Issaquah Co Washington, Barlow family

The Barlow Family of Issaquah Co Washington

Many thanks to the Issaquah Co Historical Society for this Barlow family, photograph's and information.
For information on the history of Issaquah Co and it's people, be sure to see their website at: http://www.issaquahhistory.org/default.htm

John Barlow was the son of a Finnish coal miner, but he wanted a more exciting life for himself. Although he was just a youngster when his family immigrated to Carbonado, he struck out on his own to be a cowboy in Eastern Washington.

The glamour of life on horseback soon wore off, but he did find himself a Finnish wife and a career as a farmer on the other side of the mountains. In 1906, the family bought a homestead in the Issaquah area that covered 130 acres from Lake Sammamish to the base of Cougar Mountain.

John and his sons built the dairy into a thriving business, which operated until the1960s. He had the first gas-powered launch on the lake. He used it to take his cream to Monohon, where it was shipped out to Seattle on the train. The water route was much faster than taking the cream into the Issaquah area by horse and buggy.

The old Barlow dairy farm included areas that today are the western parts of the state park, the Mark Frisby Tennis Academy, a stretch of Newport Way, and more than 2,000 feet of waterfront on Lake Sammamish. All three surviving children still live on parts of the homestead, although most of the land has been sold.

The Barlow Farm was located near the southern tip of Lake Sammamish many years ago.
This photo, looking north, shows the Barlow house between 1910 and 1920.

Some interesting points in the photo are the old wagon trail to Factoria in the foreground at the far right (now the
path of Interstate 90 ), the stand of trees on the point in the background ( now the South Cove neighborhood), and
the children's swing in the front yard of the house.

The Barlow dairy farm and farmhouse was formerly located on what is now the south side of I-90 going up the hill westbound toward Eastgate in Bellevue. This photograph most likely dates before 1920, as the paved Newport Way, which is now in the area behind the former farmhouse, is not there. Construction of U.S. 10 in the late 1930's cut the farm property in half. A hand-piled hay stack is located in the right corner of the photo next to the split rail fence.

In this early 1900's photograph, John Barlow and Alfred Kerola are standing on spring boards, as they start the undercut in preparation for felling this large Western red cedar tree with a crosscut felling saw and axes. The location of the tree is unknown, but it is possible it was on the Barlow farm grounds.

Vernon Barlow visited the town in June 2001, and took these pictures in the town cemetery, called Hillside Cemetery.

Elvin Barlow was John Barlow's son, and Clara was his wife.

Theodore was another of John's sons.

The Hailstones and the Barlows intermarried at some point in the past.

If anyone has further information for this family, I would be interested. Thanks, Susan

Checking telephone listings for 2001, Issaquah Co, I find 3 Barlow's in Bellevue's phone book, 38 in Seattle, and 3 in Issaquah.

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