The Stump Ranchof the Upper Skagit Valley George & Georgetta A. Torrey Savage Family |
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By Catherine Savage Pulsipher Updated 4 August with NEW PHOTOS added. "We were all pleased and benefited by this adventure." by Paul v. Pressentin The edited and annotated autobiography of the George Savage Family at the Skagit River Journal. |
Savage Family News...posted 4 October 2003 
Looking for a photo of Eddy, if anyone has any, please send via e-mail or snail mail. Thanks Link to Eddy's obituary here |
 Eleven Sons, Daughters in Reunion
Click the name of Savage children of George & Gerogetta Savage to link to their own page. |
Eleven children-eight sons and three daughters-of the late Mr. & Mrs. George Savage, who came to Skagit County (then part of Whatcom) in 1874, held a reunion with members of their family at Anacortes Sunday, April 16 and a merry time it was, with forty-eight persons gathered at the banquet board.
George Savage was the first county engineer of Skagit County, and located most of the pioneer roads there. He was interested in early politicss, and once made a steamboat journey from Mt. Vernon to Whatcom (now Bellingham) to protest in behalf of the would-be Skagit County residents. (Link here to that story)
Mr. & Mrs. Savage and their four children-Leslie, Bert, William and Ira-crossed the plains from Iowa on the first trian to carry passengers to San Francisco. (Incidentally, the engine which drew the train is on exhibition in the Wells Fargo collection at the San Francisco Fair, as is the Golden Spike, the driving of which they witnessed). The family came North by sailing ship to New Westminster, and settled in British Columbia, but the "King George" Indians did not like the "Bosten Men", so they left again on a sailboat which Mr. Savage had built. The next winter they spent at Marchs Point, but later went on to Utsalady, [on Camano Island] where a sawmill was located. Eventually Mr. Savage left the mill to look for a homestead, and after staying one winter at Day Slough on the North Fork of the Skagit River, he went up the river toward Concrete [Birdsview] and settled on a timbered tract fronting on the stream. Timber which was cut from the tract was dragged out by oxen and rafted down to the mill at Utsalady.
The original home was destroyed by fire, but Bert Savage today has a home on the same site, and part of the old log outbuildings, as well as part of the original orchard, are still in use.
So far as is known no other family of the 1870's in Skagit County is still living intact, with no deaths amoung the entire group. Mr. Savage died in 1920 and Mrs. Savage in 1928, but the eleven surviving children, ranging from 47 to 73 years in age, are still in good health.
At Anacortes Sunday, in addition to the eleven of the departed pioneers, a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren were present. Among these were Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Savage, of Seattle; Mr. & Mrs. John Monohan and children of Bellingham; Eddy Savage, of Anacortes, Mr. & Mrs. Antone Christenson, of Anacortes, and their two children.
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The Stump Ranch ® The Stump Ranch On-Line Magazine ® Dan Royal, Editor & Webmaster 38090 Kelly Ln. Concrete, Wa. 98237 360-826-6141 Mission Statement and acknowledgments |
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