Black Diamond: 1890s barber shop restored for museum

Originally published in the Voice of the Valley, November 9, 1988

By Heather Larson

Virgil Holman (left) cuts Carl Steiert’s hair in the barber chair Holman has loaned to the Black Diamond Museum.

All the paraphernalia necessary for an 1890s barber shop is now on loan to the Black Diamond Museum. Barber Virgil Holman has loaned his older model wooden barber chair, a genuine mug rack complete with mugs, and his extensive razor collection.

The barber pole was originally in the public market. Holman, a Lake Morton resident, ran his barber shop at 150th and Military Road.

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The Black Diamond Historical Museum highlights mining town’s colorful past

Originally published in The Seattle Times, July 16, 1992

By Steven Spenser
Special to The Times

If you go: Black Diamond Historical Museum, From I-5, take state Highway 516 east to Highway 169, turn right (south) onto Highway 169 all the way into Black Diamond. Just past the baseball field, turn right (west) from Highway 169 onto Baker Street, which ends at the museum. Museum hours: Saturday and Sunday, noon to 3 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Special tours by arrangement, call (206) 886-1168

Entering the Black Diamond Historical Museum is like stepping back into time: After knocking down champion boxer Bob Hodges in an 1899 fight, the incongruously nicknamed Mighty Jimmy Sullivan, “a very small drinking man,” became convinced he was quite a boxer. The Black Diamond bantamweight took to walking around town, proclaiming, “I can lick any man in the world, and Canada, too.”

Sullivan frequently would get lost in the woods on his way home from the local tavern. At such times, he often could be heard to call, “Man lost! Man lost! And a damn good one, too! Five dollars to the man who finds him!”

Photos of Sullivan and other engaging characters of Black Diamond’s coal-mining and railroading past are enshrined in the museum, a gem-in-the-rough housed in the town’s former railroad depot. Visitors this year have come from as far away as England, Wales, Egypt, and Guam.

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Managers of Seattle retail yards

Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, October 21, 1927

Since the Pacific Coast Coal Company entered the retail field in the City of Seattle, the managers of its seven yards have been so busy that they have had no time to pose for photographs. However, the Bulletin photographer caught them all together on a recent visit to the New Black Diamond Mine, where they inspected the newly installed Rheolaveur coal washing plant.

From left to right: D.W. Scott, manager of the Arms Scott division of the Pacific Coast Coal Company; Blake D. Mills, manager of the Cascade Coal Company division; Emil Carl, manager of the Rainier Valley yard; Donald B. Olson, manager of the University District yard under the same name; Peter Bertoldi, manager of the Georgetown yard; C.V. Wilson, manager of the Dearborn Street yard; and V.E. Parks, manager of the Ballard yard.

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Cotterill assails Miller

Originally published in The Seattle Sunday Times, February 23, 1908

Flaws in record of Republican candidate

I have received the following letter from a friend at Maple Valley. He says:

“I am pleased to receive your letter inquiring about moral affairs in Maple Valley and hope that something can be done to put a check on the way things are running in this part of King County at present.

“There are four saloons here and slot machines in every saloon and gambling going on in every saloon. This is well known by county officials. The Sunday-closing law is violated every Sunday. Minors are allowed in some of the saloons. In fact, the law is openly defied in every way.”

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Coaling ships at Portland

Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, December 16, 1926

Modern facilities for bunkering ocean steamers are employed by the Pacific Coast Coal Company at Portland, Oregon. Commerce in in the Columbia River is teeming with activity, and to keep pace with the demand for speed and economy the company coals all vessels at the Port of Portland’s terminal No. 4, at St. John’s.

The picture shows the giant loading equipment which can be moved the entire length of the dock.

The coal is fed onto a long conveyor belt from huge bins back from the dock, and carried to any desired portion the ship by means of the flexible chute shown dangling from the crane.

Black Diamond Doings

Briquets blank opponents; Miners swamp Shamrocks

By Frank Bergmann

Diamond Briquets, playing the feature game in Seattle last Sunday, at Woodland Park, gave the big city a fine exhibition of soccer in their victory over the West Woodland Fuel Co., by a score of two goals to nothing.

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Sitting on top of the coal world

Originally published in the Pacific Coast Bulletin, December 9, 1926

Diamond Briquets figured prominently in the convention of the Washington State Horticultural Association, held in Wenatchee Dec. 2, 3, and 4. An exhibit of Diamond Briquets and orchard heaters occupied a prominent place in the exhibit room, all other exhibits being confined to various types of apple wiping machines.

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BD Historical Society has new officers watching over treasures

Originally published in the Voice of the Valley, December 8, 2009

By Kathleen Kear

Watching over Black Diamond’s “House of Treasures”—the Black Diamond Museum—are newly elected 2010 officers for the Black Diamond Historical Society including (front row l-r) Don Malgarini, Dee Israel, JoAnne Matsumura, Donald Botts, (center l-r) Don Mason, Conrad Roberts, Keith Watson, Howard Botts, (back l-r) Gomer Evans and Ken Jensen. Not pictured—Clayton Mead, Harry Berry, and Anna Morris.

Newly elected Black Diamond Historical Society (BDHS) officers are looking forward to continuing their duties in 2010 as the caretakers of Black Diamond’s “House of Treasures”—better known as the Black Diamond Museum.

For 32 years, community members along with guests have enjoyed free admission to a wealth of knowledge gathered over the years by the BDHS for all to enjoy. Not only are visitors able to learn about the history and origin of the city, but they are also able to learn about the area surrounding the city.

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Black Diamond gems

Originally published in The Seattle Times, September 23, 2007

By Dana E. Blozis
Special to The Seattle Times

Tiny Black Diamond’s historic district is a great place to take an educational walking tour. Add the nearby Black Diamond Cemetery—although you may want to drive because the cemetery’s 1,200 graves are in themselves a walking tour—and you can learn a lot about the former coal-mining company town.

Black Diamond, which has about 4,000 residents today, had about 3,500 residents around 1900, at the height of the town’s coal-mining days, according to HistoryLink.org.

You’ll find plenty of parking along Railroad Avenue near Baker Street and in the parking lot behind Black Diamond Pizza & Deli. Put on your walking shoes.

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Black Diamond experiences growing pains

Originally published in The Seattle Times, September 7, 1993

Not all residents like decisions being made by folks in Seattle

By Kery Murakami
Seattle Times South bureau

The city of Black Diamond is at odds with King County over plans for growth management. This coal-car monument in the center of town testifies as to where the city name came from. (Ron Wurzer/Seattle Times)

Black Diamond — This city is so small there are no traffic lights.

It is so far from urban areas that horses graze in one of the busiest stretches of the city.

And busy means a two-lane road that passes a community center with the city’s only bank machine, a Nissan dealership, and a hunting shop with the statue of a menacing-looking bear out front.

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Smokers, saloons, and the mighty Sullivan

Originally published in the Maple Valley Reporter, July 8, 2011

By TJ Martinell

Gomer Evans, Sr. spars with an opponent in a match held at the town’s baseball field. The referee is George Avers, who also played on the Black Diamond baseball team.

At the turn of the century in Black Diamond the sport of boxing was a popular form of entertainment.

As a coal mining town, where all of the men worked long hours performing manual labor, it was capable of producing more than a few big, muscular men who could knock someone out with a single punch.

“We were all tough little buggers,” said Jack Thompson, who grew up on Baker Street.

Carl Steiert said as a boy he’d be shining shoes in the barbershop when boxers would put on their trunks in the back end room and warm up. His recollections were published in the book Black Diamond: Mining the Memories.

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