Grace (Sherwood) Doud and that the two people in front on the right are Elmer Sherwood (married to Birdette) and his sister Marian (married to William Binder).  The photo says that "Bird" (Elmer's wife) and "Binder" (Marian's husband) were not there.  Elmer's wife, Birdette, was another Doud cousin to these three men so there were at least two connections between the Sherwood and Doud families.

Grace lived until 1959 -- this photo has my mother walking behind her was taken 1946. It's ironic that when I moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1977 that I had no idea that I had distant relatives from the Midwest who had been significant players in the history of the Pacific Northwest.  These included the Doud Brothers as well as the Rhodes Brothers with their three stores in the Tacoma and Seattle area.  But that's another story for another day.  

 

I have a letter from Grace Doud to Will and Ella Jane Sherwood -- written from Buckley during the time they lived there. Copied below:

1904-0214 – Grace Sherwood Doud to Will & Ella Sherwood,

Buckley, Feb 14, 1904

My dear bro, sister and family

            I feel like I had neglected you shamefully for so long and that I must thank you for the picture you send me at Christmas.  I take it down and look at it often and find something new every time.  I think the porch over the dining room door such an improvement.  I hope you are all well this winter.  I never see Lill Cady hardly any more.  So I don’t get the news of Glendale and vicinity.  We have had a good deal of sickness here since November.  There has been seven deaths.  Think of it, in a little place of this size.  Three died of typhoid fever.  There are no new cases for which we are so thankful.  There seems to be a great deal of it everywhere this year.  We are having such stormy weather.   It snows and blows and rains.  This time of year is always our worst part of the winter.  But in spite of that my daffodils are peeping through the ground, in fact a couple of inches high.  Richard is going to school in Tacoma this winter at Whitworth College. He is in his first year of high school work.  Is doing well and likes it but wishes he could live at home, he is a home boy.  And reminds me so much of your Will.  I hope he grows up as good a man.  Roy is like his papa and thinks his father perfect and if he grows up and makes as good a man as his father I shall be pleased and grateful.  Roy is harder to control than Richard.  Susie and George must be getting tall and strong.  I can see them trudging off to school over the road we used all to go when Jack Frost was nipping at my toes and ears.  In those days I little thought I would be away out in Wn [Washington] with boys of my own going to school.  If all goes well Chet and I will see you next fall, but I don’t dare plan very far ahead.  Aunt Grace, Sam and Daisy are coming out here next June.  The mill has been shut down since Christmas.  They have been putting in a railroad for logging purposes.  They have just completed it and commence running this week.  All the mills about here have been shut down so there are a great many idle men.  The first of the winter we had a regular housebreaking epidemic, till finally they put men on the streets at night to watch.  No great amount was ever stolen. 

           

      Bellingham.”  They take in Fair Haven too so it makes quite a city.  Elmer is still fire chief and is as fat as ever.  I am very well this winter.  I weigh 140 lbs which is more than I have weighed since I was married.  We have very good schools here this winter, employ eight teachers.  Roy’s teacher is especially good I think.  Do they employ high school teachers in the Glendale school house and are the Browns living there.  If you see them remember me to them especially Louise and how is Mrs. Dunlap.  I never hear from her or of her and Fred Cutland and family and the Duncans.  How people do come and go out of ones life but never quite forgotten, especially friends of one’s youth.  How is the old farm yielding now, I hope well.  I suppose you have lots of stock and how is your health.  Will, I wonder if you are thinking of me, you seem so near tonight and you know I believe in telepathy somewhat.  Do either of the children like music and where is Dora?  Is she teaching?  I miss Richard so much, he is always at the piano or pegging away but Roy never goes only when he has to practice the Villian [violin?] But he has talent and reads music so readily I shall keep him at it for which he will be grateful at some future day I hope. 

The have changed the name of “Whatcom” to “

            Well, I can’t think of any more to write and guess you are tired of reading this so will say good by hoping to hear from you. 

                                    I am your loving sister,   Grace Doud                         Buckley, Wn

Grace and Chet had been married at the Bride's home on October 18, 1887 and they had originally lived in Pittsville, Wisconsin where Chet and his extended family were living at the time.  They had quite the clever announcement -- the little cards fit into those tiny envelopes.

Alas,  Chester only lived to be 56.  Grace did not remarry, but lived with her niece, Grace Sherwood Pautsch, until she died in 1959 at the age of 96.   The home where Grace and Chet were married and where her brother and sister-in-law lived at the time of this letter was called by the family "Spring Brook Farm" in Kendall, Wisconsin. 

This photo was taken around 1900.  The R. Sherwood parents on the marriage announcement were Richard and Grace (Gulvin) Sherwood originally of England.

 

CORRECTION: After looking at the wedding announcement again, I realized that the Richard Sherwood's  WERE NOT living at the farm at this time.  It was the "Mauston" address that reminded me that after William (their son) and Ella Jane were married they officially rented the farm from the parents and the parents moved out for a few years.  They probably wanted their own lives as much as the newlyweds!  When Richard Sherwood died in October of 1889 (two years later) Grace, his wife, stayed in Wisconsin and moved to Wonewoc, Wisconsin by 1900.  Sometime before 1909 Grace Sherwood, Richard's wife, moved to the Pacific Northwest and she passed away in 1909 in Tacoma, Washington.

Searching for the Perfect Tile - A Coversation on Line

Due to the fact that my husband is laid up after surgery and a bit drugged for pain, I took a journey to look at tiles for the basement (hallway, laundry and bath).  Since I couldn't bring Mohammad to the Mountain (as they say) I am attempting to bring the Mountain to Mohammad.  Hm.. Are we allowed to say that  any more?  I will no doubt hear from the PC police if that is now considered Taboo.

Back to the tile  - Option One

Initially I would say that this is one of my favorites.  I really like the combination.  The gray is the regular tiles. The patterned strip is marble.   

 This camera shot is taken without flash.

 This is with flash to show a different lighting.

 This is a close-up of the marble strip. It lies flush with the tile.

This is the tile  information for reference.

 If we wanted to do the entire area in the marble, we could but it seems a bit like overkill in design AND it would be $18 per square foot -- which seems particularly price for a laundry room :-).

Option Two

 This is basically the same idea, lighter color main tile and more brown marble accents.

 This is a close-up of the marble.  The two marble sections (this option and option 1) would need to be sealed.  The regular porcelain tile would not.  We could also do all brown marble - again a bit much for the space.

 

Option Three

 I have always liked white or at least light colored flooring. What makes it appealing is that it looks so nice and clean.  The drawback is that it easily looks not so clean and is a PITB to keep that way.  Note view with flash and without.

 Since this is a very light gray instead of white, it would make maintenance a bit easier.  I like the black diamond accents. 

Option 4

 Lighting differences above and below. This tile has a little texture to it, but not enough, I don't believe, to be a hazard when we get old! 

 I'm not 100% sure about the pattern of this one. I like the tiles, but maybe not the multiple strips of accent. It might look good as a stand alone tile pattern.

Option 5 - Maybe one, maybe two

 I can't remember now if the tile above and below were attached to the larger tile below these two or not.   I like the idea of accent pieces throughout the larger layout.

 I like these tiles as well.  They are a bit more pricy - about 2.5 X as much per square feet.  

 

Option 6

 Here is another bit pricier tile, but a nice consistent design.

  Option 7

We could go for a smaller tile.  According to sales rep, larger tiles make the space look larger. Smaller tiles then might reinforce the small space area.

 Different combinations of tiles -- I think for example not to be installed in that fashion. 

Examples of different ways to lay the same tiles -- simple esthetics and preference. 

 Well, there you are!  Today's journey to the tile store and options discovered.

Oh, there are other options, but they are rather pricy! 

 We could just go for straight marble!  Pretend we live in a palace or cathedral or the state capitol or maybe even a museum. Well, we do live in a museum of sorts, but not really of the stature of marble furnishing!  Enjoy browsing around! 

 



The Cutting Edge of Printer Evolution

I came across this clipping.  As noted at the top, this was taken Tax Day 1966 at Keesler AFB in Biloxi, Mississippi. Dad - Capt. Robert S. Weber - was attending communications school and looking forward to our move to Germany the following January where we lived in Wiesbaden.  His job was going to be part of keeping communication going throughout American forces in Europe.  He was very stressed at this school and actually spent a great deal of time cramming out in the camper trailer where he was not distracted by the squabbles of his children and honey-do lists that his wife might have wanted done.

 

After this we moved to Germany.  In 1969 when the famous Walk on the Moon took place, we were on vacation and watching the telecast on a rented TV in France at a campground in France somewhere and listening to the commentary on Voice of America.  He was holding his breath that during this historic event that the communications would not go down between England and the rest of Europe.

 

The above has this new fangled electronic printer that can print with speeds of 400 words per minute!  Years afterwards my dad would talk about all his experience with early computers.  He would marvel that we "put men on the moon with less computer power than in the watch on my wrist!."  He loved technology and innovation.  He was glad he lived to see the new millennium but would have loved to have been part of some high-tech wizardry somewhere.  What a fun walk down memory lane!

Hopefully a little closer up for easier reading!  Well - it wasn't very cooperative!

Star the Grout Doctor; Part Two of the Saga

After our first wonderful experience with THE GROUT DOCTOR we called Star again and started the process with the master bathroom. This time we had to coordinate activities because Star was coming back to do the grout work and Clyde from Modern Refinishers was coming after that to re-do the porcelain finish on the tub.  The second part was a longer process but was done the day after Star had been there.  This time she didn't do the final caulking until after the second procedure was done.

 

BEFORE

 The corner of the bathtub had been worn down so that it was rough and there was no gloss left to the finish.  Unfortunately before I could take the photo, my husband did a heroic job of cleaning of the corner, so while you can see the mold in the lower grout, the wear and tear on the tub itself is not too evident.  

 This is the part with the rough, worn finish 

 And here was one of the chips on the finish

So Star came and worked her magic.  Then Clyde came and re-did the tub (the color looks different sometimes because of the flash in a couple of pictures.  But again, the whole thing looks brand new.  We are very pleased!

AFTER

 Such an improvement over the wear and tear on these tiles and tub since 1984 when the house was built. 

 The tiles just gleam and look brand new.  It's hard to believe they are 30 years old.  

 The corner now is glossy and smooth.

 And again, no idea why the wall looks like a funny grid in this photo!

 While Clyde did not do the final caulking when he was done because it had to "cure", Star had offered to come back.  I called her because, as I told her, "You will do it and we will love it.  We will do it and we will hate it and will be very sad that it isn't perfect."  It took her less than 5 minutes and looks perfect!!!

And to show that there was a really special, unexpected and definitive "seal of approval" on her work, when I came to take photos of Star's work, this is what I found. 



 Right in the corner was a "Star" of approval directly from the sun above --

right through the skylight and glancing off the blue-green jellyfish.  I have never seen that happen before, but it was fitting for that day!

 We love our "under the sea" theme in our bathroom and were very happy that there was no damage to any of it through all the restoration process.  Great work, Star and Clyde!