C

Carlson

Frans Gustav (“Gus”) Carlson was born in Sweden in 1864. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1885, arriving in Burlington, Iowa, where his sister lived. He moved to North Dakota and met Anna Matilda Munson, another Swedish immigrant. Gus followed Anna to Tacoma in 1890. They married and had the first four of six children: Carl (“Oscar”), Elvira (Elve), Lillian and Leonard. The last two girls, Helen and Margaret, were born after the family moved to Cromwell. Both Lillian and Helen died during the flu epidemic of 1918. Helen, only 13 years old, died on Christmas Eve. Lillian, 23, died on New Year’s Eve. Gus purchased 10-accres in East Cromwell, including 1200 feet of beach frontage, for $750. He later purchased 8 more acres. The farm was self-supporting. They grew cherries, strawberries, tomatoes and other crops for market in Tacoma. Oscar delivered the produce to the 6th Ave. ferry landing, rowing “the Swedish way” across the Narrows – standing at the bow of the boat and rowing with one paddle. Sometimes his sister Elve would join him. Once, when they were returning from Tacoma, a heavy fog blocked their view. When they finally spotted the shore, Elve jumped out of the boat and, while holding the end of a rope tied to the boat, walked along the shore as Oscar rowed until they found their home. Gus Carlson helped build the Cromwell Grade School in 1902. The building is still standing, now the home of the Gig Harbor Grange. In 1920, Gus deeded 60 feet of his waterfront property to the county so that a ferry landing could be built. The dock was in use until the opening of the first Tacoma Narrows Bridge. When the county decided to build roads on the Peninsula, Gus was foreman of the project. Oscar worked alongside him. Gus died tragically in 1927 while constructing the Pt. Fosdick ferry dock. He was killed instantly when a piling hanging from the crane struck him in the head. Anna remained in Cromwell. As her granddaughter Arlene put it, “She was of tough Swedish stock,” keeping up the farmhouse, repairing the buildings and even building a cottage which she sometimes rented out. She remained strongly independet throughout the remainder of her life. (source: Arlene Hansen [Oscar’s daughter], Ted Bartholemew [Elve’s son]) GHPHS

Carlson

Born in Gig Harbor to Swedish parents, John & Lydia, Phillip worked on their homestead farm above the harbor and delivered the mail to earn his way through college. He proposed to his wife Thelma at the foot of Mt. Rainier and achieved a PhD in physics from Univ. of WA. As a professor at Pasadena College, he inspired young people, many of whom were soldiers returning home from WWII. He also worked as a physicist at Lockheed Aircraft and invented the concept of Aero-Electric Power. Upon retirement Phillip and Thelma opened their home to Fuller Theological Seminary graduate students from many foreign countries. On the occasion of their 50th anniversary they returned to Mt. Rainier and climbed the rocky trails to Pinnacle Peak, commemorating their honeymoon. After almost 70 years of happy marriage, Thelma passed away at age 99. Phillip died just one month later. They are survived by their children Cheryl, Bruce and Fawnia, and their many grandchildren. (source: The Los Angeles Daily News, 7/26/09)

Castelan

Nicholas Castelan travelled to the Peninsula from the Isle of Miljet, off the coast of Croatia. He sent home for his bride-to-be, Jela (Ella) Markovich, who came to marry him in 1903. He became a member of the local fishing fleet, fishing throughout the Puget Sound. His boats included the Union, Monarch, St. Joseph and the Editor. The couple’s first home still stands on Harborview Drive. They had seven children: Polema, Mary, Ann, Rachael, Pauline, Michael and Nicholas Jr. Polema died in an accidental fire when she was five years old. The other girls all grew up to marry fishermen. Nicholas aided in the construction of the original St. Nicholas Church in 1913. He operated a net-tarring business for the local fishermen, but died young, at age 47. Jela’s brother, Marko, joined the family to help raise the children. Jela is said to have never recovered from the loss of her daughter and husband. The couple’s sons, Mike and Nick, became fishermen and held an interest, along with their uncle and John Jerkovich, in the boats Pacific Raider and Corregidor. Mike and Marko were also partners in the Two Brothers and Corregidor II. GHPHS

Cherry

Joseph and Martha Cherry were married in Walla Walla, Washington and lived in Dayton, Colfax, Seattle, Tacoma and Steilacoom before settling in Rosedale, Gig Harbor. Martha’s brothers, George, Elijah, Nordyke (“Dyke”) and Jonathan moved to Rosedale with them. Apparently, Martha agreed to the move on the condition that her brothers attend church regularly. The bargain was short lived. One foggy morning they grounded their rowboat on a submerged rock and had to wait quite awhile before the tide returned and they could float off. That was the end of going to church. (source: Rosedale, Ellen Gauthier) GHPHS

Claussen

When steamboating was in its heyday on the Puget Sound, a number of women worked on the boats, usually as pursers or cooks. Only a handful of women operated their own craft. Elsie Claussen was one of them. When her father, Herman Claussen, died in 1930, Elsie replaced him as captain of the passenger launch, the Elsie C II. To the year-round residents at Sunrise Beach, the waters of Colvos Passage were as familiar to them as their front yards. It was easier to take a boat to Tacoma than to go overland to Gig Harbor. Elsie made the run on weekends between the Pavilion at Point Defiance Park and the three docks at Sunrise Beach. Many people from Tacoma rented cottages at Sunrise Beach. In the summertime, the Elsie C II made the round-trip daily. Elsie was a recognized personality along the Tacoma waterfront, known as a determined young woman who accomplished anything she set out to do. No one was surprised when she took over her father's business. For four years she ran the service, occasionally including trips to Vashon Island or taking passengers on other excursions. In 1934, fire destroyed her boat. Captain Elsie ordered a new boat, a 56-foot passenger launch. Elsie C III was completed in 1935. Sadly, Elsie did not live long enough to put the boat into service. Shortly after taking it on a trial run, she died. HHMA

Clay

Orville Clay was a doctor with an established medical practice before moving to Warren, Gig Harbor. According to neighbors, he came for his own health, on the advice of a colleague. Orville and his wife Elizabeth had two children, Charles and Elizabeth. In his new home, he delivered several of his neighbors’ children – including the three eldest of Clifford and Anna Pearson. On the Clay farm, the family raised a cow and chickens. Neighbor Philip Pearson built the chicken coop and Ralph Pearson worked for Dr. Clay caring for the chickens. The Clays had an extensive orchard. Most of their trees were red gravestein apples. The Clays were a family of “firsts.” Their well was believed to be the first drilled in Warren, and was one of the deepest. They were also the first to have electricity in their home. They had a gas engine and a generator to run several electrical appliances, including a toaster, an iron and lights. They were also one of the first families in Warren to have an automobile, an old Dodge touring car. Son Charles had a printing business over the family garage. He printed Gig Harbor Union High School’s first year-book, the PERCLAWAM (an acronym for the grade schools that fed into Union High School: Purdy,Elgin, Rosedale, Crescent Valley, Lincoln, Arletta, Wauna, Artondale & Midway). His boat also had the first outboard motor boat in the area (source: Ralph Pearson) GHPHS

Cruver

Lewis Cruver was born in Iowa, one of 10 children. His parents moved the family to Minnesota, where they established a homestead. There they hosted a traveling preacher from England, Thomas Wilkinson, and his two children Willam and Louisa. Lewis was instantly smitten when he met Louisa and the two were married when she was 16. Lewis and Louisa moved to the Dakota Territory for a time, then to Tacoma in 1888. They were joined by Louisa’s father and brother, and several of Lewis’ brothers – Joe, Horace & Marvin. Lewis and his brother-in-law William established a dairy business. In 1898, Lewis, Louisa and the Wilkinsons moved to Gig Harbor. The Wikinsons established another dairy farm, while Lewis turned to logging, worked on steamboats, and eventually opened his own gas station. GHPHS