It may be true in literature that “east is east, and west is west and never the twain shall meet,” but this does not apply to the waters at the southern end of Whidbey Island. It is there that the eastern waters of Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound merge with the western waves of Admiralty Inlet to form the broad expanse of Puget Sound which flows south past Edmonds, Seattle, and Tacoma to end at the state capital, the city of Olympia.
It is there, too, that Mother Nature provided a calm retreat from the restless open sea in the form of a mile-long bay, sheltered by the out-flung cliffs of Possession Point and Scatchet Head. This watery haven is now called Cultus Bay, but in times past it was known as Bailey’s Bay in honor of South Whidbey Island’s first registered land owner, Robert Bailey. He settled there in 1852; beside the Indian village of Digwadsh.
From its earliest beginnings, the north end of Cultus Bay has been the site of a series of commercial operations. About the time that Robert Bailey was moving into the area, Zacheus Lewman had a fish-barreling business going full blast. In the March 1853 issue of the Columbian newspaper (in Olympia) he advertised for coopers to work at his “Skadget Head” fishery, next to the Indian village of Digwadsh. A later article in the paper the following August reported that several coopers were at work there making barrels in which to pack salted salmon for shipping and storage. The salmon were obtained from Indian fishermen. The business ended when the Indians began to move to the Tulalip reservation a few years later.
The next business operation at the head of the bay really wasn’t a business at all but it provided employment for most of the early Cultus Bay settlers, including Edward Hellman, Ed Ellis, Ivan Gardner, Lee Swensen, Elmer and Joseph Jewett, G. G. Tyrell, J. S. Welch, Denny and Chester Walters, and William Doyle. The name of the operation was “Collins-Brownell Sportsmen’s Paradise.” It consisted of about 100 acres at the end of the bay and was started by two Seattle men—a banker named Brownell, and a lawyer, Josiah Collins, the last Seattle volunteer fire chief who had been chief during the devastating Seattle fire in 1889.
They used the land for a private hunting club for themselves and their invited guests—who would come by boat to Glendale, then be transported overland by horse power. They announced to the local residents that it was a “game reserve” to keep away local poachers. A small lodge had been constructed of one-by-twelve-inch boards and it was heated by a big, free-standing fireplace in the center. The property later was taken over by Joshua Green. Presently the lodge is the attractive summer residence of the Green family members.
Ed Ellis started working in 1908 as caretaker for the lodge and he kept a record book now owned by his nephew, Howard Hellman. The records show that many birthday parties were held at the lodge by Seattle folks. They also show that from five to 100 ducks were shot each day, with as many as a thousand ducks counted sitting on ponds which had been built within the reserve.
There was no limit on game at that time but Josiah Collins (who became a state senator) introduced a bill in the legislature to put a bag limit on the shooting of waterfowl. In 1912, a fish pond was built on the property.
The names of many distinguished guests appear in the record book, among them being: E. A. Stewart, A. E. Engle, and F. A. Wing.
Joshua Green joined the group in 1915 and later bought part of the land now owned by Green and Collins. On one occasion forty Boy Scouts were entertained at the lodge. Collins helped organize the Scouts locally.
Another business venture which loomed large on the shores of Cultus Bay was highly productive but not entirely socially acceptable—in spite of the fact that it provided work for many residents. It was called the “Stink Plant,” but its dignified name was “The Sea Products Company Fertilizer Plant.” It was located out at the end of the Cultus Bay spit and its malodorous presence could be identified all over the area when the wind blew in a certain direction.
Scow-loads of dead salmon and dogfish were barged in from Seattle canneries, minus the livers which were sold at a dollar a pound for making vitamins. The purpose of the plant was to extract fish oil, which was shipped to the main-land in 50-gallon tanks for use in paints and other manufactured products. The defunct fish were heated and put in a framework covered with burlap, then pressed to extract the oil. About 15 men were employed in the plant and they literally waded in the hot fish oil during their day’s work. The odor left on their skin and clothes was difficult to remove, even after generous applications of soap and water. The fertilizer plant continued its operation until the middle 1950’s, after which the machinery was dismantled and barged to Alaska. The “Stink Plant” was burned and (according to Gracia Walters) it can still be smelled at low tide around the Cultus Bay area.
There was also another fish operation that was conducted for a time at Cultus Bay. Carl Bergquist, assisted by some of his brothers, had herring traps on the southeast side of the Bay. Herring would swim into the traps through a “lead” made of branches and limbs, then sold as bait to the Alaskan commercial fishermen. There was a larger “lead” next to the herring traps into which the dogfish would swim and they were sold to the “stink plant.” Howard Hellman has the following recollection of the herring traps. “We used to sit on the edge of the traps, which were in six to eight feet of water, and snag the herring with a line which had fish hooks attached at intervals. We’d use the herring to catch big Rock Cod that were always around the traps. If a herring stuck its head out of the wire mesh used in the traps, a cod would bite it off.” These traps were outlawed in the 1920’s. There was a dike at the north end of Cultus Bay which held back the salt water in order to claim more dry land. About 100 acres of rich, flat farmland resulted. The dike was made by “Peg Leg” Anderson and Ed Ellis; using horses to drag dirt from the land above and from the beach. It was a tremendous task but only once or twice when a storm was coupled with extreme high tide has the water flooded over the dike. At the same time that settlers were developing Glendale and Possession, other settlers were filtering into the area around Cultus Bay. Among these was William Jewett who married Laura Bailey in
1890. Four children were born to the Jewetts; Eva Grace, Elmer, Joseph, and Esther. Also among the new settlers were the Bryants, whose daughter Ethel married William Jewett’s son Joseph. She has written an interesting account of some of her early-day experiences with the Jewett family.
“Laura Jewett told me that her father, Robert Bailey, had been the Indian agent for a group of Indians that came from the Snohomish area. Laura was half Snohomish Indian. Mother Jewett, as I called her, also told me that her father had as many Indians as it took to paddle their canoes to go to Olympia for food or whatever was needed. These trips usually took about a month. She also told me that her mother was buried under the large maple tree near the west side of the ranch.
“Before the Ingleside school was built the three older Jewett children; Grace, Joe, and Elmer went to school at Maxwelton. Because Joe could not ride a horse for any length of time, he and Elmer had a plan for riding. Joe would ride a ways and tie up the horse, while Elmer would catch up, take the horse and ride a ways past Joe; then tie up the horse, and Joe would ride again. This was repeated until they reached school. I’m not sure how Grace got there. Esther went to the Ingleside school.
“My first visit to the Jewett ranch was the summer of 1915, Esther and I would often ride to Glendale. Sometimes we would walk down the steep path on the face of Possession and walk the beach, or go clam digging—a great highlight for me. By 1917, we would go to George Tyrell’s small hall for dances. I think Mother Jewett taught about every young man how to dance and she loved it.
“On one occasion, after dancing until late, we were walking the path home (roads came much later). After leaving what is now Bailey’s corner, we took this path to Ed Ellis’s place.
“From there, the path got much narrower, and the trees made it even darker. The Jewetts had two horses. Somehow, from Ed Ellis’s place, I was in the lead, the three of us chattering. No one gave a thought about horses; I’m sure at the darkest place on the trail, their black pony, Tom snorted at us. He was so close to me I’m sure I could have touched him. I’m not sure who was the most scared. Mother Jewett called to them and both horses turned and went home.
“The Jewett boys had a small gas boat which they used for fishing and rounding up logs for the log patrol, etc. It seemed Denny Walters had a seventh sense because whenever the boys were ready to take the boat to Everett for supplies or whatever, Denny would show up.”
The Jewett property, about 100 acres, was sold a few years before Mother Jewett died. Laura Jewett was born February 5, 1874. She died April 11, 1960 and was buried at Bayview Cemetery.
Robert Bailey died early in 1906, and the following interesting document is on file at the county courthouse.
“February 20, 1906, filed February 23,1906 and recorded in Volume 23 of Deeds at page 86 to Nat U. Bailey and Laura Bailey, the remaining children and heirs of said Robert S. Bailey, deceased, and to William Jewett, with the following condition: ‘It being understood that there is expressly reserved for burial purposes sufficient ground where the bodies of Robert S. Bailey and wives are now buried and their graves are to remain intact.’
“By Warranty Deed dated and acknowledged February 16, 1906, filed February 23, 1906 and re-corded in Volume 24 of Deeds at page 59, Nat U. Bailey, a bachelor, conveyed all of his right, title and interest in and to said Parcel 2 to William Jewett.
“In the matter of Laura Jewett, Plaintiff, vs. William Jewett, Defendant, Island County Civil Cause No. 772, Decree of Divorce dated July 10, 1908, filed June 4, 1909 and recorded in Volume 24 of Miscellaneous Records at pages 99-101, awards Parcels 1 and 2 to said Laura Jewett as her
sole and separate property.”
[Note: This copy of the title report has been provided through the courtesy of Gordon Erickson, presently an owner and developer of property along Cultus Bay.]
History of Sandy Hook taken from the title report: “By Warranty Deed dated and acknowledged September 7, 1871, filed September 28, 1871 and recorded in Volume 4 of Deeds at page 16 A. S. Mercer and Annie E. Mercer, his wife conveyed said Parcel 1 with other lands to C. M. Carter: and by Warranty Deed dated and acknowledged August 28, 1901, filed October 22, 1901 and recorded in Volume 20 of Deeds at page 605 Charles M. Carter and Mary Carter his wife conveyed said Parcel 1 to William Jewett (marital status not shown).
“Patent from United States of America to Robert S. Bailey dated November 1, 1873, filed September 12, 1881 and recorded in Volume 5 of Patents at page 163 conveys Parcel 2 above described.
“Title to said Parcel 2 then descends to Henry Bailey, Clarissa Bailey Potter and Nellie Bailey, children and heirs of Robert i S. Bailey, deceased, who conveyed the same by Quitclaim Deed dated and acknowledged …”
Joseph Bailey, born December 10, 1892, died October 6, 1966. He married Ethel May Bryant on March 13, 1919. They had two children; Lome William, born July 27, 1925, and died November 23, 1943. He enlisted in the navy during World War II. He was lost at sea when it was assumed he went down with his ship, the USS Liscombe Bay, an aircraft carrier.
Their daughter, Shirley Mae, married Donald K. Aiderman from Rapid City, South Dakota. They have three children.
Elmer was married for a short time to an Everett woman. They had no children. He was born December 10, 1894 and died in 1946. He was buried at Bayview Cemetery, Langley.
Esther Mabel married Bert House of Everett. They had one girl, Gene. Gene married Dave Hagen. They have two boys and a girl. It is believed they live in Bangor, Washington.
Esther was born October 26, 1900. She lived on the family property until her death in 1979. She is buried at Bayview Cemetery.
Eva Grace married Jack (Jake) Schwab of Everett. They had no living children. Grace was born November 9, 1890, passed away on March 12, 1980. She is buried at G. A. R. Cemetary at Snohomish.