Video Postcard: “September’s Symmetry”

By Mark Horner on October 17, 2011 in Beyond 90 Seconds, blog, Commentary, DSLR, Snohomish, Snohomish River, video, Washington

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COMMENTARY

In early September, I had a wonderful time shooting the return of Pink Salmon to the Snohomish River. It was a great opportunity to learn even more about my new camera, a Canon 7D, as I am eager to climb the learning curve that is DSLR shooting. In the process, I also learned more about my backyard, so to speak.

For example, I came to know about a Native American woman named Pilchuck Julia who died of smallpox in 1923. Pilchuck Julia was a member of the Snohomish Tribe. Under the Treaty of Point Elliott (1855), local tribes had “gained the right” to move to the nearby Tulalip Reservation. However, Pilchuck Julia and her husband (Pilchuck Jack) stayed near Snohomish, living just outside of town in a cabin along the Pilchuck River.

Although I grew-up in this area, I had not known anything about Pilchuck Julia until I saw her face engraved in a wall alongside the Snohomish River this past summer. On July 16, I had paused to shoot some video of the face in the wall.

Photo of Pilchuck Julia along River Front Trail in Snohomish, Washington. This image is a still frame taken from video recorded on July 16, 2011.

In September, I saw pictures of Pilchuck Julia, once again, as I visited the president of the Snohomish Historical Society, Chris Gee, at the Blackman House Museum. Gee provided a wonderful tour of the historic Blackman House and enthusiastically shared many stories about the town’s history.

Later, I found a wonderful photo of Pilchuck Julia featured in the collection titled, American Indians of the Pacific Northwest at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. I submitted a request to use the photo in my video and ultimately received permission from the museum’s librarian, Carolyn Marr.

Before completing the video, I visited Pilchuck Julia’s grave at the GAR Cemetery in Snohomish. I’ve found myself drawn to her story, not even really knowing much about it…yet.

I also learned that a wharf had existed just west of the Avenue D Bridge in Snohomish. The video includes a 1905 photograph of the Bruhn and Henry Wharf with piles of salmon upon it. The Snohomish Historical Society granted me permission to use this photo.

And then there are railways. It was my brother, an avid fisherman, who blurted, “That’s the ol’ swing bridge” while looking at the clips of the two young women on the railway bridge. Swing bridge? I had never heard the term. A Google search yielded several links to pages featuring photos of that same bridge, and a few sites with some great background, too. One of those sites is Martin Burwash’s excellent write-up, Death of the Hartford. Mr. Burwash’s site also includes some wonderful photographs.

Now, I’ve also quickly learned that matters concerning railways and trains can be a bit confusing to the uninitiated (envision me raising my hand). And rest assured, there are plenty of people who are well-educated on these matters. They can be quick to set-the record-straight when incorrect information appears on blogs and websites. That said (deep breath), it appears to me that the “ol’ swing bridge” was originally part of the Seattle, Lake Shore and Eastern Railway. Later, it became the Northern Pacific Railway. Ultimately, it became part of the Burlington Northern Railroad (known today as the BNSF Railway Company).

From what I’ve read on Mr. Burwash’s site, it appears that the last train to cross that bridge did so in 1999. Today, much of the track that was north of the river crossing has long-been replaced by what is now the popular Centennial Trail.

So, there you go. Not so much written here about the actual event showcased in the video: Pink Salmon (aka “Humpies”) returning to the Snohomish River. But it’s this sort of background information that can potentially lend greater depth to the experience of viewing it.

A post like this one might also serve as a reminder that when viewing pretty pictures, there really can be more than meets the eye.