Wilburton, the name derived from Wilbur and England logging camp, became the boom town of the Eastside at the head of Mercer slough.
The plat of Wilburton was located on the hill that rises to the north of the upper end of Mercer slough.
For a few decades, Wilburton was a larger town than nearby "Bellevue".
For a few decades, Wilburton was a larger town than nearby "Bellevue".
1890, the first Wilburton School was opened on S. E. 4th Street (originally called Prospect Street).
It was a one-room school for six students. It closed in 1919.
Some of the growth in Bellevue population was the result of hundreds of men employed to log timber from Wilburton for the Hewitt Lumber Company.
In 1901, partners Henry Hewitt Jr. and Charles Lea purchased property in the Wilburton area.
Hewitt - Lea Logging Company of Tacoma cut timber from early 1900’s -early `20’s.
Hewitt-Lea built a 250-foot wharf for loading wood onto boats before the water receded in 1916.
1906 Wilburton School Property was acquired on October 4th by old school District #49 from Mary M. Gruber for $250.00.
1919: School Board decided the bussing operation was too expensive, so they closed the Wilburton School to save money. The money saved was used to buy coal for the Main Street School.
In 1921 Wilburton Hill was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Duey. The land was first farmed by the Duey family in the 1920s and 1930s.
Duey’s first barn before 1933 fire.
The Dueys second barn after the 1933 fire.
William Duey worked on a farm in Skagit Valley.
When he heard about land available for rent in what is now Bellevue, he moved with his wife and three children in 1921 to start their own dairy on 190 acres, all but 5 acres un-cleared and stump-covered from logging activity.
The Dueys cleared the stumps, built a barn for a herd of dairy cows, and began delivering to Eastside residents milk, cream and home-churned butter, stamped with the farm's name - Twin Valley Farm.
William and Pearl Duey in front of their milk truck, c. 1930s.
The original barn at the modern Kelsey Creek Farm burned in August of 1933 and Mr. Duey rebuilt it.
During the Depression, the Dueys sold the Wilburton Hill farm land to the Haller family but continued operating the dairy until it was purchased in 1942 by Mr. John Michaels.
The second Wilburton Hill dairy barn was built in 1943-44 by Mr. John Michaels (the north barn now known as the Education Barn) and dairy herd increased in size.
After the end of WWII, John Michaels sold the old Duey farmstead to Ray and Nettie Fisher.
Over the years, much of the surrounding area had been sold to developers who began building single family homes in the early 60’s.
The farmland was soon hemmed in by a growing new neighborhood
The Fishers believed in the vision of their neighbors to create a park, and sold it to the City of Bellevue at a lower price than it would have fetched from developers.
It was a one-room school for six students. It closed in 1919.
Some of the growth in Bellevue population was the result of hundreds of men employed to log timber from Wilburton for the Hewitt Lumber Company.
In 1901, partners Henry Hewitt Jr. and Charles Lea purchased property in the Wilburton area.
Hewitt - Lea Logging Company of Tacoma cut timber from early 1900’s -early `20’s.
Hewitt-Lea built a 250-foot wharf for loading wood onto boats before the water receded in 1916.
The building was used for a community hall and a storage warehouse for Bellevue School District.
In the late 40’s and early 50’s, the building was rented by the state highway department.
In 1904 the Wilburton wooden railroad trestle is completed as part of the Northern Pacific Railway's
Lake Washington Belt Line from Black River Junction (south of Seattle) to Woodinville.
The Wilburton Trestle was subsequently rebuilt four separate times, in 1913, 1924, 1934, and 1943, due to deterioration of the timber.
Lake Washington Belt Line tracks went from Black River Junction in Renton to Woodinville over roughly 24 miles of rail. During early to mid-20th century, freight trains ran from Northern Pacific’s yard in Auburn, up the Lake Washington Belt Line to Woodinville, and then north to a yard at Sumas in Whatcom County on the Canadian border.
“The belt line was constructed for the purpose of handling through freight to and from points north of Seattle and obviating the necessity for bringing these trains into the congested yards of this city,” a Times reporter wrote on Sept. 13, 1905.
In the late 40’s and early 50’s, the building was rented by the state highway department.
In 1904 the Wilburton wooden railroad trestle is completed as part of the Northern Pacific Railway's
Lake Washington Belt Line from Black River Junction (south of Seattle) to Woodinville.
The Wilburton Trestle was subsequently rebuilt four separate times, in 1913, 1924, 1934, and 1943, due to deterioration of the timber.
Lake Washington Belt Line tracks went from Black River Junction in Renton to Woodinville over roughly 24 miles of rail. During early to mid-20th century, freight trains ran from Northern Pacific’s yard in Auburn, up the Lake Washington Belt Line to Woodinville, and then north to a yard at Sumas in Whatcom County on the Canadian border.
“The belt line was constructed for the purpose of handling through freight to and from points north of Seattle and obviating the necessity for bringing these trains into the congested yards of this city,” a Times reporter wrote on Sept. 13, 1905.
1906 Wilburton School Property was acquired on October 4th by old school District #49 from Mary M. Gruber for $250.00.
1919: School Board decided the bussing operation was too expensive, so they closed the Wilburton School to save money. The money saved was used to buy coal for the Main Street School.
In 1921 Wilburton Hill was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Duey. The land was first farmed by the Duey family in the 1920s and 1930s.
Duey’s first barn before 1933 fire.
The Dueys second barn after the 1933 fire.
William Duey worked on a farm in Skagit Valley.
When he heard about land available for rent in what is now Bellevue, he moved with his wife and three children in 1921 to start their own dairy on 190 acres, all but 5 acres un-cleared and stump-covered from logging activity.
The Dueys cleared the stumps, built a barn for a herd of dairy cows, and began delivering to Eastside residents milk, cream and home-churned butter, stamped with the farm's name - Twin Valley Farm.
William and Pearl Duey in front of their milk truck, c. 1930s.
The original barn at the modern Kelsey Creek Farm burned in August of 1933 and Mr. Duey rebuilt it.
The barn is the smaller of the two white barns and is called the Animal Barn.
Mr. Duey also built the Red Barn, originally used as a milk house.
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During the Depression, the Dueys sold the Wilburton Hill farm land to the Haller family but continued operating the dairy until it was purchased in 1942 by Mr. John Michaels.
After the end of WWII, John Michaels sold the old Duey farmstead to Ray and Nettie Fisher.
They phased out the dairy operation and began raising Hereford beef cattle.
Nettie and Ray Fisher built the current Kelsey Creek farm house in 1954 and moved from their home on Mercer Island to live on the Fisher Farm. Nettie Fisher was born on September 2, 1910.
Nettie and Ray Fisher lived on the Duey farm and raised Hereford cattle until 1968.
Nettie and Ray Fisher built the current Kelsey Creek farm house in 1954 and moved from their home on Mercer Island to live on the Fisher Farm. Nettie Fisher was born on September 2, 1910.
Nettie and Ray Fisher lived on the Duey farm and raised Hereford cattle until 1968.
Over the years, much of the surrounding area had been sold to developers who began building single family homes in the early 60’s.
The farmland was soon hemmed in by a growing new neighborhood
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In 1969 the Fisher Farm is purchased to become Kelsey Creek Park.
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In 1969 the Fisher Farm is purchased to become Kelsey Creek Park.
The Fishers believed in the vision of their neighbors to create a park, and sold it to the City of Bellevue at a lower price than it would have fetched from developers.
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