It’s a snapshot of Eatonville in 1954 — not much in the way of housing developments and the mill is in operation at the end of town.
The school is the centerpiece and there is open farmland where today’s elementary and middle school stand.
What was taking place in 1954?
• A guy named Elvis Presley was recording a 10 minute demo in Nashville.
• The first nuclear-powered submarine is launched .
• They were breaking ground in California for a little place called Disneyland.
Photo courtesy of Pat Van Eaton.
Click on image to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 
11 responses to “Aerial of Eatonville – 1954”
I wonder if Washington St. HADN’T been connected to Meridian. People would have had to drive through the heart of Eatonville on Mashall Ave. Maybe Eatonville would still be a thriving town. Connecting Washington to Meridian was supposed to be just a Truck Route ,to keep the log trucks from going through downtown, Now EVERYBODY drives through Eatonville on Washington, barely noticing it, on their way to Mt. Rainier. I bet if traffic was still going through town on Mashell Ave, and had been for the last 50 some years, then Mashell Ave. would be thriving with shops, and not empty, and torn down buildings. Turn Washington St. back into a truck route ONLY, and bring back the cool little town Eatonville once was !!
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I hadn’t thought of it being a truck route. Well, I’m off to spend my lunch money in Eatonville — my own personal stimulus package. 🙂
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If everyone bought lunch in Eatonville, it might help bring the business back !! When I was a kid, only the log trucks used Washington Ave,coming in on Meridian (HWY 161) Just like in “CARS” when the interstate hiway cut off Radiator Springs, Washington Ave cut off Eatonville. Funny how one city block can make, or break a town prosparity. Eatonville now needs a niche, a hook, a special meaning. Like I have expressed on other sites… Make it ART…. with the Art festival already a historical part of Eatonville, make Eatonville the ART center of western Washington. Think ART…Think Eatonville !! fill those empty stores wth art galleries, and antique shops, and freaky hippie shops, whatever it takes to get Eatonvile LIVING again !! The Historical aspect that you have captured will really add to the allure of an “Artsey” Eatonville !! If you Build it, They will come !!
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A little bit of the difference with Eatonville and say some other towns, like an artsy town like La Conner, is that it’s a small, working town. There isn’t a piece that’s the “historic district”. There are a few empty buildings on Mashell at the moment, but the rest of the street is filled with things like barber shop, insurance, drug store, restaurant, automotive shops, movie theater, Postnet, Sears, tavern, fitness center, school — not necessarily artsy or a tourist attraction, but it’s definitely alive! 🙂
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Diane, I was not dissing Eatonville. I just think it needs something unique, and special. Of course I am remembering it as it was when I lived there 40 some years ago, and I only visit once a year. So I really don’t know for sure how well the town is doing. It just seems each time I come back, there is another piece of Eatonville gone. You are doing a great job keeping the spirit of Eatonville alive with your website, etc. Thanks !!
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I didn’t think you were diss’in it. 🙂 I’ve just always liked that Eatonville was a working town and not a tourist destination. Makes is more legitimate somehow. 🙂
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What’s interesting is on the far right middle it clearly shows the HS baseball diamond & the grand stand & the reason it’s not centered on the football field.
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I think the picture was taken ca 1946 or earlier because the lot where Sorensen’s Garage is appears vacant.Another note on ther grandstand you can see the dugouts at the base of it they appear as black rectangles.
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Thanks!! That helps a lot.
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im a college student and I need help about my final exam presentation
My teacher ask me to talk about the triving years of Eatonville can anyone here please help
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The big years were while the mill was in operation. You can look around this website. There are a lot of pictures of the mill and information. Also, there is a book called Firm Foundation, that talks about the town’s history. The entire thing is on the web. http://earlyeatonvillewa.blogspot.com/
If you have specific questions, you can always run them by me. My email address is diane@spilledinkstudio.com
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