History of Lake Crescent Lodge
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Imagine yourself back in that relatively prosperous time before “The Great War,” when men wore bushy mustaches and broad brimmed
hats and women were still in long skirts and pompadours. Washington had just achieved statehood a few years previous in 1889, and Lake
Everett or Big Lake, as it had also been called, was finally being promoted as Lake Crescent, an up-and-coming resort paradise.
Socially, around the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, wilderness began to be considered “beautiful” rather than “uncivilized.” By 1900, half of
the original forests in America had been cut for lumber, and Americans began to realize that our natural resources were finite. People like
Henry David Thoreau and John Muir inspired a wilderness preservation movement that resulted in the formation of organizations such as
the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the National Park Service. Outdoor recreation became increasingly popular for those who could
afford to travel.
Lake Crescent was ripe for development, and hotels and lodges began to spring up around the lake. Between 1914 and 1915, Avery J.
Singer and his wife Julia built Singer’s Lake Crescent to be a fishermen’s resort that could only be reached by water. An advertisement for
Lake Crescent Tavern in the July 1915 issue of Sunset Magazine announced “A brand new complete health and pleasure resort makes its
initial bow to the public.”
The original lodge was a two-and-one-half-story wood frame building located on Barnes Point, just east of the mouth of Barnes Creek. It
was designed with a comfortable lobby, dominated by a large stone fireplace. A long veranda, running the length of the building on the side
facing the lake, was later enclosed with numerous muntin-paned windows. The original dining room was once where the gift shop is now
located. Later, a row of wood-frame cottages and a second grouping of temporary canvas and framed tent cabins were added to expand the
lodging options.
Before the Olympic Highway was extended along the south shore of the lake in 1922, guests were transported by ferryboat from the East
Beach dock, which prior to the 1920’s, was the terminus of the road from Port Angeles.
In 1927, the Singers sold their property, and the lodge changed ownership several more times before finally being sold, in 1951, to the
National Park Service. Sadly, over the years, most of the original resorts around the Lake have been lost to fire or old age.
hats and women were still in long skirts and pompadours. Washington had just achieved statehood a few years previous in 1889, and Lake
Everett or Big Lake, as it had also been called, was finally being promoted as Lake Crescent, an up-and-coming resort paradise.
Socially, around the mid-1800s to the early 1900s, wilderness began to be considered “beautiful” rather than “uncivilized.” By 1900, half of
the original forests in America had been cut for lumber, and Americans began to realize that our natural resources were finite. People like
Henry David Thoreau and John Muir inspired a wilderness preservation movement that resulted in the formation of organizations such as
the Sierra Club, the Audubon Society and the National Park Service. Outdoor recreation became increasingly popular for those who could
afford to travel.
Lake Crescent was ripe for development, and hotels and lodges began to spring up around the lake. Between 1914 and 1915, Avery J.
Singer and his wife Julia built Singer’s Lake Crescent to be a fishermen’s resort that could only be reached by water. An advertisement for
Lake Crescent Tavern in the July 1915 issue of Sunset Magazine announced “A brand new complete health and pleasure resort makes its
initial bow to the public.”
The original lodge was a two-and-one-half-story wood frame building located on Barnes Point, just east of the mouth of Barnes Creek. It
was designed with a comfortable lobby, dominated by a large stone fireplace. A long veranda, running the length of the building on the side
facing the lake, was later enclosed with numerous muntin-paned windows. The original dining room was once where the gift shop is now
located. Later, a row of wood-frame cottages and a second grouping of temporary canvas and framed tent cabins were added to expand the
lodging options.
Before the Olympic Highway was extended along the south shore of the lake in 1922, guests were transported by ferryboat from the East
Beach dock, which prior to the 1920’s, was the terminus of the road from Port Angeles.
In 1927, the Singers sold their property, and the lodge changed ownership several more times before finally being sold, in 1951, to the
National Park Service. Sadly, over the years, most of the original resorts around the Lake have been lost to fire or old age.
Over the years, Lake Crescent Lodge has hosted Congressmen, Senators, Cabinet Secretaries and such well-known guests as President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and First Lady Laura Bush.
Though additional buildings have been added to the campus, the Lodge itself has remained essentially the same and is a living history
reminder of simpler times and pastimes.
Lake Crescent Lodge and the Creation of Olympic National Park
Lake Crescent Lodge played a supporting role in the final decision to designate much of the Olympic Peninsula as a national park.
Though the Olympic Peninsula has been inhabited for approximately 12,000 years, European explorers did not visit the area until 1788.
Spain established a settlement near Neah Bay in 1781, but the rugged topography and dense vegetation made the park area somewhat
impenetrable. For example, the mountains were not crossed until the Press expedition in 1889, and Mt. Olympus not climbed until 1907.
The first suggestion for turning the entire area into a park was made by Lt. Joseph P. O’Neill, who explored here in the years between
1885 and1890; O’Neill could see no other use for this rugged land. In 1887, Grover Cleveland designated the area as the Olympic Forest
Preserve, and, in 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt changed its designation to “National Monument.”
Following the urging of local dignitaries and citizens promoting the idea of a national park, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the area
in 1937. After arriving in Port Angeles by ship, the President with his family and staff then travelled to Lake Crescent by car.
According to local resident Mary Lou Hanify,
The dinner menu at Lake Crescent Tavern (now Lake Crescent Lodge) was regional: Olympic Blackberry Jam, Olympia Oyster
Cocktails, Dungeness Crab, Young Puget Sound Turkey, Prime Rib of Washington Beef, Grays Harbor Cranberry Sherbet and Olympic
blueberry or Wild Blackberry Pie.
The presidential party left Lake Crescent the next morning at 9:15 after a breakfast of Washington apple juice, Washington peaches
and cream, Sequim ham and Lake Crescent trout. The trout had been caught by Port Angeles schoolboy Willis Welsh and two friends,
for whom the state Department of Game opened a closed stream, Barnes Creek, by special permission.
The visitors passed under a huge American flag as they drove away from Lake Crescent. The excitement continued as people from
communities west of the Olympic Mountains greeted the President with unique demonstrations representative of their area.
This included the topping of a huge Douglas fir tree by a young Forks logger named Fred Wilson, who was congratulated by the
President and his grandchildren.
A simulated forest fire and emergency fire-fighting action were demonstrated at Snider Ranger Station. A pair of towering totem poles
were erected by the Indian Service at the northern boundary of the Quinault Indian reservation. Washington Governor Clarence D.
Martin joined the presidential party at the Lake Quinault Hotel (now Lake Quinault Lodge), where a salmon lunch was served.
School children of the Taholah Indian Agency flashed large cards, each bearing a letter to spell out “Taholah Indian School.” Two war
canoes filled with warriors waited at the bridge, and as the caravan passed by the President, paddles were dipped and the canoes shot
forward with great speed.
Evidently, the proper impression was made and, though National Park negotiations continued for the next several months, the final bill
creating Olympic National Park was signed on June 29, 1938.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas, US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and First Lady Laura Bush.
Though additional buildings have been added to the campus, the Lodge itself has remained essentially the same and is a living history
reminder of simpler times and pastimes.
Lake Crescent Lodge and the Creation of Olympic National Park
Lake Crescent Lodge played a supporting role in the final decision to designate much of the Olympic Peninsula as a national park.
Though the Olympic Peninsula has been inhabited for approximately 12,000 years, European explorers did not visit the area until 1788.
Spain established a settlement near Neah Bay in 1781, but the rugged topography and dense vegetation made the park area somewhat
impenetrable. For example, the mountains were not crossed until the Press expedition in 1889, and Mt. Olympus not climbed until 1907.
The first suggestion for turning the entire area into a park was made by Lt. Joseph P. O’Neill, who explored here in the years between
1885 and1890; O’Neill could see no other use for this rugged land. In 1887, Grover Cleveland designated the area as the Olympic Forest
Preserve, and, in 1909, President Theodore Roosevelt changed its designation to “National Monument.”
Following the urging of local dignitaries and citizens promoting the idea of a national park, President Franklin D. Roosevelt visited the area
in 1937. After arriving in Port Angeles by ship, the President with his family and staff then travelled to Lake Crescent by car.
According to local resident Mary Lou Hanify,
The dinner menu at Lake Crescent Tavern (now Lake Crescent Lodge) was regional: Olympic Blackberry Jam, Olympia Oyster
Cocktails, Dungeness Crab, Young Puget Sound Turkey, Prime Rib of Washington Beef, Grays Harbor Cranberry Sherbet and Olympic
blueberry or Wild Blackberry Pie.
The presidential party left Lake Crescent the next morning at 9:15 after a breakfast of Washington apple juice, Washington peaches
and cream, Sequim ham and Lake Crescent trout. The trout had been caught by Port Angeles schoolboy Willis Welsh and two friends,
for whom the state Department of Game opened a closed stream, Barnes Creek, by special permission.
The visitors passed under a huge American flag as they drove away from Lake Crescent. The excitement continued as people from
communities west of the Olympic Mountains greeted the President with unique demonstrations representative of their area.
This included the topping of a huge Douglas fir tree by a young Forks logger named Fred Wilson, who was congratulated by the
President and his grandchildren.
A simulated forest fire and emergency fire-fighting action were demonstrated at Snider Ranger Station. A pair of towering totem poles
were erected by the Indian Service at the northern boundary of the Quinault Indian reservation. Washington Governor Clarence D.
Martin joined the presidential party at the Lake Quinault Hotel (now Lake Quinault Lodge), where a salmon lunch was served.
School children of the Taholah Indian Agency flashed large cards, each bearing a letter to spell out “Taholah Indian School.” Two war
canoes filled with warriors waited at the bridge, and as the caravan passed by the President, paddles were dipped and the canoes shot
forward with great speed.
Evidently, the proper impression was made and, though National Park negotiations continued for the next several months, the final bill
creating Olympic National Park was signed on June 29, 1938.
Spirits of the Lake
Of course, all the stories of the Lake and its inhabitants are not always cheerful and positive. The area has certainly seen its tragedies.
The first is a tale of mysterious disappearance and orphans. On July 3, 1929, Russell Warren picked up his wife Blanch, who had been a
patient at the Port Angeles hospital. In his 1927 Chevrolet were a new washing machine and a box of groceries. The couple’s two sons,
13-year-old Frank and 11-year-old Charles were at home in Forks waiting for their parents.
For the next 73 years no one ever knew why and to where the two had disappeared. The two boys were raised by their grandmother. Then,
divers came upon the car containing a bundle of cloth and a 13-jewel brooch. Though the bodies were long gone, possible bone fragments
were tested against DNA of Charles’ son, and the mystery was finally solved.
The “Lady of the Lake” is an exciting tale of intrigue and exceptional police investigative work. Hallie Illinworth, a waitress in the dining
room of Lake Crescent Tavern disappeared in December of 1937. On July 6, 1940, a body was discovered floating on the lake. The face
was unrecognizable, but the body had been preserved by the cold water and had been saponified (turned into a waxy-soapy substance
due to a chemical reaction between the alkali in the water and the fat in the body). Thanks to a custom-made dental plate, the body was
identified and Hallie’s husband Monty was finally charged and brought to justice. Monty had strangled and beaten Hallie, tied her in a
blanket, weighted it, and dumped her into the water, where the “bundle” had remained for several years. He then took up with another
woman and moved to California. Hallie’s close family always insisted she would never have left without contacting them. The terms of
justice were limited, however, and after ten years in jail, Monty was paroled, for good behavior, on January 10, 1951.
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, a number of vehicles have driven into the lake over the years. As you head west on Highway 101
from Lake Crescent Lodge, just past the La Poel picnic area, is a sharp turn with a small pull-out that is commonly named Ambulance Point.
An ambulance missed the corner and landed in the lake. Both attendants were able to escape the sinking vehicle but the man with a broken
leg they were transporting from Forks to Port Angeles was fastened to the gurney and drowned.
Who knows what other secrets are still buried in the depths of the lake.. You may ask: Do these spirits and maybe more still linger
near here?
Of course, all the stories of the Lake and its inhabitants are not always cheerful and positive. The area has certainly seen its tragedies.
The first is a tale of mysterious disappearance and orphans. On July 3, 1929, Russell Warren picked up his wife Blanch, who had been a
patient at the Port Angeles hospital. In his 1927 Chevrolet were a new washing machine and a box of groceries. The couple’s two sons,
13-year-old Frank and 11-year-old Charles were at home in Forks waiting for their parents.
For the next 73 years no one ever knew why and to where the two had disappeared. The two boys were raised by their grandmother. Then,
divers came upon the car containing a bundle of cloth and a 13-jewel brooch. Though the bodies were long gone, possible bone fragments
were tested against DNA of Charles’ son, and the mystery was finally solved.
The “Lady of the Lake” is an exciting tale of intrigue and exceptional police investigative work. Hallie Illinworth, a waitress in the dining
room of Lake Crescent Tavern disappeared in December of 1937. On July 6, 1940, a body was discovered floating on the lake. The face
was unrecognizable, but the body had been preserved by the cold water and had been saponified (turned into a waxy-soapy substance
due to a chemical reaction between the alkali in the water and the fat in the body). Thanks to a custom-made dental plate, the body was
identified and Hallie’s husband Monty was finally charged and brought to justice. Monty had strangled and beaten Hallie, tied her in a
blanket, weighted it, and dumped her into the water, where the “bundle” had remained for several years. He then took up with another
woman and moved to California. Hallie’s close family always insisted she would never have left without contacting them. The terms of
justice were limited, however, and after ten years in jail, Monty was paroled, for good behavior, on January 10, 1951.
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, a number of vehicles have driven into the lake over the years. As you head west on Highway 101
from Lake Crescent Lodge, just past the La Poel picnic area, is a sharp turn with a small pull-out that is commonly named Ambulance Point.
An ambulance missed the corner and landed in the lake. Both attendants were able to escape the sinking vehicle but the man with a broken
leg they were transporting from Forks to Port Angeles was fastened to the gurney and drowned.
Who knows what other secrets are still buried in the depths of the lake.. You may ask: Do these spirits and maybe more still linger
near here?
