An Enchanted Evening - Ebey's Forever Fund Benefit at the Jacob Ebey House

Last week the community came together for a benefit to support the Ebey's Forever Fund, which will award grants to a new selection of heritage buildings on the Reserve in 2011-12. The goal was to raise $10,000 towards the fund. As seems to be the case with supporters of this cause and our dedicated community, folks came through, donated their time, money and services, and made the trek down the path to the historic Jacob and Sarah Ebey House on a beautiful evening to celebrate.



There were antique cars, as well the owners who donated their time, organized by Richard Anderson, waiting to whisk the donors around the Reserve to view recipients of last year's Ebey's Forever grants.



The Ebey's Forever Fund Committee served appetizers provided by Serendipity Catering, including local Penn Cove mussels,



and scrumptious fruit...



and drinks from the Bayleaf, Whidbey Island Winery and Flyers to add to the festive environment.



Laughs were had by all.



In a perfectly exquisite environment, the money was raised, new and old friends conversed, people had a chance to take in the scenery and enjoy music from island favorites Trio Nouveau.




We also heard from last year's grant recipients, Julie Lloyd and Dave Engle,



reminding us that the gathering was a celebration of preservation in the works, and how lucky we are to enjoy this view, and to share it for generations to come.


Big thanks to Scott Chamberlin for the pictures.

Chinese Students Visit Jacob Ebey House

Today 32 students from Southwest China, along with teachers and hosts, stopped by Ebey's Reserve to visit the Sunnyside Cemetery and the Jacob Ebey House. Jewel Czutcha, a volunteer docent for the Reserve, smiling in the picture below, organized the event.



Roger Sherman was kind enough to talk to them about his grandparent's connection with one of the few permanent Chinese immigrants of those times, who was also buried at Sunnyside Cemetery.

The students are from a city with a population of 30 million, and had not seen prairieland and open space like they witnessed at Ebey's Reserve.

Roger also gave them some history of the Jacob Ebey House, the blockhouse and the surrounding crops. It was a lovely day on the prairie witnessing the students, some as young as thirteen, interacting with folks, treasures really, from our community - giving their time to help those from far away understand the beauty of this place.

Jacob Ebey House Opens to the Public

Since 2007 the National Park Service and volunteers have been rehabilitating the Jacob Ebey House and preparing it for its new role as a Visitor Contact Station, when visitors will be able to engage with a living piece of history. Al Sherman, farmer, volunteer docent and member of the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing, cut the ceremonial ribbon today, signifying that the house is officially open and a new phase is beginning. Our first two volunteers, Lee Williamson and Anne Katherine, accompanied Al for the opening, enthusiastic about taking in the scenery while interacting with inquisitive visitors.

Besides the Trust Board of Ebey's Landing and its staff, the amount of time and work that has gone into this project from our partners and community members is inspiring, embodying a sense of unity that the pioneers and Native Americans before them may have also felt. The National Park Service, the Island County Historical Society and the Lions Club (along with Rob Hetler) are just a few. Volunteers from the community have worked tirelessly on every aspect of this project, from the rehabilitation to the interior displays, and now staffing the house through the summer. The Pratt family and the Nature Conservancy cannot be forgotten, without them this land may not be enjoyed as it is today.

Most importantly, the Ebey family, who courageously travelled across the country to their new found paradise, will be recognized - and their lives, which seemed tragically short, will not be forgotten. They are living on through the stewardship of this land and the special feeling that resonates while exploring it. A new life has begun for the Jacob and Sarah Ebey farmstead, come and celebrate it!

The Jacob Ebey House is open Thurs-Sun from 10am - 4pm through September 4th.

A Call for Volunteer Docents

As the sun begins to peak out from the clouds and summer is finally alluring us to take to the trails, the Jacob Ebey House awaits its grand opening. Past and present will convene, and the house that once inhabited one of the original settling families on Whidbey Island will be opening its doors to the public on June 2, 2011.

But we’re not quite there. As was true in the past, when Jacob’s son, Isaac, raised his home on the prairie in two days with the help of fifteen local men, this home needs community volunteers to complete the final push towards the unveiling of this rich historical element of Ebey’s Landing.

We need volunteers who are interested in participating in a docent program at the Jacob Ebey House Visitor Contact Station. The rehabilitated home from the 1850s is located off the Ebey’s Prairie Trail that begins at the Sunnyside Cemetery Prairie Overlook and eventually links with the Bluff Trail at Ebey’s Landing. The scenery is awe-inspiring. The home overlooks farms of the prairie, Ebey’s Landing, the Puget Sound and the prestigious Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges. On a clear day, Mount Rainier can be seen, making this one of the most stunning all-encompassing viewpoints on the island and arguably in the Pacific Northwest. When you stand on the front porch of this home, there is no question why Jacob and Sarah chose this spot, and there is an undeniable sense of the timelessness of the prairie.

We are looking for members of the community who want to enjoy the pristine setting of Ebey’s Prairie while educating the public about the intriguing history of the Jacob Ebey House, the perils of the Ebey family, and the surrounding land. This is a unique opportunity to share our cultural heritage, while talking with curious locals as well as visitors from all corners of the globe. We are looking for docents to fill 3.5 hour shifts during the summer months of June 2^nd through September 4^th. There is no previous knowledge necessary, but a passion for history and interacting with people is a plus.

The two daily shifts will be from 10am – 1pm and 1pm – 4pm, Thursday through Sunday. We are looking for docents to fill weekly, bi-monthly or monthly shifts, as well as standbys that can fill in if necessary.

There is a mandatory orientation on Saturday, May 21^st, from 10am–3pm, lunch and goodies included. We will cover history of the family and the area, logistics, expectations and duties of a docent and also find out what shifts work best for you.

Email alix_roos@nps.gov or call Alix Roos (360) 678-6084 at the Trust Board of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve office for further information about this opportunity or to sign up for the orientation.

February signals - Spring is on the way!

I could not help but notice that small (but real) signs of spring are beginning to pop up around Ebey's Reserve. Although I know we aren't out of winter's cold (yet), I can appreciate all of nature's happenings below ground, bark, and buds, during months we generally think of as still. The majority of hues outside are still shades of brown, but below are some quick shots of the activity signaling the many colors to come. Happy February!

Oregon Grape, getting ready to share its yellow flowers.

Lilac with growing buds of purple delight.

Daffodils, peeking out of the ground, my favorite signal of spring.

Red Flowering Current, gracing the world with scarlet highlights - hints of what is to come.

All photos were taken at the Ebey's Reserve Trust Board Cottage.

Faces from Central Whidbey's past

What can we learn by looking into the eyes of the past? Is it how, over time, people haven't really changed?
With the joy, sorrow, optimism and perseverance of humanity?
Or is it how quickly an entire life can be forgotten? How much is left unknown.
How quickly the young grow old, when looking back.
How easily a life is extinguished.
Who were they? What were they like?

What, today, can we learn from them?

Thanks to the National Park Service archives for digital copies of these glass plate negatives, shot in a studio at Fort Casey, Central Whidbey Island - exact year unknown.

Beets 101

Awe…Ebey’s Prairie - a quilt landscape of crop farming on Central Whidbey Island.

Ever wonder about the vegetable we call a Beet? Do you know where it originated? How about the age of the Beet?

When I began working for the Reserve as a seasonal Ranger I found out there are more colors to beets than just the reddish/purple kind. Prairie farmers are harvesting beets that are also white, golden, and some that are even red and white stripped when cut open to expose the inside flesh.

I did not care for beets as a kid but now love them and wanted to find out where these sweet, edible root vegetables came from. After doing some digging and becoming more inspired as my search continued, here is what I found out. This is pretty awesome.

The Beet is an interesting, healthy vegetable that originated as a wild beet on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea during pre-historic times and was called the “Sea Beet”!

During the 8th century B.C. the beet was part of the Hanging Gardens on Babylon in the Mesopotamia area known as the Cradle of Civilization. Beets are really old!

The ancient Greeks used the beet green (the leaves) for medicinal purposes and as a culinary herb. They even offered their glorious beet to the Sun God Apollo. The Romans, on the other hand, were the first to actually eat the root as part of their diet. The beet root back then was either white or black, no other color.

Now we all remember the Roman Empire and during this time of expansion was when the beet was introduced to many European cultures. Eventually, the beet seed hit the United States in 1830 (about 20 years before Isaac Ebey settled on Whidbey Island).

Today there are a variety of beets available and people use beet juice (especially the reddish/purple beets) to dye material with and for hair dye and this practice has been going on since the 1500’s.

If you are health conscious, the beet is a bonus for you! It is an excellent source of fiber, potassium, calcium and other minerals and is classified as a Super Food! Power-packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants it also lowers blood pressure, contains Vitamins A and C, is low in fat and rich in nutrients. Wow! All that from a beet!

Try this juice recipe to get your jump-start for the day:

Carrot and Beet Juice
6 – 8 Carrots
¼ medium Beet
1 stalk of Celery
Press all ingredients through a juice machine and, Voila! Instant energy.

Come to Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve and see what nature has to offer.

By Sally Straathof

Five Phesants

Tucked along the hedgerow
A brilliant white band
Wrapped like hockey tape
On a stick.
You could skate
The side roads here
Like I used to do in
MN. The furrows filled
With snow, the lines so
Familiar, like an old
Book dog eared.

The great humps of
The Olympics to the
West -- a view that
Ebey knew well as
He recollected his
Own upbringing
Back East somewhere.
Planting this new ground
Never comprehending
What would really
Grow up from these
Fields, a singular
Place -- set aside
For all to experience
Our collective rural roots
And the stories
They evoke and sustain.

By Mark Preiss, Reserve Manager

What fun we had - Ebey's Forever 2010!

Field trip participants visit the Reuble Farmstead. (Denis Hill)

Lauren Hubbard and Shelby Gansemer sport their new Ebey's Reserve (temporary) tattoos. (Lauren Gansemer)

Roger Sherman shares stories of prairie farming with Prairie Home Production's "Squash & Wheat." (Denis Hill)

David Engle shares stories from his family at the Harmon/Engle Farmstead. (Denis Hill)

Keynote Anthea Hartig of the National Trust for Historic Preservation greets us at Camp Casey. (Denis Hill)

Farmer, Valerie Reuther high-fives Trust Board Member, Molly Hughes at the mini-farmers market.

It was a full house at the Celebrating Rural Character(s) Potluck at the Crockett Barn. (Denis Hill)

The days to celebrate!

One hundred ninty-nine plus or minus
the official line
but we know better
that numbers can't
explain the spirit
of community in that
barn that has held
community gatherings for
a hundred years and more.
Enough food and wine
to be mistaken for a scriptural
event. This Crockett barn
a place to come into out
of the rain and wind
A plate for everyone
a warm greeting
meeting you at the door weather
pioneer or visitor.

And Ebey's Landing
tattooed in temporary
places like arms and cheeks,
but more perminently fixed
in people's hearts and minds
through the shared stories
exploration and investigation
of a destination called Ebey's Forever.
- By Reserve Manager, Mark Preiss

Halloween on the Reserve

All around the Reserve, frightening & welcoming sights of the season can be seen.

Up and down mainstreen, this year's scarecrow entries stand sentinel along the sidewalks, frightening and amusing those who dare to pass by on a chilly evening. The Sherman Pioneer Farm has been doing a brisk business in pumpkins, with families regularly arriving to choose the best pumpkin to carve their ghoulish jack-o-lantern face. Children have spent the last few weeks dreaming up elaborate costumes, and parents have been working to make those costumes a reality or to find more appropriate/ economical alternatives to suit their children's taste.

Everything has been in preparation for tonight's Halloween festivities. Whatever your choices tonight, have fun, be respectful of other people's time and property (go easy on the tricks), and stay safe. Happy haunting!


http://www.ebeysforever.com/

Oh my, PIE!

When I was a child 'pie' was a four letter word (OK, not really... it was still a three letter word) describing some mysterious dessert filled with some sort of fruit, or vegetable, or meat that adults seemed to love. Grandparents and friends would offer me a slice promising that I would love it if I'd just take a bite. Me? Take a bite? No way!!!

Later on in my school career I learned of a two letter pi (or one letter using a different alphabet). I wasn't any more fond of this pi, than I was of the other pie... though it did help me earn good grades in math. Pi or pie, I didn't want part of either. http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2010/03/weekend_diversion_happy_pi_day.php

Times have changed...

Some time after I finished college and got married I finally gave in to an offer of pie. I remember the occasion. It was an early Christmas dinner at an aunt's house and it was hot apple pie served with vanilla ice cream on top. Actually, when the offer was made, I think I turned the pie down. I don't know if my host was offended or didn't hear me, but a few minutes later there was a huge piece of pie on the plate right in front of me. I looked at the pie as it looked at me. I glanced left and right, looking for support, an extra hungry relative or the family dog to discreetly slide the plate over and let them enjoy. No luck. The dog must have been out and everybody at the table was working their way through their own equally large pieces of pie. I was on my own. I didn't want to make a scene so reluctantly I took the teeniest forkfull of apple pie, along with slightly more vanilla ice cream. I took a deep breath and then slowly put the bite in my mouth...and fell in love with Aunt Mary's apple pie!

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2052/ultimate-apple-pie



For weeks after I HAD to have apple pie... every...single... day! I'd buy it at the store, take some home from restaurants or coax Aunt Mary to make some, and finally learned how to bake it myself. After a few months of apple pie, my husband was ready to stage an intervention. He has nothing against apple pie... his objection was to apple pie every day. He suggested branching out a bit... pumpkin pie, cherry pie, or blackberry pie for starters. At first I balked, what if the others weren't as good as apple pie? What if I hated them? However, I did finally agree to try other pies... pecan, blueberry, sweet potato, chocolate peanut butter, cranapple. Some I liked better than others, but all of them have been great.

Moving to Whidbey Island has been a treat for my pie palate. I got to try marionberry pie and loganberry pie for the first time. My current favorite is strawberry rhubarb (I still don't say no to apple pie). The island is full of wonderful places to buy ready locally made pies or the ingredients to do it yourself. No longer do I turn up my nose to pie, and I do acknowledge that my grandmother was on to something when she said I'd like it if I just gave pie a chance. (As usual, I should have listened to you the first time grammy!)

And on Saturday, November 6th, between 4 and 5pm if you've read the rest of this post I bet you'll know where to find me... The Ebey's Forever Conference Pie Social nodding my head in agreement with whatever my supervisor is saying since I'll have a bite of that heavenly prairie-made strawberry rhubarb... or apple... or berry... or some other delicious pie on my tongue. See you there!

Lauren Gansemer
NPS Ranger

Rebecca - A Pioneering Woman

Rebecca Davis Ebey must have been an amazing woman to strike out alone, without her husband, on the Overland Trail heading west from Plum Grove, Missouri, to the Washington Territory. In 1851 her journey begins with her two young sons (Ellison and Eason) ages 5 and 7 as part of a Wagon Train. She met up with her brother Thomas Davis and the Walter Crockett family from Missouri and they all continued west to the Oregon Trail and then to Whidbey Island, Washington, to meet up with her husband Isaac Ebey.

Rebecca and Isaac married when Rebecca was 21 and living in Missouri. After their marriage in 1843 they resided at Plum Grove Place Farm. Five years later, in 1848, Isaac reluctantly left Rebecca and the boys on the farm in Missouri and he headed for the Oregon Territory and then the California Gold Rush. After returning to the Oregon Territory Isaac took the opportunity to look for farming land for his family to live on. Later, Isaac staked his claim for 640 acres on Whidbey Island in Washington Territory. When he sent for Rebecca and the boys, in early 1851, the excited family loaded up what they could take with them and started their pioneering journey west, in April of 1851, arriving on Whidbey Island in October of the same year.

How difficult and heart-wrenching it must have been for such a young woman and her two small children to leave their familiar surroundings of Plum Grove and her childhood family behind, not knowing if she would ever see her parents again. Life on the trail could be rough and brutal and exhausting, but Rebecca pushed forward knowing she would soon see her husband Isaac again (after a three year absence) and bring joy back into their lives with her family together again. She and Isaac had only been married 8 years by the time she reached their new farm on Whidbey Island.

Shortly after her arrival on the Island Rebecca came down with Tuberculosis, which was common during this time period, and after the birth of her 3rd child Hettie she became very ill with her sickness and never recovered, dying 4 months after her daughter was born, in 1853. Rebecca and Isaac had only been married 10 years when she passed away and she left behind a devastated husband and 3 small children for him to raise and care for alone.

After the arrival of Isaac’s parents in October of 1854, Isaac’s father Jacob staked his claim of 320 acres right next to Isaac’s claim. Jacob and his wife Sarah named their new farm “Sunnyside” after the original family farm in Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania. Sarah cared for her son’s disabled young daughter at their new log cabin home on the ridge above the Prairie, until she died a very young 7 year old.

Rebecca’s parents headed west from Missouri as well, to join their children in the new Washington Territory. As Rebecca feared, her mother died on their journey west and buried along the Overland Trail; she never saw her mother again.

Rebecca’s short life was packed with responsibility, adventure, the unknown, loneliness, hard work, and the love for her family. A woman of personal strength and determination set the platform for other American women to look up to and follow. Rebecca died in 1853 and is buried next to her husband Isaac in the Sunnyside Cemetery next to the Jacob Ebey homestead, which still stands today almost 160 years later.

More details of the life of Rebecca Ebey will be revealed by professional storyteller Jill Johnson at the Ebey’s Forever Conference November 6th. Sign up today!

Thanks to Sally Straathof for this post.

Historians at Work!

Local Historians, Roger Sherman and Judy Lynn comb through historic negatives in the Reserve Library (or kitchen!) for a special project. See Roger & Judy - and talk with them about the history of this place - November 5 & 6th at the Ebey's Forever Conference.

Geo-Caching with Reserve Rangers in November!

The Ebey's Reserve rangers have been busy preparing for this year's Ebey's Forever Conference. Rangers Sally & Lauren have plenty of fun activities planned for this years conference, including Old-Fashioned Geo-caching. What's that you say?

Geo-caching is a fun family activity using GPS to find hidden 'treasure' or cache. Geocachers have hidden their treasure boxes around the world in public places. After placing a cache, they usually post the cache and GPS coordinates on geocaching.com. Currently there are more than 1.2 million active caches listed on geocaching.com, some of them placed in easily accessed places... other in very difficult places requiring special equipment like scuba or mountaineering gear to get to them.

Anybody with a GPS, time and the desire to geocache can go on a hunt. The first step is to decide where you want to look for a cache. At geocaching.com you can search by zip code for your potential cache hunt. A quick search of zip code 98239 yielded 1692caches located within twenty five miles of Coupeville. Within the list are details including the difficulty of finding the cache on a scale of 1-5, special items called travel bugs (more on them later) that might be in the cache, the date the cache was placed, and the last time the cache was found. Select the cache that interests you from the list to see more details. (You'll have to register with the site to get the main GPS coordinates, but you should be able to read any background information written by the person that placed the cache. Some geocachers add interesting historical or regional information to their cache posts, such as the Mosquito Fleet #5 Rosalie cache which gives a history the steamer Rosalie and her service as a ferry around the Puget Sound and farther.

After you get the coordinates, you head out to the location given in the geocache listing and start your search. Be sure to bring a pen or pencil and a small, family friendly trinket to place in the cache when you get there. Once you find your cache, you'll want to sign the geocache log inside if there is one. You'll also want to select one of the items in the cache to swap with the trinket you brought with you. As a geocacher its important to follow the take one leave one rule in order to keep the fun going for other geocachers. When placing geocache items, its a good idea to avoid leaving food too, so animals aren't attracted to the cache.

After you head home, the next part of geocaching fun is to check back in with geocaching.com and log your discovery on the website. You'll be able to leave notes about your adventure. If you've found a travel bug, you'll be able to announce your find too. Travel bugs are special, registered trinkets that taken from geocache to geocache by players. Once you find a travel bug, to keep the game going you'll need to hide it in a different cache and log your move on the website for other people to look for.

There's your quick background on geocaching, now back to what the rangers have planned with their 'Old-Fashioned Geo-Caching'. We've been busy mapping out a game of our own for registered participants of Ebey's Forever Conference. We'll be starting out with an introduction to map, compass & GPS before sending groups off on their own adventures. Each group will start with a set of directions (similar to the Amazing Race show on TV though we'll keep it local and avoid dangerous and/or embarrassing stunts) leading them to an envelope containing more directions. They'll have several stops where the group will sign a log and get the next set of directions before ending up at the final cache.

We're looking forward to playing our game, having fun, and learning at the same time. What a great way to spend a fall Saturday morning with your family. Children are welcome to come too, you must bring a parent if you are under 10 years old. Register for Ebey's Forever Conference at http://www.ebeysforever.com.
Here's a list of family friendly options at this year's conference:
Old-Fashioned Geo-Caching
Junior Rangers to the Rescue
Adventures with Giant Trees

Don't forget about the Friday night potluck dinner at the Crockett Barn. Bring your family and a dish to share!