PORT ANGELES — It all started with a chain saw.
John Singhose, a long-time Clallam County resident, unknowingly started a logging museum at his ranch west of Port Angeles about 20 years ago when he sparked up an old saw in his shed.
On Sunday, Singhose received the Clallam County Historical Society’s Heritage Award for his preservation of old farm and logging equipment.
“We started our collection with one chain saw,” Singhose said.
Singhose and his wife, Leila, probably “hold the record” for assembling a tractor in advance of a parade in Joyce, he said.
“This tractor was — from the transmission forward — all in pieces,” he said.
“Her and I worked all afternoon, into the evening, and got that tractor running.”
Kathy Monds, Clallam County Historical Society executive director, said John and Lelah Singhose are “sparks to continue to preserve Clallam County history.”
“I’m going to bet that every single person here has seen his log truck in a parade somewhere in Clallam County,” Monds said.
Other Heritage Awards were given to Sandy Keys for his preservation of cabins at Lincoln Park, and to Port Angeles High School students Jonny Irwin and John Paul Nuez for their work at the Beaumont Cabin.
Nearly 50 people, including seven historical society board members, attended the annual heritage society meeting in the Port Angeles City Council chambers at City Hall.
Keys received the Historic Structure Heritage Award for restoring cabins at the west Port Angeles park. Keys said he started working on the cabins 45 years ago with a high school class.
“This may be a little late,” said Monds, adding: “We would like to see those historic structures be maintained and stay.”
Irwin and Nuez won the Youth Heritage Award for cleaning up the Beaumont Cabin as their culminating project as high school seniors.
Irwin and Nuez also work as interpreters at the cabin, which is directly behind the Olympic National Park Visitor Center, on Sundays.
“Every Sunday, they are up there working on their research projects,” said Monds, who described the cabin as “a little nasty” before the teens started on the project.
“Jonny and John Paul just went right in. There was nothing that they would not do. I was so impressed.”
Also at the society’s annual meeting, Edmonds author Charles LeWarne presented “From Bug to Usk: A Look at Washington State Place Names.”
LeWarne, a Puget Sound native and noted history author, displayed photographs of the welcome signs at dozens of Washington cities, counties and towns with explanations on the origins of their names.
Of the 39 counties in Washington, 15 are derived from Native American names, as are the state’s three largest cities in Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma.
British explorer Capt. George Vancouver named Discovery Bay, Dungeness, Whidbey Island, Deception Pass and many other places in Western Washington, LeWarne said.
Washington is the only state named for an American individual, LeWarne noted, and Mount Vernon was named for President George Washington’s estate.
According to the book Washington State Place Names by James W. Phillips, Port Angeles Harbor was originally named Puerto de Nuestra Senora de los Angeles, which translates to Port of Our Lady of the Angels, by Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza in 1791.
The name was changed to Puerto de los Angeles a year later and eventually shortened and Anglicized to Port Angeles.
Clallam County was named for the Klallam tribe, meaning “brave people” to the Klallam and “clam people” to the Makah, according to Phillips’ book.
Forks was named for the forks of the Calawah, Bogachiel and Sol Duc rivers.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
