Selleck (founded in 1908) is a former company town in

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, located at . As the sole surviving company mill town in King County, it is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

and as a King County landmark.

Origins

Located on the plain abutting the mountains of southeast King County, Selleck was the company town of Pacific States Lumber, under the direction of lumberman Frank Selleck. It was completed in 1916,George Foster
County's Ethnic Pioneers: Some Towns They Built Have Died
''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', August 4, 1988. Accessed May 8, 2009. accessed by the world's highest railway trestle, 204 feet above the Cedar River. The mill played a role in the rebuilding of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

after the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. At that time many Japanese workers and their families came to Selleck. This was not the first time Japanese workmen were brought to the mill.

Japanese immigrant community

The Japanese area outside the main town was officially known as Lavender Town (after the owner of a local saloon and general store), but was better known as Jap Town. Children of the Japanese workers attended the Selleck School, and also attended a Japanese-language school on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. However, few traces remain of Lavender Town today, not even grave markers (which are believed to have been made of wood). The only visible indication of the former Japanese presence is a pond landscaped with

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, ...

. Hence, Selleck's landmark designations do not include the former Lavender Town, because so few traces remain. It is possible that future archaeological excavations might lead to such a designation.

Decline

At its peak, Selleck had a population of 900 and had a hospital, two hotels, a community hall with weekly dances, a school, a number of stores and several mill buildings. Pacific States Lumber declared bankruptcy in 1939, bringing an end to Selleck's prosperity. The town of Selleck went through a series of owners—the first purchased it for a mere $3,000—before Robert Schaefer, a general contractor from Renton, Washington, formed an investor group to buy the town in 1971. Schaefer's vision for the town was not fully achieved. He hoped to restore the millpond, with paddleboats, a train around the pond, and a logging

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...

. However, this proved impossible due to a combination of wetlands regulation and lack of sufficient funding. There were serious problems with the town's water system in the 1990s.

Selleck today

As of 2007, the town is owned by Robert Schaefer's son Tim Schaefer. The former two-story schoolhouse and former community hall remains. About half of the original single-story company houses remain, and people live in 50 bungalows. A four-bedroom house in Selleck rents for about what a two-bedroom apartment costs in more accessible parts of the county.

References

External links

History of Selleck (Black Diamond History)
{{authority control History of King County, Washington Unincorporated communities in King County, Washington Landmarks in King County, Washington National Register of Historic Places in King County, Washington Company towns in Washington (state) Japanese-American culture in Washington (state) Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Washington (state) Unincorporated communities in Washington (state)