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Articles written by Fred Cruger

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 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    March 5, 2014

Feeling cranky? Maybe it’s the weather, or maybe not . . .

I had a few days last month when I realized that “everything that could go wrong, would go wrong”, including the weather. When my boss called and asked “How’s it going?”, I remained just sane enough t…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    February 5, 2014

110 years of change – and still changing

In January 1904, Ordinance #2 was passed by the town council of Granite Falls, creating the position of “Town Marshal” (Ordinance #1 had created the Town Clerk position), along with a whopping…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    November 6, 2013

So, how tough was it to build a railroad? The first of a three part series

Shortly after the rails of the Everett and Monte Cristo Railway reached their destination in the gold fields of Monte Cristo, Chief Engineer S. B. Fisher wrote an article covering the details of the…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    January 28, 2013

A Look Back

The Museum was recently forwarded a question (asked online): Who were the founders of Granite Falls Washington? It’s for a school assignment and I can’t find the answer anywhere! Well, this can…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    January 7, 2013

A Look Back

Whew! The campaigns are over and the votes have been counted! I didn’t know many of the candidates personally (have met only two or three), but it got me thinking about politicians in general,…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    December 3, 2012

A Look Back

John H. Curtis owned the Granite Falls Creamery and served as president of Granite Falls State Bank. His dad, John Curtis, served in the Civil War before bringing his family west from Wisconsin to…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    November 5, 2012

A Look Back

The USFS and and Dept of Ecology will start the immense task of digging up contaminated rock from the slopes and flats of Monte Cristo, and burying it to protect the public from the dangers of mining…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    October 1, 2012

A Look Back

Many readers may have already seen the blog posting created by Paul Dorpat, featuring Granite Falls, at www.pauldorpat.com. We’ve had a lot of fun tracing the history of our downtown, and gained a…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    June 18, 2012

A Look Back

Steven Parr homesteaded 160 acres, spanning both sides of the south fork of the Stillaguamish River. Near the center of his homestead was a waterfall known as Granite Falls. On Dec 7, 1904, Granite…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    May 7, 2012

A Look Back

Most people don’t realize we had a local coal mine in the early ’20s. The excitement of gold, silver, and even copper mines far outweighed the discovery of an excellent grade of coal near Jordan. The…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    April 2, 2012

A Look Back

"Where Service meets Safety" was the slogan of the Granite Falls State Bank for decades. Built in 1907, the bank stands today looking much as it did when built, albeit with much nicer outdoo…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    March 6, 2012

Creating a waterproof railroad

The recent heavy rains certainly directed our thoughts to flooding, washed-out roads, etc. Most of our bridges today are high enough and sturdy enough to withstand incredible floodwaters, but that…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    January 30, 2012

Remembering Bob Miller

About twenty years ago, I moved to Granite Falls from the suburb of Machias, and made friends with Bob Miller while talking about antique cars. On Monday, Jan 9, 2012, Bob died after a multi-year…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    December 30, 2011

What’s in a name?

No wonder fish can’t get mail! Even if they live and spawn in a single lake, people keep changing the name(s) of the lake! Sometimes, it’s a little hard to know when and why. Early in the…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    November 29, 2011

My, how times change

In the “early days”, packhorses crossed the Stillaguamish near the Falls on a large log. Soon after the start of the 20th Century, a steel bridge was erected (well before there was a…

 
 By Fred Cruger    Granite Falls    November 29, 2011

City and council need public help in making tough decisions

Last Saturday I sat through a City Council workshop covering the 2012 Budget . . . more importantly, it took a look over a five-year horizon to forecast the future as best as possible, given a reasonable set of assumptions about the national…

 
 By Fred Cruger Granite Falls    Granite Falls    May 4, 2010

Mayor and city council should agree to disagree

Dear Editor, Let me preface my remarks by the statement “I like both the Chief of Police and the Mayor of Granite Falls —I believe they are both striving to serve our community as best they can and they both want a brighter, more prosperous…

 
 
 
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