When the original mining town of Old Newcastle was established in 1863, the primary source of drinking water was a little creek to the south that began up on Cougar Mountain and emptied into what is now Lake Boren.

It was normally a gentle flow of water, but during heavy rains the creek would overflow and created a large flood plain to the north of the current lake. The lake was bigger and deeper than it is today, and also was swampy on the Eastside.

Chinese workers came into the area in the early 1870s, primarily to work on the railroads, but some came to Newcastle and worked for the mining company.

The earliest news item we have found is from 1873 about an attempted suicide by a Chinese worker. There were evidently race issues, and in 1876, 40 Chinese workers were driven out of the mining camp.

In 1876 and 1877, more than 300 Chinese workers were employed in building the railroad extension from Renton into Newcastle. After the line was completed, many of those men came to work in the coal mines at New Newcastle.

They mostly worked in the bunkers at the picking tables sorting coal by size. They were housed in company-owned buildings until 1885, when race issues arose and all of the Chinese-occupied housing was burned.

The workers (all men) left the camp and built small huts among the trees near a creek away from the camp. They planted narrow gardens along the creek bank and coops for chickens and ducks. Over time, the creek became known as China Creek.

The creek continued feeding into Lake Boren, overflowing onto the flood plain and dropping rich silt during the winter.

The rich flood plain was used for grazing livestock in the summers. That condition changed in the 1960s when, according to the late Milt Swanson, Robin Peterson, owner of the property west of the current Coal Creek Parkway and north of the lake, began creating a concrete channel for the creek bed.

Peterson worked for Stoneway Concrete as a mechanic and was able to bring home surplus concrete, which he dumped into the bed. He created a stable channel that no longer overflowed during storm events and went directly into the north end of the lake.

Eliminating the flooding allowed the lakefront to be developed, and we have homes there today. China Creek continues to bring silt into the lake during storm events and the outflow must be cleaned periodically, or local flooding does occur.

Workers from many nations were instrumental in the success of coal mining in Newcastle and the eventual creation of the city, but only the Chinese have a named legacy in China Creek.

A founder of the Newcastle Historical Society, Swanson knew more about Newcastle’s history than anyone, because he actually lived it. Swanson died at the age of 95 in January 2014. In this month’s history feature, Newcastle City Councilman, and history buff, Rich Crispo recalls his favorite Swanson stories.

I had the good fortune to know Milt and spend almost every Wednesday afternoon with him during the two years prior to his death. I was thirsting for information about our city and Milt was always willing to share his personal experiences.

By Greg Farrar
Milt Swanson, recalling the happiness and the hardship of a lifetime lived in Newcastle, poses in a 2012 photo, sitting among the artifacts of local history that he had collected and stored in a makeshift museum building on his property.

Milt was born in a house near the current Coal Creek Family YMCA and lived in the house at the corner of Newcastle Golf Club Road and Lakemont Boulevard since 1922, when his father rented the property from the Pacific Coast Coal Co. Milt told me many stories. Here are two of them:

1.) Did you ever wonder about the slight dips in Newcastle Golf Club Road as you drive over them? The topography along Coal Creek was very different in 1863, when coal production started, than it is today.

South of the creek was a flood plain, and a series of small ravines fed ground water and rain water from the hills to the south into the creek. The first dirt road above the flood plain and along the ravines included a series of bridges made from cedar logs.

Over time, mine waste was dumped along the road, and the ravines and the flood plain were filled in. When it came time to pave the road, the path went right over the existing bridges. Eventually the logs rotted out and the road surface dipped a bit.

The next time you drive along the road, count the dips. Some are obvious while others are subtler.

2.) All of the mine tunnels had air shafts reaching to the surface. One such shaft is located where Newcastle Golf Club Road meets Lakemont Boulevard.

During a heavy rainstorm in the 1960s, a stream of water came down from Cougar Mountain and crossed the covered shaft. The top covering collapsed and dammed up the hole well below the surface. As a result, the hole filled up with water.

A Boeing employee driving his station wagon on the way to work tried to drive across the “puddle.” His car started falling down into the hole, but luckily hung up on the edge.

He called for a wrecker and one came from Renton and stopped on the other side of the puddle. The driver walked around, attached a pull chain, and proceeded to pull the wagon completely into the hole and beneath the water.  The car was removed with the help of another truck.

Shortly after the car was removed, the dam in the hole broke and fell into the abandoned mine far below. The hole was eventually closed using concrete, cedar logs, mine rock and asphalt. That fix has lasted for 50 years and the next time you drive that route look for the circular indentations in the road surface near the curve.

Want to hear more about Milt’s stories and the history of your city? Email me at crispo@comcast.net.

File
Scaffolding and landscaping equipment sit in front of the clubhouse March 1999 as opening day approaches for The Golf Club at Newcastle.

As you line up your approach shot to the par-3 fourth hole on Coal Creek, did you ever wonder how The Golf Club at Newcastle came into being?

One hundred and fifty years ago, the first chunks of coal were being extracted from the original mine 50 feet below where you are standing. The first of more than 10 million tons of coal removed over a 100-year period.

The journey that took this area from the wild environs with cougars, bears and 10-foot-wide trees to the best venue on the Eastside is an interesting but not always pretty story.

Coal was found in Coal Creek in 1853 and tunnel mining began in 1863. The largest operator, Pacific Coast Coal Co., produced large quantities of coal, mostly exported, until 1927. Economic conditions and the completion of the trans-continental railroad caused them to cease operations and remove the buildings and railroad tracks.

In 1932, gypo mine companies, better known as contract-basis mining operators, began leasing specific mine seams from the Pacific Coast Coal Co. for small operations to support coal needs in the King County area.

One of these was the Strain Coal Co. Strain is important to our story because it was the first, and only, to use strip-mining techniques on the Newcastle mines. It began on the southeast portion of the field under what is now the China Creek Golf Course. It started in 1933, and by 1947 had dug up 80 to 90 acres, leaving large open pits.

In 1963, Pacific Coast Coal Co. sold all the property to Evan and Jack Morris, of Palmer Coke and Coal. All coal mining had ceased by then and they decided to develop the property for housing starting with 200 acres under what is now the Coal Creek Golf Course.

A request for a permit from King County was rejected due to concerns over safety and the potential for mine shaft collapses. A request to create a landfill for construction debris, however, was approved.

In 1970, operation as a permitted landfill began. Unfortunately, items other than those authorized found their way onto the site.

The late Milt Swanson, a longtime resident of the area, witnessed two semi trucks dumping 50-gallon drums into the site that were quickly covered over with dirt. He believed they contained paint thinner and sludge.

Another current resident stated that he had deposited items other than construction debris at the site. When King County learned of the abuse, they revoked the permit and closed the site. A short time later, Rabanco, promising compliance, convinced King County to reopen the site and took over operations. The landfill grew to the north and west and eventually covered the area of the golf course. The company ran the site until it closed in 1992.

Scott Oki purchased the property in 1994 and the Coal Creek Course opened in 1999 followed by China Creek in 2001. Today, the best venue on the Eastside for meetings, celebrations and golf lies above the source of the first commodity exported from Seattle.

Newcastle pioneer Milt Swanson passes away

Family, neighbors and community leaders gathered Jan. 25 to honor the life of Milt Swanson, a titan of Newcastle history and a man with an unceasing, warming smile.

The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead.

Swanson died Jan. 20 after a Jan. 14 fall sent him to a hospital, where he lapsed into a coma.

He knew more about the city’s vast coal-mining history than anyone, because he actually lived it. He worked in the mines, as his father and grandfather did before him, and it was vital to him to tell his story, making sure the history of Newcastle never died.

“It was important to him to allow as many people who were interested to understand the beginnings of the city they live in,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said. “He loved this community.”

Council elects new mayor, deputy mayor

The Newcastle City Council ushered in 2014 with elections for the mayor and deputy mayor positions at its Jan. 7 meeting.

Steve Buri was elected mayor, while newcomer John Drescher is the new deputy mayor. Both will serve two-year terms.

Buri was elected to the City Council in 2007 and re-elected in 2011. He served as deputy mayor from 2008-2011.

Drescher was the new face on the council, having defeated opponent Mark Greene to fill the seat vacated by retiring Councilman Bill Erxleben in the November election.

Prior to that, he served on the Newcastle Planning Commission for four years, and as the board’s chairman for the past year and a half.

Neighbors voice concerns about Energize Eastside

A Puget Sound Energy project to bring higher capacity electric transmission lines to a growing Eastside caused controversy across affected cities, including Newcastle, in 2014.

Olympus residents in particular voiced their concerns about Energize Eastside at City Council meetings and public forums.

PSE’s Community Advisory Group recently presented its recommended routes, and both include a line that goes through Newcastle.

This story appears far from over though, as affected cities, led by Bellevue, come together to hire an independent consultant to research the project, and work through the Environmental Impact Statement process.

Old Hazelwood comes down to make way for middle school

The Renton School District demolished the old Hazelwood Elementary School in 2014 to make way for a new middle school.

The district’s fourth middle school comes at an important time, given that Renton’s middle schools are among the largest in the state.

The new school is slated to open in fall 2016.

Newcastle Days celebrates 20 years

The city of Newcastle celebrated its 20 years as an incorporated city with a special Newcastle Days celebration.

New to this year’s annual festival was a parade featuring youth groups and individuals dressed as coal miners in a nod to the city’s history.

“Really, when you think about it, 20 years isn’t old for even a tree, but there’s been a huge amount of change here in Newcastle in the last 20 years,” said Community Activities Commission Chairwoman Diane Lewis, one of the festival’s organizers.

Newport Woods community concerned about proposed development

A proposed multifamily, mixed-use development along Newcastle Way, just beside City Hall, has Newport Woods neighbors wondering how much longer the city will remain the quaint Newcastle they fell in love with.

The application calls for a 76-unit, 64-foot mixed-use building set on just under an acre of land in what is now a wooded area next to Newcastle City Hall. A trail along the Olympic pipeline is about the only thing that would separate it from homes on the edge of the Newport Woods community.

If approved as is, the six-story building would be the tallest in the city.

Renton History Museum features Newcastle exhibit

The Renton History Museum partnered with the Newcastle Historical Society to create an exhibit dedicated to Newcastle’s past.

“Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside,” feature pictures, maps and objects from Newcastle’s coal-mining past. The exhibit has information about the cemetery, as well as the Baima House, a still-standing Pacific Coast Coal Co. house, considered among the oldest buildings in King County.

The exhibit will be on display at the Renton History Museum through February 2015.

By Greg Farrar
Rich Crispo, Newcastle councilman, stands next to a display case with Milt Swanson’s coal miner helmet and an information poster honoring the late 95-year-old Newcastle native’s contributions to preserving the city’s history. The Renton History Museum’s Newcastle retrospective exhibit is on display until Feb. 7.

The first thing visitors see upon walking into the Renton History Museum’s Newcastle exhibit is, appropriately, a tribute to a man that means so much to the city’s history.

Milt Swanson’s mining helmet emblazoned with his name along the side greets museumgoers while sitting in a clear display case.

It’s appropriate because Swanson, the Newcastle pioneer born and raised in the community, spending 90 of his 95 years living in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead, cared immensely about Newcastle’s history, and made it his mission to preserve it.

Swanson passed away in January, but his memory and coal-mining history are preserved in the new exhibit, featuring many of his own artifacts.

“Milt would’ve been really, really happy,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said of the exhibit. “It really honors not only his memory, but the memory of the city. I think it’s just great.”

“Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside” debuted Sept. 9 and is set to run at the Renton History Museum until Feb. 7. It features pictures, maps and objects, most on loan courtesy of the Newcastle Historical Society, from Newcastle’s coal-mining past.

It’s the first time the museum has collaborated with another historical organization, collections manager Sarah Samson said.

“Mostly, what we were trying to convey is what it was like to live in Newcastle during that time period,” she said. “It was pretty much strictly a mining town, so a large part of the exhibit focuses on the mine and life in a mining town.”

There are features about the still-standing Baima House and the Newcastle Cemetery, as well as a wall-sized present-day map pinpointing several historical locations.

“People can figure out, my house is here, but this is what used to be here,” Samson said.

The artifacts range from mining tools to wine-making devices, because, as Samson noted, “there were a lot of Italians” in Newcastle. But it’s not the exhibit objects that stand out, Crispo said, it’s the history behind them.

“The artifacts themselves are not as important to me as the stories that they tell,” he said. “The best part about all of this for me, is that if somebody were to say, ‘Tell me a little bit about this picture,’ I can tell them a story. I learned so many stories from Milt that I’m able to do that with just about everything that’s in here.”

It made sense to do an exhibit about Renton’s Newcastle neighbor, because there is so much shared history among the cities, Samson said.

“The exhibit is a really good comprehensive introduction to Newcastle history,” she said. “Personally, I am a history person, but I think it’s really important to understand the history of where you’re living.”

Newcastle’s coal-mining history dates back to the mid 1800s, when the city was second only to Seattle in population.

The Newcastle mining site operated for about 100 years, until the mid-1900s. Workers extracted nearly 11 million tons of coal during that period.

Vestiges of that history remain scattered across the city in the form of landmarks such as the Baima House, a century-old company house that used to house miners and their families, and the Newcastle Cemetery, the final resting place for a number of Newcastle pioneers.

The stories and the history of the people that set the foundation to make Newcastle what it is today are now on display in a special Renton History Museum exhibit, “Newcastle: Little Giant of the Eastside.”

In it you will see the faces of the men, women and children who called Newcastle home during its coal-mining heyday; the tools that workers used to extract the coal; and a special tribute to the late Milt Swanson, the Newcastle pioneer who deservedly gets much of the credit for championing the preservation of the city’s history.

Every resident that calls Newcastle home should make an effort to see this exhibit. It should be mandatory viewing for every single person working at City Hall. Anyone that has a stake in Newcastle’s future needs to make it down to the Renton History Museum.

As the saying goes, “You have to know where you’ve been, to know where you’re going.”

We once used this space to decry the lack of attention paid to preservation of the city’s history. It is now so thrilling to see Newcastle’s story not only being shared, but also celebrated in both this exhibit and display cases of artifacts at City Hall.

The Renton History Museum spared no detail in bringing Newcastle’s history to life, but the exhibit is only temporary. At some point, the artifacts Swanson so graciously donated to the Newcastle Historical Society will need to find a permanent home.

Our hope is that one day, the city can fund its own museum to house the treasures of its past.

The project, entitled “Black Forest (29,930,000 tons),” is spread across the forest floor in the form of nearly 50,000 pounds of biochar, environmentally friendly charcoal that appears similar to the coal that was once mined from the mountain.

“It was kind of the launching point,” artist Hans Baumann said, “this idea about rethinking what the park was, and trying to reinterpret its history in a way that might be visually compelling.”

By Kate Smigiel
Artist Hans Baumann spreads bio-carbon, a black charcoal often used as a fertilizer for agricultural crops and ornamental plants such as orchids, as part of a large-scale art installation on Cougar Mountain.

The Cougar Mountain trails hold the stories of the region’s past, which included about a century of mining. Park visitors literally stand in the midst of history as they pass abandoned mine shafts, find remnants of carts and railroads, and discover stray pieces of coal.

The park is the site of the lucrative Newcastle mining site, which helped transform Seattle into the dominant port city it is today. The mine operated for about 100 years until the mid-1900s. Workers extracted nearly 11 million tons of coal during that period.

It’s that rich history that attracted Baumann to the project about two years ago, he said.

“The park is an interesting place to visit, but then beyond that, the existing literature about it and the amount of historical interest in it, I feel, it made my project quite rich, because I was able to draw from it,” he said.

“Black Forest (29,930,000 tons)” was funded by 4Culture’s Site Specific Arts program. The number comes from the estimation that the mines emitted 29,930,000 tons of carbon dioxide during its heyday. Baumann received $20,000 total in site-specific grants.

The biochar has carbon sequestration qualities, allowing it to store carbon emissions and mitigate the harmful effects of greenhouse gases in climate change.

The idea is that the material will conceptually begin the sequestration process of 29,930,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the same amount released through the mine’s 100 years, Baumann said.

The project took about two years to come together, Baumann said, and much of that time was spent researching the history of the area.

The artist met with local groups, such as the Newcastle Historical Society and the Issaquah Alps Trails Club. Baumann specifically mentioned Cougar Mountain expert Steve Williams and Newcastle legend Milt Swanson as dutiful teachers as he learned about the park.

“This installation is, in part, an effort to make their work physically and visually present on the mountain,” Baumann wrote on his website.

Baumann recalled fondly visiting with Swanson at the Newcastle pioneer’s home on Lakemont Boulevard and exploring his vast coal-mining museum.

Swanson, who passed away Jan. 20 at 95 years old, was the premier historian when it came to the Newcastle mines. He was born and raised in Newcastle, and he worked in the mines as his father and grandfather did before him.

The art installation, which covers more than an acre of forest floor, and sits on what used to be a gravel mine, was unveiled to the public in a special ceremony March 15.

Baumann spoke about his project, provided a tour of the site and thanked the volunteers that helped spread the voluminous bio char.

“The only thing I hope is that people find it compelling on some level,” he said. “I’m just hoping that it affects people in some way.”

The art installation will remain in place until it decomposes, but visitors are encouraged to come early spring, before much of the piece will be covered by vegetation.

By Kate Smigiel
Artist Hans Baumann spreads bio-carbon, a black charcoal often used as a fertilizer for agricultural crops and ornamental plants such as orchids, as part of a large-scale art installation on Cougar Mountain.

Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is now home to a unique land-art installation that pays tribute to the area’s coal mining past.

The project, entitled “Black Forest (29,930,000 tons),” is spread across the forest floor in the form of nearly 50,000 pounds of biochar, environmentally friendly charcoal that appears similar to the coal that was once mined from the mountain.

“It was kind of the launching point,” artist Hans Baumann said, “this idea about rethinking what the park was, and trying to reinterpret its history in a way that might be visually compelling.”

The Cougar Mountain trails hold the stories of the region’s past, which included about a century of mining. Park visitors literally stand in the midst of history as they pass abandoned mine shafts, find remnants of carts and railroads, and discover stray pieces of coal.

The park is the site of the lucrative Newcastle mining site, which helped transform Seattle into the dominant port city it is today. The mine operated for about 100 years until the mid-1900s. Workers extracted nearly 11 million tons of coal during that period.

It’s that rich history that attracted Baumann to the project about two years ago, he said.

“The park is an interesting place to visit, but then beyond that, the existing literature about it and the amount of historical interest in it, I feel, it made my project quite rich, because I was able to draw from it,” he said.

“Black Forest (29,930,000 tons)” was funded by 4Culture’s Site Specific Arts program. The number comes from the estimation that the mines emitted 29,930,000 tons of carbon dioxide during its heyday. Baumann received $20,000 total in site-specific grants.

The biochar has carbon sequestration qualities, allowing it to store carbon emissions and mitigate the harmful effects of greenhouse gases in climate change.

The idea is that the material will conceptually begin the sequestration process of 29,930,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the same amount released through the mine’s 100 years, Baumann said.

The project took about two years to come together, Baumann said, and much of that time was spent researching the history of the area.

The artist met with local groups, such as the Newcastle Historical Society and the Issaquah Alps Trails Club. Baumann specifically mentioned Cougar Mountain expert Steve Williams and Newcastle legend Milt Swanson as dutiful teachers as he learned about the park.

“This installation is, in part, an effort to make their work physically and visually present on the mountain,” Baumann wrote on his website.

Baumann recalled fondly visiting with Swanson at the Newcastle pioneer’s home on Lakemont Boulevard and exploring his vast coal-mining museum.

Swanson, who passed away Jan. 20 at 95 years old, was the premier historian when it came to the Newcastle mines. He was born and raised in Newcastle, and he worked in the mines as his father and grandfather did before him.

The art installation, which covers more than an acre of forest floor, and sits on what used to be a gravel mine, will open to the public at 11 a.m. March 15 with a special ceremony at the Red Town Trailhead.

Baumann will speak about his project, provide a tour of the site, give thanks to the volunteers that helped spread the voluminous bio char and answer attendees’ questions.

“The only thing I hope is that people find it compelling on some level,” he said. “I’m just hoping that it affects people in some way.”

The art installation will remain in place until it decomposes, but visitors are encouraged to come before spring, when much of the piece will be covered by vegetation.

The Newcastle pioneer, born and raised in this community, spent all of his 95 years living in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead.

Milt Swanson

Swanson died Jan. 20 after a Jan. 14 fall sent him to the hospital, where he lapsed into a coma.

He knew more about the city’s vast coal-mining history than anyone, because he actually lived it. He worked in the mines, as his father and grandfather did before him, and it was vital to him to tell his story, making sure the history of Newcastle never died.

“It was important to him to allow as many people who were interested to understand the beginnings of the city they live in,” Newcastle City Councilman Rich Crispo said. “He loved this community.”

Friends remembered Swanson as a sharp, inquisitive man, with a sense of humor that made him impossible to dislike.

“He made me laugh all of the time,” said Newcastle Historical Society member Vickie Baima Olson. “He would always put a humorous twist on things.”

Swanson was the authority when it came to Newcastle history, leading him to create the Newcastle Historical Society.

For the better part of its more than 20 years of existence, the Newcastle Historical Society was a place where passionate history junkies could get their fix by attending monthly meetings where the legend that is Swanson would talk about the good old days.

It’s evolved since then, making a greater effort to preserve the city’s history, but Swanson was still a major part of that, Olson said.

“Milt, I think, died in peace,” she said. “I think he felt confident that his artifacts would have a good home and the Newcastle Historical Society would protect the history.”

At the group’s Newcastle Days booth, Swanson was often an attraction himself, a veritable encyclopedia of the city’s history, Newcastle Trails board member Giles Velte said.

“He is an irreplaceable part of our history,” Velte said.

Swanson had a love of railroads and speeders, something he shared with Newcastle Historical Society President Russ Segner.

“We both love railroad history, so we bonded over that,” Segner said. “He really was one of the final links between Newcastle as it has evolved, and the history that existed here from the 1900s, on up through the evolution of the Eastside.”

Crispo said he learned nearly everything he knows about the history of the city from Swanson. He, along with Olson, would often sit for hours listening to Swanson’s stories, while they recorded him for an oral history project.

“Milt was a 95-year-old guy that represented what all of us would like to be at 95,” Crispo said. “He was still somebody who could teach, somebody who could share his knowledge, right until the day he died. Not many people can do that.”

Milt Swanson

The Newcastle Historical Society announced that founding member and local legend Milt Swanson died Jan. 20.

Swanson, who was born and raised in Newcastle, spent all of his 95 years living in the same area, 90 of which were in the same company house that still stands at the edge of town near the Cougar Mountain trailhead.

He knew more about the city’s vast coal-mining history than anyone, because he actually lived it. He worked in the mines as his father and grandfather did before him.

“He will be missed by many who knew and loved him, but his legacy will live on in all the artifacts and stories he has so generously given to the Newcastle Historical Society,” society member Vickie Baima Olson wrote in an email.

Swanson moved to the Regency Newcastle assisted living facility in December after he fell at his home. He fell again Jan. 14 and was taken to Overlake Hospital, where a hematoma developed and he lapsed into a coma, Olson said.

“At the Regency, he continued to share his vast knowledge of the history and geology of Newcastle, while continuing to read and learn,” Olson said.

Swanson was 95. Learn more about Swanson’s remarkable life in this Newcastle News feature from 2012: newcastle-news.com/2012/08/02/a-coal-mining-life.

Newcastle News invites you to share your memories of Swanson below in the comments.