Lewis and Clark's Columbia River
Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - "200 Years Later"
"Stella, Washington ... Blacksmith Shop and Museum"
Includes ... Stella ... Stella Blacksmith Shop ... National Register of Historic Places ... Fall Creek ... Fall Creek Falls ...
Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. View from Washington Highway 4. The original blacksmith's shop is the middle building. Image taken January 28, 2007.


Stella Blacksmith Shop and Historical Society Museum ...
Stella, is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 56.5, at the mouth of Germany Creek. The Stella townsite was originally part of a 320-acre Donation Land Claim filed by John Guisendorfer in the early 1850s. Soon after it was purchased by Henry Lawson who established a river landing at the site. A small community, mostly of German immigrants, sprang up during the 1870s, which provided cordwood for the steamboats and assembled log-rafts to float logs to the Pacific and the Portland market. The Stella Blacksmith Shop was built in 1907 by B.F. Brock, a prominent area lumberman. The shop served the community, it survived a fire in 1921, and when the economy of the lumber industry changed the shop changed too. In the declining years the shop became an automobile repair shop. In 1977 the shop was leased to the Stella Historical Society and today it is an area Museum. In 1985 the structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Building - #85003204).
[More Stella]

Stella Blacksmith Shop ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Interior, Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Forge, Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Anvil, Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Hand-cranked Blower, Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Oxen Shoes, Stella Blacksmith Shop, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Stella Historical Society Museum ...

Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Sign, Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. Bunker Hill is in the background. Image taken October 13, 2007.
Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. View from Washington Highway 4. Image taken January 28, 2007.
Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. Image taken October 13, 2007.
Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. Image taken October 13, 2007.
Image, 2007, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Stella Historical Site and Museum, Washington. Image taken October 13, 2007.


Stella Quilt, 1988 ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Quilt, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Quilt made 1988 by the folks of the Stella Historical Society. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Quilt, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Quilt made 1988 by the folks of the Stella Historical Society. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Quilt block, "Steam Donkey", Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Quilt made 1988 by the folks of the Stella Historical Society. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Quilt block, "Area Creeks", Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Quilt made 1988 by the folks of the Stella Historical Society. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Early Stella Photographs ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Photo, Stella after the 1921 fire yet before the construction of the Ocean Beach Highway, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.

The 1907 Blacksmith's Shop is second building from the left. It was built after the 1907 fire.

The one-way bridge over Germany Creek wetlands was built in 1916, replacing one from 1909. This second bridge had a turn-out built into it, for passing vehicles. The Ocean Beach Highway (today's Washington State Highway 4) was begun in 1928 and completed past Stella in 1929.

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Photo, "Cigar Raft" at Stella, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.

Caption on this image in the Stella Historical Society's "History of Stella" publication (1984) says "1896 Cigar raft. Cradle on right used to assemble the 65-foot-wide, 35-foot-deep, 600-foot-long raft. The ocean-going raft contained five million board feet of lumber. Made at Stella."


Three Buildings of Memorabilia

According to the folks of the Stella Historical Society (personal visit, August 2011), the items on display at the Stella Historical Society's Museum were for the most part found in the area of Willow Grove to Wahkiakum County's Cape Horn, were from the logging camps and early homesteads, and were donated by Historical Society members, local residents, and folks interested in preserving history. All three buildings are full of memorabilia, in "as is" condition, and all painstakingly hand-labeled. The Museum was a delightful place to visit.

Logging Camp Finds ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Logging Camp Finds, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Logging Camp Finds, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Logging Camp Finds, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Egg Cleaner ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Egg Cleaner, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Early Electric Washer and Wringer ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Early Electric Washer and Wringer, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Innards, Early Electric Washer and Wringer, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Grain Grinder ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Grain Grinder, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Blades, Grain Grinder, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Potato Digger and Planter (Brock's) ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Potato Planter, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.

Sign on Potato Digger and Planter:   In 1902, B.F. Brock sold timber and went into farming. At that time he purchased a digger and planter. These were pulled by a team of horses. Frand Naglich purchased the two pieces of equipment from Bill Brock in 1960. Donated by Frank and Doris Naglich.
Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Potato Digger, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Potato Digger ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Potato Digger, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


Thresher ...

Image, 2011, Stella, Washington, click to enlarge
Click image to enlarge 		Thresher, Stella Historical Society Museum, Stella, Washington. Image taken August 7, 2011.


From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...

Clark, November 6, 1805, first draft ...



Journey to the PacificReturn to
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*River Miles [RM] are approximate, in statute miles, and were determined from USGS topo maps, obtained from NOAA nautical charts, or obtained from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Website, 2003

Sources:
  • Hitchman, R., 1984, Place Names of Washington, Washington Historical Society;
  • National Register of Historic Places website, 2005;
  • U.S. Bureau of Land Management website, 2006, General Land Office Records;
  • Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation website, 2006;


All Lewis and Clark quotations from Gary Moulton editions of the Lewis and Clark Journals, University of Nebraska Press, all attempts have been made to type the quotations exactly as in the Moulton editions, however typing errors introduced by this web author cannot be ruled out; location interpretation from variety of sources, including this website author.
/Regions/Places/stella_blacksmith_shop_museum.html
August 2011