This month, thirty-eight years ago, volunteers of the newly formed Snohomish Historical Society were passionately preparing the Ford House for its holiday debut as the Blackman House Museum. The story of how the Ford House came under the care of the Society and was rededicated with its new name is one that we will be telling during our Holiday Tours of the Blackman House beginning Friday, November 28, between 1 and 4 pm.
The only daughter of Hyrcanus and Ella Blackman, who built the modest home in 1878, was Eunice Leona and she married Dr. William Ford around 1909. The newlyweds lived across the street on Avenue B where Dr. Ford also had his office. We imagine that sometime between the death of her father in 1921 and her mother in 1927, the Fords moved into the Blackman home.
A daughter was born of this union, Phyllis, who married George Bican and they lived in Sacramento, California. In 1951, William Ford died from a long-term illness and Eunice continued to live in the Ford house alone. The Bican family would travel north on Route 99 to spend summers with Eunice, and their son William even attended school in Snohomish for part of the year in 1954.
In the early sixties, daughter Phyllis, worried about her mother living alone since she seemed to be going blind, invited Eunice to visit them in Sacramento for cataract surgery. And though her vision was improved, Eunice’s general health began to fail, preventing her return to Snohomish.
In the late 1960s the home, still ready after all these years for Eunice’s anticipated return, was vandalized. Grandson William and his father George Bican took up a weeklong residence to clean up and sell the family home. After six days of turning down offers, mostly from dealers who did not appreciate the history of the home, Everett Olsen, the first president of the Society, showed up on their last day in town with an offer to purchase the home for use as a museum. Eunice Blackman was very happy to hear the news and a generous deal was struck with the family.
Society members, including Ralph Keaton pictured above, took possession of the historic home in July 1970 and they were ready to host their first Holiday Tea in December, which became an annual event that we wish to revive with our Holiday Tours this year. The tours will include tea, and perhaps other surprise hot drinks appropriate for the holidays, along with live music on some Sunday afternoons. Please contact me if you would like to help out, either with hosting or playing music. The half-hour tours will be offered on the hour between 1 and 4 pm on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons at the Blackman House Museum, 118 Avenue B in historic downtown Snohomish – and private tours may be arranged.
Everett Olsen visited Eunice in California to present her with an honorary membership card and she died in 1974 as a proud member of the Snohomish Historical Society.
Published in the Snohomish County Tribune, November 19, 2008.