Pictured is the home built by T.C. Van Eaton in 1898, located on Rainier Street.
It was built after there were sawmills nearby for lumber and was the height of architecture in its day and the finest home for miles around.
It had eight room. Most of the cedar and scroll were were hand-planed by Lou Osborne. Mr. Van Eaton also freighted some boards, such as flooring, from Tacoma,
The dimension lumber came from Andrean’s mill at Muck Creek, and the foundation timbers from the Goe and Tomlin mill on the Little Mashell.
At the time it was the highest building in town and situated on a knoll. Originally there was a 110-foot well near the back door dug by Nate Williams with the assistance of Silas Barr, an Indian from Indian Henry’s village.
The small house next to is, toward Center Street, was built by Mr. Van Eaton for his mother, Mrs. Caroline Van Eaton, who lived there for five years in the early 1900s. (History of Southeastern Pierce County)
During the 2009 Eatonville Centennial there was a tour a tea at the home. You can read more about the home today in Dixie and Bob Walter’s article. Just click HERE.
Pictured are Left to Right: Kate Dutton, Nellie Van Eaton, Jennie Miller, Frank, Susie and John Van Eaton.
Eatonville To Rainier 
20 responses to “TC Van Eaton Home — built 1898”
Picture was taken in 1912
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Pat,
My name is Bernadine. I´ve just been reading through some papers of my Father who passed away a couple of years ago in Canada. In one of the books, he writes that his grandmother was named Nellie M. VanEaton. I can´t tell but he suggests she was either from North Dakota or BonAccord, Alberta. Is this any relation to Nellie that you have a photo of?
Thank you,
Bernadine
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Hi The Nellie Van Eaton that was married to TC Van Eaton grew up in Kansas & came to Eatonville around 1907.I don’t think they would be related.
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Thanks for the info.
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[…] Longmire stopped thre on this way to Mt. Rainier, as did the Ohop Valley pioneers and later T. C. Van Eaton and his brother-in-law, Nate […]
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WOW this is so cool i can’t believe my eyes it is so cool to learn about these things
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If you are interested in anything particular, just let me know.
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thats kinda creepy that pat van eaton knows when the pic was taken
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Maybe it’s written on the back. 🙂
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Hi My dad (the baby in the photo) was born 1911 so that’s what I used to date the picture.
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Is that his first wife?? 🙂
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I don’t think so.
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Hi My dad is being held by his half sister Susie.
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Hi That was TC’s third wife the frist two died.
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[…] woman is Hazel Williams, daughter of Nate Williams. Nate was a rough and tumble man who came with T.C. Van Eaton (his brother-in-law) in 1889 to homestead in the new town of […]
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Is this house listed on the National register of historic places?
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I’m not sure. It’s owned by Tom Van Eaton, the original owner’s grandson. I know he added onto the house, but not sure if he ever registered it.
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[…] Van Eaton home has experienced some transformations. Built originally in 1898 by T.C. Van Eaton, it was looking a […]
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My Grandmother was a Van Eaton. I believe that TC was my great grandpa’s (Clyde Van Eaton) uncle.
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My great great grandmother was the person you refer to as Mrs. Caroline Van Eaton. After her husband, Thomas Brown Van Eaton was killed by Indians in 1862, she married my gr-gr- grandfather in 1868. His name was James Tozer Emmerson. She had 5 children to her 1st husband and 4 to her 2nd. She and her husband James actually lived in Magnolia, Iowa, but her son TC had built her a house so when she came to Eatonville to visit, she would have somewhere to stay. She was called Mrs. Caroline Emmerson after her marriage in 1868. She died in Magnolia, Iowa in 1910 and her husband James Emmerson died there in 1912.
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