The East Parcel: Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills

A previous post showed a map from 1916, in which Lake Whatcom Realty Co. is shown as the owner of the East Parcel. A new map found for 1929, posted here, shows Lake Whatcom Log Co. as the owner, and a conversation with Jeff Jewell at the Whatcom Photo Archives suggests that these two companies were probably related.

Lake Whatcom Logging Co. was partially backed by Julius Bloedel and J.J. Donovan, and the company  purchased numerous tracts of land throughout the region, eventually controlling "practically all the best timber in the area," according to this article. When Bloedel and Donovan bought out their third partner's shares in Lake Whatcom Logging Co., it (and its land holdings) became part of the Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills company.

This explains why Bloedel-Donovan was the owner on record when the East Parcel of what is now the Point was platted into Shallow Shores Road. As to why Bloedel-Donovan took this action, a look at its Statement of Profit & Loss covering the period 1920 to 1932 provides a clue:

Source: George Loggie W. Papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies

After being profitable throughout the 1920s, the company suddenly started bleeding red. In a note to the P&L, the company reported, "The lumber industry in this region has been menaced by an ever-increasing tax on timber and timber lands. The timber owner has been forced to liquidate his holdings faster than normal consumption demands, which has resulted in a virtual confiscation by the tax levying bodies."

Having likely "liquidated" its holdings on the south end of Lake Samish, Bloedel-Donovan evidently decided to plat the land adjacent to the lake into Shallow Shores Road in 1932. It will be interesting to learn who the first owners of the platted lots were.

 

Platting of Shallow Shores Road, Part 2

Further to the earlier post about the platting of Shallow Shores, Whatcom County Public Works has come through with the Shallow Shores plat map from 1932, which marks the official creation of Shallow Shores Road (called Shallow Shores Drive at the time). The plat encompassed the East Parcel, which was originally designated as school land.

According to the dedication on the plat map, the land was owned by Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills in 1932:

Know all men by these presents: That the Bloedel-Donovan Lumber Mills, a Maine corporation, authorized to do business in the State of Washington, with principal place of business at Bellingham Whatcom County, Washington, owners in fee simple of the land embraced in this plat at Shallow Shores Whatcom County, Washington, has caused the same to be platted into Blocks, Lots and Streets, as shown on this plat, and we do hereby declare and acknowledge this plat and dedicate to the Public all the streets shown hereon. -- Witness our hands and seals this 19th day of January 1932: Bloedel Donovan Lumber Mills, J.J. Donovan, Vice President. Attest Stewart Matthews, Secretary.

The book 18 Men and a Horse by Donald H. Clark describes some of B-D's operations at Lake Samish as early as 1890:

Source: 18 Men and a Horse, Donald H. Clark, p. 8

"When Bloedel went into the timber to check up on the work, it was easy to locate Mickey [Gates] and his crew; just stand anywhere around Samish Lake and listen!" Clark wrote (p. 196).

18 Men and a Horse also has a photograph of "the Weaver farm," settled on land logged by the company near the south end of Samish Lake:

Source: 18 Men and a Horse, Donald H. Clark, p. 185

From the 1916 map posted earlier, we also know that Bloedel-Donovan was active on the northwest side of Lake Samish.

This Shallow Shores plat map is the first record found of B-D's ownership of the East Parcel of the Point. Perhaps a visit to the J.J. Donovan photograph collection held at the Centre for Pacific Northwest Studies will provide more clues about the company's activities in the area of the Point at Lake Samish.