Page 8 - FINAL EARLY SPRING 2019 SWHS Newsletter

Freeland Stores Captain Woodard’s schooner brought
supplies from Seattle, but wind power
The Cooperative Store proved too iffy in the Harbor and sup-
At the turn of the last century, a group plies were then brought in by William
of dissatisfied socialists from Skagit Lieseke’s gas- powered boat, followed
County’s Equality County (located in by larger boats owned by J. H. Prather.
Edison) settled at the head of Holmes Socialist members owned shares of
Harbor. They established the Free the store, but the little colony struggled
Land Association – part of a socialist for years as members took logging jobs Hudson and Sarah Spencer, owners
Utopian experiment meant to convince and either assimilated into the larger of an Everett 5-10-15-25-cent store
Washingtonians that socialism was a community or moved away. (shown above), moved with their adult
better form of governance. children to the west side of Holmes
The Freeland Cooperative Store was The Harbor Cash Store Harbor and built a combination house
built on a dock located at the base of Several hundred yards away, a most and community hall, and a separate
the hill that now houses Freeland Hall. unlikely neighbor – a capitalist – built Harbor Cash Store.
It was accessed primarily by boat and a a general store several years later. At first the store was located on the
primitive road. (Accounts vary whether it was 1904 shore side of the harbor, but in 1916,
or 1907.) it was moved out over a dock and the

Captain Woodard’s schooner, the “Bessie B.” is shown leaving the Freeland Cooperative Store on the point at Holmes Harbor in 1901.

This 1902 photo shows an enlargement of the store’s dock. The store began to fail in 1903 but was reopened and operated by Henry Blair until
1917 when it was sold to J.H. Prather and Wilbur Hazen.
8