Farquharson Mill, Puyallup, WA - Murals on Waymarking.com

In 1877, A. S. Farquharson brought the first industry to Pyuallup with a contract to manufacture 1/2 million sugar balles for Claus Spreckels, a Greman immigrant sugar baron. Wooden barrels were used before jute and cotton sacks.

A. S. bought six (6) acres from Ezra Meeker. See this waymark for more information about Ezra:
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The whistle blew at the mill at 7 A.M., September 1, 1877.

Farquharson born in Boston in 1833, descended from a Scottish Clan known for its fighting. He also fought in the American Civil War for the North.

There was, in the 1870's a lack of reliable labor to turn out the barrels fast enough. The laborers refused to work in rainy weather and demanded more pay. The mill shut down on several occiasions because the crew was playing cards and drinking in the boarding house. Farquharson reply was to hire a crew of 60 Chinese from Seattle and fire the others.

The first outbreak against the chinese was staged by the skilled workers and other inside help. Creeping up on the chinese quarters one night, they shot into the air and told the Chinese to clear out. Farquharson's reply ws to arm the Chinese and tell them to protect themselves. They did, and the next time the mill hands staged a raid, they were met by 60 yelling, shooting Chinese. There was no further trouble for a long time.

The next anti-Chinese movement came up the coast from San Franciso in 1885. When Farquharson was told to get rid of his Chinese "Or yyour buildings will burn" his reply was, "I'm not taking orders from anybody". One night a few months later the Knights of Labor from Seattle & Tacom, came to Puyallup and threatened to hang him. He waited inside his house with two (2) loaded Winchester repeater rifles but was not taken. He continued to openly defy the movement and a comittee of 75 demanded that he give up. Farquharson kept his Chinese crew in hiding and later assisted them back to Seattle
SOURCE - - The Tacoma Times

Farquharson Mill 2000 by Linda Walsh Petchnick. Commissed by Puyallup Heritage Art Foundation.
Web site for Artist Linda Petchnick:
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City: Puyallup, WA 98371 Location Name: Brick buidling in downtown Puyallup Artist: Linda Petchnick Date: 2000 Media: Not listed Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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