R.H. Espy Family, 1895 (Harry, standing at right)

My grandfather, Harry Espy, was born in 1876. He was the third child and second son of R.H. and Julia Espy who had, in total, eight children. Five of them lived to old age and, even as a self-involved youngster, I knew I was lucky to know them and to get the benefit of their wisdom and reminiscences.

Every year until my grandfather died in 1958, the family – all of us! – would gather for a week or ten days in the summer. We never called those get-togethers “family reunions.” They were just referred to as “the time when the family came.” I was ‘the little pitcher with big ears’ sitting in the corner of our library while the old folks visited. I especially liked the stories of their childhood days when the stagecoach still came “lickety-cut” into town and Oysterville would “fill up” when court was in session.

Pacific County Courthouse, Oysterville (1855-1892)

This was still the County Seat, of course, and during “Court Week” (which I think was once a month) attorneys and their clients, witnesses, and jurors would come into town. Even the judges and sheriffs, if they lived elsewhere, would take rooms in the Stevens Hotel or at the Pacific House. Many families would take in a boarder or two for the week and the town would be all a-bustle.

As a very little girl, I remember being curious about the expression “the town filled up.” I knew about filling up the bathtub and filling up a glass with milk, but I couldn’t quite understand that happening with the town – only when there was a very high tide and the street was awash for a few hours. That, it seemed to me, was what filling up meant.

Ilwaco-to-Oysterville Stage (1860-1889)

I thought about that last night as I looked up and down the road. Almost every house had lights ablaze – unusual for a Sunday night in Oysterville these days. But, already people are gathering for the Community Meeting at the Schoolhouse scheduled for tomorrow afternoon from 1:00 to 3:00. Our County Commissioners want to hear what their constituents think about their suggestion that they rescind the ordinance which protects this little village.  And… we want to tell them!

The town is filling up. I can almost hear that stagecoach coming lickety-cut!