This article article ran in the 50th Anniversary edition of the Dispatch. And you gotta love the name of the bull — General Funston.
The article reads:
Young people of pioneer families in Eatonville around 1909 knew nothing of radios, television, movies, dashing into Tacoma, etc., but they were grand old times, according to those we have talked with recently, and they had lots of fun.
A happy memory was the band that made history by going to the Puyallup Fair, accompanied by a 2,300-pound bull, General Funston, that stories tell was gentle as a lamb. T.C. Van Eaton donated the uniforms and the bull was owned by A. E. Dye.
General Funston walked the nearly 30 miles to Puyallup to haul a float, which was probably Eatonville’s first appearance in an out-of-town parade, and the young players joined him, riding to town on the Tacoma & Eastern.
The band and General Funston were photographed on Mashell Avenue about where the Richfield Station stands today. Sitting on the General were (left to right): William Canty, Rudolph Wilson, McKinley Van Eaton, Harry Smith, Happy Wilson and Chet McAllister. The drummer was Sam Hawdenshield and with him were Clare McAllister, Frank Van Eaton, Ad Samuels and John Nagley.
Article courtesy of Pat Van Eaton.
Click on image to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 