The move from horses to cars didn’t happen overnight. You can see from this picture of Mashell Avenue during the winter of 1914.
Per Pat Van Eaton, this pictures shows a big time of change for Eatonville. T.C. Van Eaton had just sold his store to Christensen. Electric power had reached Mashell Ave.. The two men at the far right are standing where the top rail of the hitching post used to be, and you can still make out the uprights. On the utility pole hangs a sign that reads “Gas for Sale” and there is a hand pump and hose at the base of the pole.
And there is change soon to come. In May 1915 the hardware store will burn down, soon a modern high school will be built at the end of the street and within four years the horse and buggy ear will be gone.
Photo courtesy of Pat Van Eaton.
Click on image to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 
6 responses to “Eatonville Moves from Horses to Cars 1914 (Mashell Ave.)”
This a picture of transition TC Van Eaton had just sold his store to Christensen,electric power reached Mashell Ave,the two men on the far rt are are standing where the top rail of the hitching post used to be ,uprights still there, on the utility pole is a sign that says “Gas for Sale”. The hand pump & hose at the base of the pole. The hardware store hasn’t burned down but soon will May 1915.The high school hasn’t been started yet the trees are still at the north end of Mashell and within 4 years the hores & buggy era will be gone . Picture ca winter of 1914
LikeLike
These are GREAT comments. Thank you!
Di
LikeLike
I don’t want anyone to miss this information, so I’m going to rewrite the post. Thanks.
LikeLike
[…] a glimpse inside the early Eatonville hardware store. The information on the photo says that the stairs in the back lead to an apartment […]
LikeLike
[…] Snow Hotel, built in 1912, was part of Eatonville’s Mashell Ave. for many years (in the lot next to Key Bank). Here is a shot of Mr. C. C. Snow behind the desk. […]
LikeLike
[…] This shot of the old Eatonville Theater taken in the late 50s, taken by Joe Larin, makes the town look like a ghost town. A new theater had been built but this time, just down on Mashell Ave. […]
LikeLike