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Life in Burley

A Learning Journey

-Kevin LaCombe-

Presented to Burley Lagoon History Group

November 4, 2023

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Who am I?

  • Moved to Port Orchard in 1977 when I was 8 years old.
  • Stamp collecting fostered a desire to learn about world geography.
  • Delivering newspapers and pizzas forced learning local geography.
  • Married to Adele with 3 children (Cameron, Madeleine, Isaiah)
  • Engineer at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

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How I Ended Up in Burley

  • Rustic to Extreme - Barely knew Burley existed until 2009 when we moved into the Extreme Home Makeover house on Spruce Road.
  • Meeting the Locals – Hearing the personal Extreme Home stories and the wild Colony stories.

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Becoming a Local Burleyite

  • Burley Community Club – Or should I say Burley “Library” Association?
  • Barbara Laxson’s Map and the History Committee

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I was a Burley Colony Property Owner

  • What about these Fruit Trees?
  • Trying to Put the Pieces Together

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Researching Burley

  • Where to Look?
    • Google is Your Friend
    • Washington State History Research Center
    • eBay – Why Not?

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Researching Burley

  • Who to Talk to and Visit With?
    • Chuck LeWarne and his 1969 Dissertation
    • Valerie Stein and her Leaded Glass

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Researching Burley

  • Who to Talk to and Visit With?
    • Paul Keith Conkin and his Requiem
    • Richard Winterbottom, his Thesis, and his surprising Pandemic Phone call

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What’s So Interesting About Burley?

  • Colony Evidence is all Around
  • Why did they come? What Were They Looking For?
  • Who Was Here Before the Colony?
  • What About After?
  • And What About Those Fruit Trees?

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Fascinating Stories

  • Pre-Colony Burley – Native Americans and the Explorers
    • Peter Puget Exploration into Burley Lagoon

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Fascinating Stories

  • Settling the Territory
    • Surveying and the Land Grants
      • Who Was Charles A. White? Who Was the Other Charles A. White?
  • Claiming Your Land
    • Got to Get There
  • Property Disputes
    • Deaths and Lawsuits

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Charles Anthony White�Karl Anton Korsstrom

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Fascinating Stories

  • Arrival of the Brotherhood
    • Who Were They?
    • Who Sent Them?
    • Why Did They Come?
  • The Colony Years (1897-1906)
  • The Extended Colony Decline (1906-1912)
  • The Burley “Library” Association (1911-present)
  • The Burley Water Association (1911-present)

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The “Library” of the Brotherhood

“A box of high class literature has been received from Chicago, a joint gift to our library from Brothers J. H. Copeland and Francis Schulte.”

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Putting History to Use

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Burley Library Association�Burley Community Club

  • Properties:
    • Community Hall
    • Post Office
    • Cemetery
    • Park?
  • Supports Community Connection
    • Meeting Space
    • Senior Nutrition
    • Emergency Response

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Burley Water Association

  • Deeded Water Rights from Colony
  • Member-Owned Water Utility
  • Supports 29 Connections
  • Major Renovation ($250,000) to system in 2012.
  • Artesian Well drilled in 1950 replaced original dammed creek.
  • Who Owns the Park?

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What About Those Fruit Trees?

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There They Are!