The following paragraphs are excerpts from a letter written on March 26, 1972 by Clarence Dolan to Katy Kimura who was then the Mayor of South Bend:

I was born at Willapa in 1885.  I well remember when the waterfront was lined up with saw mills and shingle mills and other industries.  Long before Raymond was ever dreamed of, I used to help the Morris boys out and harvest tideland grass where the city of Raymond is today.  Before going to Alaska in 1906, I was offered lots on the main street of Raymond at 25 dollars.  After 3 years in Alaska I returned and found these same lots selling at $750.oo.  I then returned to Alaska and spent 2 more years up there, and on my return, was informed that a bank had paid $4,400 for a lot on which they built their bank.

My parents landed at Oysterville in 1877, where my dad set up a blacksmith shop.  Later on the family moved up on Cedar River on a claim where one of my sisters and a brother were born.  The family then moved to Willapa, formerly called Woodards Landing.  It was here that my twin brother and I were born.  Then in a little over one year, my sister was born, and this completed a total of 12 children born to my parents.  The family originally migrated from Iowa, and on their way to the coast, they stopped in Denver where my dad set up a blacksmith shop where he used to shoe WILD BILL’S black mare for him.  The family then headed for San Francisco, and then by boat came to SHOALWWATER BAY in 1877.

I was about 6 years old when I seen my first railroad.  All supplies came to Willapa by boat.  I knew what PIONEER life was like and the hardships those early settlers endured.  I knew what poverty was like and I do not mean maybe.  I was limited to as little as 3 months of school in one year because the district was so far in debt.  I could easily write a book on the PIONEER days of Pacific County.  It used to be a full day trip by horse team to South Bend and back to Willapa.  I remember such men as Tom Rooney as SHERIFF and Zack Brown who was also SHERIFF of Pacific County, attorneys H.W.B. Hewen, John Welch and Dr. Schenk who married my niece, formerly Pearl Shay, and it just may be that the bank building you live in is where Dr. Schenk had his offices 30 years ago.

Thanks to Steve Rogers for sending me this and to Ken Kimura for posting it on his FB page (which is where Steve found it.)  Great stuff!  I never tire of reading and sharing the memories of the “old-timers.”  More of Clarence Dolan’s reminiscences may be found in various issues of  the Pacific County Historical Society’s magazine, the Sou’wester.