A Little Background
Thomas Cobb (T.C.) Van Eaton came west from Minnesota to found a town. T.C. was led to this site by a Nisqually Indian named Soo-too-lik, later called Indian Henry by white settlers. Just 32 miles south of Tacoma, along the Mashell River, and perched above scenic Ohop Valley, the town site has lived up to Henry's recommendation.
There's little snow or fog, and protection from the prevailing winds by the forested foothills to the south and east. It's often referred to as a “banana belt.” Henry's name was known throughout Pierce County, as a friend and guide. Back in the mid-1800's, the Indian Henry Trail led from Commencement Bay to the alpine slopes of Tahoma, the Indians' name for the sacred mountain called Rainier by white explorers.
Photo taken at Longmire, Mount. Rainier National Park
by Dave Uberuaga February 2008
The major industry that fed Eatonville's growth was logging. Along with that, the allure of one of our country's most beautiful dormant volcanoes has steadily drawn travelers through town ever since the early days. The Tacoma Eastern Railroad arrived in 1902, taking logs from the grandest forests on earth on their first leg to distant markets.
The train also provided passenger service from Commencement Bay to Eatonville and back twice a day for many years. Two years before the citizens voted to incorporate, Eatonville experienced a growth spurt when the Eatonville Lumber Company built a large sawmill in town next to the Mashell River.
A large number of Japanese citizens resided in a close-knit community on the mill grounds, working in the mill, attending schools and participating in many social activities, until they were shipped out to internment camps by federal order after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Their memory endures in the hearts of many of our citizens, and their story is part of our town's history.
When the Japanese made Eatonville their home. Circa 1920s. This photograph of an Eatonville grade school class is not dated. The children are about second or third grade age.
The class could be mixed-grades, as some students are taller than other.
(photo courtesy of Pat and Edwinna Van Eaton.)
These and many other personal tales have become part of Eatonville's first hundred years. We hope you'll enjoy them, and perhaps contribute to them.
Bob Walter, Centennial Committee Chairman, President of South Pierce County Historical Society
