M. S. Drew House - Port Gamble Historic District - Port Gamble, WA
N 47° 51.287 W 122° 35.029
10T E 531132 N 5300243
This historic former home is located in the former milltown of Port Gamble, WA.
Waymark Code: WMH1ED
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/06/2013
Views: 3
Visitors to the historic town of
Port Gamble are inundated with historical elements throughout the township. Almost every building in this town contains a historical marker that highlights the history of prior occupants. Each marker stands out nicely on painted burgundy boards and gold lettering. The M.S. Drew House (now a retail business) contains a marker on the front white picket fence that reads:
1860
M.S. DREW HOUSE
As timber agent for Puget Mill Company, Mike Drew
bought so much land the company became the
largest owner of timberland in Washington. By 1880
he and his wife Susan lived here with their five children. |
I located a very nice website, HistoryLink.org, that highlights the history of this former milltown. I did some online research regarding Mike and Susan Drew and found a website mentioning their deaths and where they are buried here. I also found an online PDF application which is an National Register of Historic Places nomination form and says the following in regards to Michael Drew:
Michael S. Drew, a native of East Machias, Maine, reportedly arrived at Port Gamble in 1858 and worked for Puget Mill Company much of the time until 1889 when he moved to Seattle and entered the real estate business. For a period of time around 1870 he served as customs agent at Port Townsend, apparently retaining ownership of his house at Port Gamble. During the years he worked for Puget Mill, Drew held a variety of jobs including timber agent and "overseer in mill" - in 1877 the Puget Sound Weekly Argus (Port Townsend) termed him "the gentlemanly 'Boss' of the mill." As the company's timber agent, he purchased so much land on its behalf that it became the largest owner of timberland in Washington. Company history relates that Drew married Belle Biles, the first schoolteacher hired at Port Gamble. This, however, is not supported by federal census schedules which show that Michael Drew was married for many years to a woman from Kentucky named Susan. By 1880 the couple had five children, four sons and a daughter, a likely reason they enlarged their house sometime then and 1885.