Lester, Washington

Lester was a small town near Stampede Pass, just south of Snoqualmie Pass in King County, founded in 1892 by the Northern Pacific Railway (now the BNSF Railway ).

In their 1892 "Annual Report", the Northern Pacific wrote: "A new yard has been constructed at Lester, on the Cascade Division, at the foot of the maximum grade, with brick roundhouse, turntable, suitable coal chute, and combination station."

It is one of the few ghost towns in the U.S. state of Washington. History states that the town was originally named Deans after the Dean's Lumber Co., but after the establishment of a large depot, roundhouse, coal dock and other steam locomotive support facilities, was renamed "Lester" after Lester Hansacker, a telegraph operator with the Northern Pacific. While the origin of both names is unclear, the Northern Pacific's telegraph call for Lester was "DM," which lends credence to the Dean's Mill theory.

The logging industry in the area remained for many years, starting with Dean's Lumber Co. In 1948, Soundview Pulp Co. established a logging camp at Lester, and later Soundview was merged into the Scott Paper Company. The Scott camp was one of the last in King County, closing in 1978.

The town itself lasted until 1984, when mothballing of the rail line across Stampede Pass and legislation sponsored by the City of Tacoma, Washington, killed off the town.

The area is now in the Tacoma watershed and is gated off, now only open to foot traffic though most of the buildings in the area have long since been burned. Nearby is Stampede Tunnel, at one time the largest tunnel in the country. It was built between 1886 and 1888 and is 1.89 miles long.

The Lester Poem

"Lester", By John Brown, n.d., circa 1920

There's E.G. Morgan going home

He is as good as gold.

A finer man, where'er you roam

You never will behold.

The call-boys coming for you dad,

I guess it's for Number 2.

There's Keywood coming down the hill,

He helped the local's crew.

Heater's a-throwing of the switch

To let them in the yard

While fireman Suanders keeps a watch

That cows don't hit hard.

Old Andy's fixin' up his lamps

Bill Brown goes toward the school

While Liptack 'twixt the rail he clamps

Some accurate measuring tool

There's Herman Ufer taking out

the 1782;

The foreman yes, without a doubt

A man both good and true

Vic Balke's sitting on the seat

A-ring of the bell

Dad Crofutt's climbing to his beat

To let the coal pell mell;

Mark Thomas Shoemaker, Al Smith,

With guns under their arms,

Are telling stories full of pitch

Of shots on many farms.

Kid Emmerton, with Krogel, winds

His way to the Gun Club.

Bill Prince knows radio's ifs and outs

From its outside to its hub.

Harry Nash and Bill Ludwig

Are going home to dine,

Machinist's job, though very big,

Goes with them just like wine.

Verona's goint to the store,And Dousal gallops bye;

Bob Allen's sawing up some more

Good firewood nice and dry.

While Otto Brightshue's working in

His yard nigh every day,

Will never tiresome he;

He loves a joke, one though it soaks

He's got the radio bug within

His bean, or so folks say.

Ed Roach is making garden

And boys, he sure knows how

There's Mrs. Hanson looking for

Her only dairy cow.

Jack Holders cutting his front lawn

And Jackie's there to see

That there the grass is stricly mown

Just as it ought to be.

Fireman Shannon and Dalt Noble

Are plowing with a team,

And very little trouble

The can make an engine steam.

Charlie Sketerhorse, the night cook,

Is bringing in some coal,Sure he can talk like a book;

He's a very hearty soul.

Well I must go unto the store.

Sure Number 2 has gone;

Stebbins has just now passed my door

With letters from his son,

There Harry Taylor goes to see

Karl Manicke, you know, I'll bet its something 'bout a bee,

Or this year's honey flow.

Brother Edwall dressed for Auburn

His lady friends to seel

George Thompson runs towards his nest,

A happy man is he.

George Overton bestride his bike,

And wheels away uptown;

And when it comes to music lads

This fellow is no clwon.

Ed Hawkins greets me at the store,

I like him rather well;

He's strange at first, but at the core,

Well, really he's just swell.

Look Weed and Hanson's talking 'bout

The way they make their Mun--

While Campbell smiles, to him men's wiles

Are source for lots of fun.

And when the snow this railroad cloaks

You can bet he'll set it free.

There's Whitey, Wells and Ed Thompson,

Ah! can't you see them think;

They wish that Old Green River

Was really good to drink.

By gosh! I must get some meat,

For supper-time comes soon;

Here Mrs. Getty, always neat,

Bids me Good-afternoon.

George Pilgrim buys a pound of pork,

His breakfast that must be,

Because at night he goes to work,

The night machinist he--

McElreath's cutting Morgan's lawn,

And Sawyer's mowing his;

Say is this LESTER I have drawn?

Or what is it this is?

John Getty's hauling his supplies

Across from the depo;

And Harry Iverson now lies

Fast, fast asleep I know

Gordon Denier is coming down

To hear the latest news

About the NP and the town

I wish I filled his shoes.

I step into our good hotel

To wile some time away,

Mr. and Mrs. Vetterling

Bid me and all Good-day.

Pete Schmidt has just returned from lunch

Now, boys, he's no man's fool;

In olden days he had a punch,

'Twould knock you off a stool

Frank Smith is off to Easton,

He's hostling there you see;

His word you can rely upon;

An honest man is he.

Richardson gone a-fishing,

Though it's against the rules

A fish for little fishes

In those Green River pools.

Augie Darker with his rifle

Is shooting at the hill,

He's a good shot, that's no piffle,

When the rock is standing still.

Geography

Lester is located at coor dms|47|12|55|N|121|29|64|W|, east of Enumclaw, Washington along the Green River and BNSF Railway line. Its elevation is 1634 feet (498m) above sea levelGR|3.

References

External links

* [http://home.netcom.com/~whstlpnk/dm.html N.P. Ry. A Short History of Lester and Stampede Pass] Article on the history of Lester and the area around Stampede Pass, and the relationship with the Northern Pacific Railway and BNSF Railway.
* [http://home.netcom.com/~whstlpnk/nagromv2.html N.P. Ry. Spelled in Reverse: E.G. Morgan and a Town called Nagrom] Article on the history of Nagrom, Washington and other areas around Stampede Pass including Lester.
* [http://home.netcom.com/~whstlpnk/stampedemp.html N.P. Ry. Stampede Pass: A Virtual Tour, Auburn to Ellensburg] Milepost listing of the Northern Pacific Railway/BNSF Railway line which goes through Lester and Stampede Pass.