Ellens-Lore
Story by Gunner Stuns | Design by Maddy Larson | Photos by Jakob Burnham
You find yourself in the heart of downtown, taking in the sights and sounds, leaving the new familiarity of the Central campus behind. There’s a bull sculpture, buildings straight out of a western and more scattered monuments than you can count. The question on your mind is why. Why are these things here? Clearly, there are stones to be unturned. No matter how potentially mundane or incredible, you have to know the truths behind the clues.
Local Librarian and Historian, RJ Woods, has some answers. Having grown up in Ellensburg and with both sides of his family doing the same for generations, Woods has wondered many of the same questions. Using research tools from the Ellensburg library, Woods is able to shed some light on some of these historical facts.
What’s In A Name?
The town of Ellensburg came from humble beginnings. Among the first structures to reside in what would become the town of today was called Robber’s Roost Trading Post.
“It was a cabin built by a gentleman that was then purchased by A.J. Splawn,” says Woods, “It’s actually in a book that he wrote called ‘Ka-MI-Akin’. We have multiple copies here at the library.”
Woods goes on to state that at the time, there were only around a dozen families of European descent living in the valley, meaning that most of the trading Splawn was doing at his business was with indigenous tribes, such as the Kittitas and the Yakama bands. But, that was only just the beginning.
“From there it grew,” Woods explains, “He took the site of the trading post, set out a street grid and that’s where the town began.”
But not where it got its name. Though A.J. Splawn may have been the one who set up the trading post, he was not the soon-to-be town’s founder. Woods clarifies that honor belongs to one John A. Shoudy.
“Splawn sold Robber’s Roost to a man named Shoudy, who named the town [after] his wife, Ellen” he elaborates, “That laid the foundation and everything sprung up from there.”
Extra Source: City of Ellensburg Website
Stoked Flames
Initially, Ellensburg experienced booming growth. So much that it was even in the running to become the State Capital, but this wouldn’t come to pass. Instead, the original town was ravaged by a fire in 1889. Woods describes the impact of the fire as “dramatic.”
“Most of the town burned, most of it was wood” he says, “You can actually see just wandering around downtown the results of the rebuild. Most of the buildings down there are brick. So, I think from an architectural standpoint, there’s a lot of carryover from that period.”
Still, the question remains– where did such a devastating fire start? According to Woods, there are some theories as to how the big blaze began.
“I don’t know if this is true, but the rumor goes that citizens of Yakima came up here and intentionally set the fire so that we wouldn’t get [the State Capital] because we were more centrally located.”
Woods clarifies that most of this is speculation. He acknowledges that throughout his research into older books and articles there are hints that the fire may have been intentionally set, but nothing is confirmed.
“I even heard from another gentleman saying that it was people from Olympia that came over. So, it’s rumor mill stuff” Woods goes on to say.
The fact that Ellensburg missed out on potential State Capital status thanks to the fire is undeniable. That isn’t to say the story ends in total tragedy.
“We didn't get the state capital, but we did get Central instead” Woods notes, “That was kind of our consolation prize. Setting up the teaching college.”
The Infamous Mel’s Hole
Not all local history is so cut-and-dry. In a 1997 radio broadcast, a man called Mel Waters describes a supposedly bottomless hole with supernatural properties that exists somewhere in the Ellensburg area. When asked for a historian’s perspective on the legend, Woods made his position more skeptical.
“Yes, I have heard of Mel’s Hole. That was something I hadn’t heard of growing up here” he says, “Urban legends are fun. If you’re asking if I actually believe it, no”.
Woods goes on to say that while it is possible that a deep sinkhole could exist somewhere nearby, he finds it more difficult to stretch the imagination when one considers the attributes the mythic hole has been given since its initial report, which Woods has heard range from government conspiracies to things straight out of “Journey To The Center of The Earth.” However, it’s not always fun and games.
“The last time someone came in [asking about Mel’s Hole], we found out that a prior person actually absconded with our research file on it” Woods says, “We’ve since found a backup copy, but it’s not publicly accessible anymore, which is sad. The point of a library is to be able to provide information and in this regard, we are no longer able to do so.”
Despite this turn of events, Woods still encourages people to explore and search for the mythical bottomless hole.
“You know, if someone wants to go out in the woods to explore and try to find it, by all means. Spend some time outside.”
Extra Source: Mel's Hole.org
Exploring Further
Throughout downtown Ellensburg, there’s plenty to find regarding local history or facts. Some places that Woods recommends to check out are the Davidson building, the Clymer art museum, and the Kittitas county historical museum. For those pieces of history that failed to withstand the test of time though, Woods invites readers to the Ellensburg Public Library.
“We've got a lot of photos of some of the older things around if that sort of thing is interesting.”
Woods also encourages people who may not have seen the local art sculptures to head downtown and take a gander.
“If you're downtown, go to the Plaza and take a look at the bull statue. You know, when that was first installed, it didn't have a cowboy hat. I'll just leave it at that” he says.
There’s a lot to see and consider. When asked what he thought was most interesting about Ellensburg history, Woods shares that one of his favorite aspects about it is that there’s always been something new for even him to learn.
“Even though I've lived here for three quarters of my life, I am still learning new things that I never knew about growing up. So, that I’ve been enjoying.”