Would You Like to Go to Leavenworth?

 

Leavenworth, Washington, that is. Without the aid of the vibrant photos above and at left, you might have thought of the prison instead. Incidentally, these two areas are named for members of the same lineage. In the case of Leavenworth above, the moniker is connected to Captain Charles Leavenworth. While he served in the Union Army during the Civil War, he earned the captain title during his reign over the shipping business. Before shipping, he was president of the Okanogan Investment Company in Washington and involved in the creation of this town. Why would a company invest in this town? I am glad you asked.

To answer this question, I am drawing on information provided by Coco, our capable and kind tour guide from Bavarian Walking Tours, as well as bits and pieces from the Leavenworth Museum. We perused the heart of this quaint location, often referred to as "A Hallmark Christmas town" and learned of its history. Our knowledgeable host made this trip fantastic in more ways than one. In this post, I hope to give you a glimpse of Leavenworth yet leave much for you to discover on a tour of your own.

First, this area was tribal land of šnp̓əšqʷáw̓šəxʷ ~ Wenatchi. There is an exhibit in the Leavenworth
Museum that shares some of their history. You can also read more about the "The Twelve Bands compose the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation" to garner an appreciation of who lived there long before this became the attraction it is today. It is my hope that I provided accurate information here to honor the people.

Next, Leavenworth became a town in the time the Great Northern Railway was nearly completed. Captain Leavenworth saw an opportunity as the nearby town of Icicle was nearly bursting at its seams. His investment company bought a 40-acre parcel of land from the US Government just a mile from Icicle. His vision was to build a new town right near the tracks. From 1893 to 1927, this was a brilliant and fruitful plan. Leavenworth was reliant on the railroad to support its timber industry – cedar, pine, and Douglas fir, as well as apples orchards from the surrounding areas. The sawmill flourished. The railroad moved the shipments providing income streams. It was a thriving area until the lumber prices dropped, the forests became depleted, the sawmill closed, and one fateful day.

An avalanche occurred resulting in the deadliest train accident in the country. Ninety-five people perished. After this horrible event, the railroad moved to Wenatchee. Without this transportation, the area lost its main source of revenue and all that went along with it. They could not sell apples or wood. Without jobs, residents migrated to other areas of the state. This town was floundering. What could they do? How would they survive?

Around 1950, a group of women decided to gather and brainstorm possibilities to save this doomed point on the map. Eventually they hired a consultant. He was a professor from the University of Washington in Seattle. This academician asked them the question, “What does your town have to offer?” After little debate, the women presented the idea for tourism. As this section of the United States resembled (and still does) European topography, that would be their niche. The mountains with opportunities for hiking, skiing, and snowboarding offered additional possibilities. So began Project LIFE (Leavenworth Improvement for Everyone).

Ted Price and Bob Rogers entered the scene. Years before, these two gentlemen had purchased a restaurant and inn located halfway between Stevens Pass and Leavenworth. Bob fashioned The Squirrel Tree Inn with Bavarian influence due to inspiration of the Alpine villages of Bavaria where he lived (and served) after WWII. They became interested in the struggles of nearby Leavenworth. Joining forces with Project LIFE, Ted and Bob were instrumental in reshaping downtown. 

They sold the Squirrel Tree Inn and purchased property in Leavenworth. They worked with Project LIFE to transform buildings by enhancing facades of existing structures. They replaced flat roof designs with pitched. They covered brick (one remaining brick building with flat roof featured in photo above), some to resemble half-timber and others with plaster. Artists painted Luftels (murals) on the buildings. Carpenters added balconies, plant boxes, and other features. These architectural enhancements combined with the nearby mountains to create a feel of being in Bavaria and even other European cities. On our visit, I felt like I was back in Norway. Uncanny resemblance.


      

                      

Today, approximately two million visitors flock to this picturesque village. Some for recreation. Others for nostalgia. Whatever your interest, I highly recommend the trip. A few of our favorites in case you do make the trek: Bavarian Walking Tours to gain an appreciation of the area. Icicle Village Resort, to stay in walking distance of all the hotspots. Nice accommodations and restaurant. Even if you are not planning a visit soon, click the link and watch the video. You will get a stunning bird's eye view of Leavenworth, the mountains, and the resort. Argonaut - Coffee and Biscuits, for the best coffee in the area. Leavenworth Museum for the full scoop, past and present. You can find additional information and even watch live camera footage on their homepage.

What do you think? Is it time to book a flight or pack the car?

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 110 Plans on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. If it were up to her, she would be traveling - right now. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, Rebecca learns the craft of fiction while networking with a host of generous writers. She is working on her first fiction novel. This story unfolds from the 1830s in Northern Georgia. 

Rebecca shot the photos included with exception of the header. Thank you, Justin, for sharing your memories. Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Identifying Criminals Before Fingerprinting Was Used

Susan Page Davis here. Last month I told you about the history of fingerprinting for identification. But what did law enforcement officers use before fingerprinting became widespread?

Alphonse Bertillon

The Bertillon method of identification was devised in 1892 by French anthropologist Alphonse Bertillon. It involved using body measurements by which to classify individuals and thus identify them.

The formula uses measurements of people’s body parts and paved the way for the modern, computerized methods of facial and body recognition. These measurements were recorded on a card with the person’s photographs, and it became known as the Bertillon System.

Bertillon was born in Paris in 1853 and became a police officer. He studied biometrics, or body measurements and applied anthropology to crime investigation. The discipline became known as anthropometry. Up to this time, only a person’s name and photographs identified him.


Bertillon is also the inventor of the “mug shot,” where criminals are photographed from both the front and the side. He standardized this process about 1888. He advanced many other forensics techniques as well, including the method of comparing fingerprints, method of photographing a crime scene, and a new way to preserve footprints.

In his method of measurements, the five primary ones used were: head length, head breadth, length of the middle finger, length of the left foot, and length of the forearm. Other measurements were taken in each of these categories, and results were recorded on standardized cards with the photographs. Also recorded were eye color and length of the little finger. He also created a cross-referenced method of filing the cards so that the information was comparatively easy to retrieve.

Examples of the facial measurements Bertillon used.

The Bertillon System of indemnifying crime suspects was widely used before fingerprinting became standard. Its accuracy was questioned when, in 1903, a now-famous case emerged: the case of William West and Will West.

At the Leavenworth, Kansas federal prison, a man named Will West was incarcerated. After he entered, he taken to be photographed for mug shots, and his Bertillon measurements were taken. The clerk asked if he had been there before, but West said he had not.

These photos are used by the FBI in training. From the National Law Enforcement Museum.

After the process was finished, the clerk took the new card with his measurements and went to the files. He returned with another card. The man pictured on it looked remarkably like Will West and had nearly the same name (William West). They also had almost identical Bertillon measurements.
Will West insisted that the card the clerk showed him was not him. The clerk turned it over and read that the man on the front, William West, had been convicted of murder in 1901 and was then in the prison serving a life sentence.

It has never been determined whether these two men, Will West and William West, were related, but from then on, their fingerprints were used to conclusively identify them. Law enforcement officials and courts agreed that fingerprinting was more reliable than the Bertillon System. This case has long been used in training investigators.

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Susan Page Davis is the author of more than seventy novels and novellas in the mystery, romantic suspense, and historical romance genres. A Maine native, she now lives in western Kentucky. She is a winner of the Carol Award, Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award, Will Rogers Medallion, and more. Visit her website at www.susanpagedavis.com, where you can see all her books, sign up for her occasional newsletter, enter a month book drawing, and read a short story on her Romance page.