I started writing for the Courier-Herald in March and didn’t spend much time on the Plateau before that. The opportunity to participate in this year’s ‘Best Of’ edition was an excellent way to acquaint myself with the area on an intimate level. I’m a firm believer that the future cannot be paved without properly analyzing, understanding and appreciating the past. As I contemplated the community, it seemed natural to explore the region’s historical sites.
By studying history we are able to appreciate the present and prepare for the future. The communities we live in are rich with historical relevance.
Measuring 4.5 feet tall and 12 feet wide, Sky Stone is an ancient boulder that sits in the midst of a residential development in Bonney Lake. It serves as a symbol of the past – too precious to succumb to the ever changing landscape around it.
The stone is known by geologists as a ‘glacial erratic’ because it varies from other stones found in the area where it sits. It was produced by a volcano and is thought to have been deposited in the Bonney Lake area by a glacier up to 14,000 years ago. At some point along the historical path, modifications were made to the stone by sophisticated Native Americans according to Winona Jacobsen of the Greater Bonney Lake Historical Society. It features carved steps up the side and numerous holes drilled along the top.
Scientific investigation concludes the stone was most likely used by indigenous Plateau dwellers as a tool to calculate astronomical and seasonal changes, said Jacobsen. Archaeologist Gerald C. Hedlund and astronomer Dennis Regan discovered the markings may have been utilized as a map of the land, constellations or seasons. It’s possible that by climbing to the top of the stone, local Native Americans used it for all three purposes. Major landmarks — such as Mount St. Helens and Mount Rainier — as well the location of sunrise and sunset at each solstice and equinox seem to be represented on the stone with precision, said Jacobsen.
Sky Stone is officially listed with the Washington State Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation as an archaeological site and is thus protected by the state. Enveloped in mystery and possibilities, Sky Stone offers a peak into a civilization long-gone from the land we now live and work in.
For more information about Sky Stone and other pieces of Plateau history, please contact the Greater Bonney Lake Historical Society.
An analysis of historical sites on the Plateau wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the valley below. Sumner’s George Ryan House was built at 1228 Main Street in 1875. Ryan lived at the home with his wife Lucy and their five children, according to the Sumner Historical Society. The home and the family that resided within are an essential component of Sumner’s conception.
Conferring over the home’s dining room table in 1883, Ryan — with the aid of his wife, as well as John and Nancy Kincaid — designed the town’s original plat. Ryan was also responsible for the construction of a railroad station in 1884, which ensured the railroad’s arrival in Sumner. The town of Sumner was incorporated in 1891 and Ryan was named its first mayor.
In its early years, Ryan House moonlighted as Sumner’s post office and Lucy acted as post-mistress. Upon Lucy’s death in 1926, her heirs handed Ryan House over to the city of Sumner for public use. It was the home of City Hall until 1935 and then the library until 1978. Today, Ryan House serves as Sumner’s historical museum. Descendants of the Ryan family still reside in Sumner, according to the historical society.
For more information about early Sumner, please visit the Sumner Historical Society at Ryan House.
