EDMONDS — At first, they seemed to be just a stack of files — old ones at that.
But Brian Harding, director of facilities for the Edmonds School District, knew what was in them. He thought it was time to let them go.
The city of Edmonds had purchased nearly eight acres of property around Civic Field from the school district last year to develop a park.
When Carrie Hite, the city parks director, stopped by Harding’s office a few months ago, he told her: “I have some files you might want.”
The files included information about some of the properties the city had bought from the school district.
Hite took them in her arms, but didn’t look at them until she returned to her office. When she did, all she could say was: “Oh my goodness.”
There were three folders with 66 records, many of them printed on thin, yellowing paper.
What surprised Hite was the dates. Many were legal documents, such as deeds and titles, slices of history dating as far back to 1870, when the land was known as Washington Territory. It would be another 19 years before Washington was granted statehood.
The files made their way to the school district’s archive as it acquired property around town.
Hite saw names familiar in the city’s history: George Brackett, who in a 1908 affidavit identifies himself as “the same George Brackett who originally platted the town site of the town and city of Edmonds.”
The city later named land on its waterfront in his honor. Brackett’s Landing is known today for its dive park and scenic jetty.
Hite said she recognized other names from the city’s history, too, such as the Yost family, whose forebear, A.M. Yost, operated a mill on the Edmonds waterfront. The family name is remembered by visitors at Yost Memorial Park downtown.
After digitally scanning the documents, Hite talked to Mayor Dave Earling, suggesting the originals be donated to the Edmonds Historical Museum.
The museum’s director, Katie Kelly, got an advance look by studying digital copies.
“They’re wonderful pieces that tell a great story,” she said. “With these kinds of deeds, transfers and letters, it offers a really in-depth timeline that fills in a lot of gaps.”
Some of the documents include the name Frank Peabody, whom Kelly described as “a very important real estate guy” and one of the founders of the Monte Cristo mines.
The museum plans to display the documents in a new exhibit, “Edmonds in Focus,” which is scheduled to open Feb. 4.
“I obviously love this stuff,” Kelly said. “The ones I have gone through make me smile — you see George Brackett’s name, the founder of Edmonds, there he is.
“It makes you happy that somebody saved these documents and they made their way to us,” she said. “It adds a lot to Edmonds’ history.”
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486; salyer@heraldnet.com.
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