Longbranch was named for Long Branch, New Jersey, a resort town on the Atlantic Coast. In 1889 Edward Yeazell wanted to duplicate that resort on the Pacific Coast. Although his plan failed, Longbranch received its name, which was changed to a single word by the post office in 1894, to avoid delivery confusion with the nearby Long Beach.
Longbranch sits on beautiful Filucy Bay. There are two stories about how it was named. The first is that the hut on the Key Peninsula was built here by French Canadian, Pierre Legard, in 1848. As was common in those days, he had a native spouse from the Haida Tribe and her name was Filucy. The other explanation has the bay called Tetusi on the early charts of the 1841 Wilkes mapping expedition, and Filucy may be an interpretation of this name.
The first wharf in Longbranch was built in 1885. It first served as a dock for steamers and sternwheelers of the Mosquito Fleet. From 1922 until the 1940s it was a landing for ferry service from Steilacoom to Longbranch via Anderson and McNeil Islands. The dock area containe a post office (1890), two stores (1886 and 1893), a fruit farmer’s cooperative store (moved here in 1907 and collapsed into the water in
1928), a community church (built in 1908, condemned in 1934) and a hotel (built in 1889 and moved to avoid subsidence in 1934).
As we cruised through the morning mist, I was reminded that some shoreline construction is questionable.
More importantly, who would want to climb up and down that every time you forget something in the house?!
No honey, strawberry jam, not grape jam!
In the early thirties my Finnish grandpa built a house on a little chicken farm in Long branch and that’s where he, my grandma, my mom and her sister lived for a number of years. I have photos of the two little girls playing in the front of that small house. My mom and her sister went to school in Longbranch from kindergarten to about fifth grade. I was able to visit that area with my mom and my aunt several years ago – we picnicked at a state park on the beach there where they played as little kids. It’s a beautiful place!
Just back from Wisconsin Historic Organ Convention, and Choral Conductors Workshop in Seaside, OR with Rod Eichenberger. So, now I’m catching up on your beautiful posts!
Thanks for larnin’ me about Long Branch vs. Longbranch.
love, MEB