Dorothy Elliott’s Horses on Papa’s Property, 1945

Yesterday was one of those chock-a-block-filled-to-overflowing days that I know I’ll be savoring for a long time.  It began with a visit with down-the-road neighbors Scott and Janet who had wanted me to sign a Legends book and said that they had some interesting Espy memorabilia to show me.

Interesting, indeed!  In fact, the entire experience was grand.  For starters they live on property that once upon a time belonged to my grandfather.  It was part of his ranch – the part he sold (actually bartered) to Dorothy Elliott in the 1940s in exchange for my summers at Camp Willapa.  I wondered what Papa would have thought of all the lovely homes that dot the ridge where his cattle (and later, Dorothy’s horses) once roamed.

The memorabilia included three bound copies of “advanced uncorrected proofs” of my Uncle Willard’s books.  One was of particular interest:  “The House of Words” it was called.  By the time Simon & Schuster published it, the title had changed to Have a Word on Me.  That the book had begun with a different title was a new and interesting tidbit, indeed.

The back story on Scott’s acquisition of the books filled in a little more family history – actually in-law history that would have sent me through the roof had I know about it at the time. In the mid-nineties Willard, already terminally ill, and (mostly)Louise were cleaning out their Red Cottage in preparation for its sale.   Louise, apparently, had taken any saleable early copies of Willard’s books  to Sandpiper Books in Long Beach.

She did it without our knowledge (at the time we owned The Bookvendor, also in Long Beach) and almost certainly without Willard’s knowledge.  It was right at the time that Willard and I were making arrangements for all of the Espy papers (including Willard’s) to go to the Washington State Historical Society Research Center.  That Louise was quietly selling materials ‘out the back door’(and to a business rival, at that) would have infuriated me and appalled Willard.  I can only be thankful that these particular items found a good home with appreciative stewards.  I hope any other ‘treasures’ did, as well.

Happy Birthday, David!

A second big revelation about family came in the evening at friend David’s 65^th birthday celebration at the Shelburne.  We had no sooner walked in the door than Matt Winters said, “I’ve just been talking to a relative of yours” and introduced me to Marc Boone whose great grandfather was a brother of my great grandfather, R.H. Espy!  A ‘new’ Espy Cousin – or ‘Cuzzin’ à la Ralph Jeffords whose great-great was also a brother of R.H. Espy.  A different brother.

It turns out that Marc and his wife have a place in Ocean Park, that Marc is an artist of considerable note (I Googled him) and, he told me, Polly Friedlander had given him his first show when she had her Seattle Gallery back in the seventies.  (Willard had his first West Coast signing of Oysterville, Roads to Grandpa’s Village at the Friedlander Gallery during the same era.)  I had the feeling that there were many more discoveries of mutual friends and experiences to discover and we promised to get together…

It was a full day – the kind of day that happens often here in our small community.  I loved it all!