Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1923-12-14
SOUTHERN HEIGHTS.
BY Mrs. A. N. Morrill,


We wonder, as we are approach
ing the Christmas season of 1929,
if we stop to think of the people
and the hard work that they did
thirty, forty and fifty years ago
ON this isle of vision" to bring
it up to what is now We com
plain about this, that and other
things, but now when a family
moves onto the island they can
bring their belongings in a motor
van, drive with a ear from the
mainland onto a ferry, and then
onto the island and unload into a
comfortable house, not having to
wait to split out enough cedar
shakes or hew out logs for q
house. Nor do they have to
move over in small row boat,
and bring nothing but clothing,
bedding and the very essential
articles. They do not have to
manufacture their own furniture
nor bake in Dutch oven, nor do
the many other things that our
real pioneers did.
| think Mr.. Markham of near
Vashon might tell many interest
ing things of early pioneer life,
but l am going far away from
home, so will try to tell about this
part of the island. | wish | could
write so intelligently and as en-
tertainingly as Zane Grey or Mary
Roberts Rinehart or many others
for the material is here for many
splendid true stories, or more cor,
ectly speaking-real history.
S. II. (you see how appropriate
are the initials: South Heights
Berry was one of the first to take
homestead in this section. He
chose mighty fine l60-acrc tract
on the west water way which eN-
tended up the hill past the crest
of the island to include level land.
There was no road then, not even
"A survey and | am sure that if any
one would have suggested that
Mr.. Berry would live to see
horseless carriages driving
from Tacoma onto ferry and
then across the island past his
house, not only he, but every one
else would have thought that per-
son insane. And if that person
had gone little further and pre-
dicted seeing airplanes sailing ov
err his house and writing readable
messages in the sky, then listen
ing to music speeches and what
not by radio right here on the is
land, l do not believe that even
the "island OF vision" could have
furnished enough vision to
grasp such innovations.
For some years after Mr. Berry
took up his homestead there was
scant transportation facilities.
A small launch, "The Swan, 2"
owned and operated by Capt
Shannon, made irregular trips to
the island. Mr., Berry raised a lot
of produce for sale and took it in
a row boat to Old Tacoma to sell
it,
Ii was in 1884 that Mr., Berry
took up his homestead and in 1887
was united in marriage to Anna
Markham of near Vashon, and
took his bride to reside in the
home in the canyon. (Wm. Bates
several years ago bought several
acres of this tract of land. includ-
inc water front and a splendid
water right and this is k ~,"n
as Bates Beach. Several sum
mer cottages have been built,
making it a very pleasant resort.
In this pioneer cabin the five.
Berry children, Mary, Carrie,
John, Will and Charles, were
born. There was no schoolhouse
until one was built of logs east of
where the present schoolhouseI
stands. There were no roads on
this part of the island-nothing
but trails and only two families
to send children TO school. The
school house was community
meeting place and many good
times were enjoyed there.
After few years the Berys
built a new house and other buill-
inas on the present site on the
highway. They brought their IN
exhaustible water supply up the
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