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History · Vader

Vader in old photos and postcards

Postcards, papers and photographs of Vader from public archives, woven together by decade. Neighbors fill in the gaps.

10old photos & papers
2historic places
2famous people
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From Vader’s archive · credits on each photo
The story

How Vader came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Vader.

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After Little Falls was formed, the town was considered one of the largest communities between Portland and Tacoma. The town was incorporated as a "fourth class" city under the Little Falls name on January 12, 1906; only one resident out of 78 voted against incorporation. The first mayor was W.R. Diley. During its peak between 1890 and 1920, Vader hosted over 40 businesses, contained two churches, and had a hospital. Along with a local newspaper, businesses included a bowling alley, an opera house, several saloons, and the Vader Moving Picture Theater.

ChaptersBeginnings and 20th century21st century

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Vader, 1889 to 1939

Woven from the archive, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1889Born hereHerbert Heyes is born here
  3. 1895In the archiveVader, Washington 05
  4. 20th century
  5. 1900In the archiveVader, Washington 03
  6. 1910Born hereRoy A. Taylor is born here
  7. 1913In the archiveStillwater Lumber and Shingle Mill, Vader, Washington 01
  8. 1939In the archiveWestern Washington, Lewis County
By decade

Vader, decade by decade

4 decades in the archive, from the 1890s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1890s–1910s5 items
Vader, Washington 05c. 1895Vader, Washington 05 Vader, Washington 031900sVader, Washington 03 Vader, Washington 041900sVader, Washington 04 Ben Olsen House 011908Ben Olsen House 01 Stillwater Lumber and Shingle Mill, Vader, Washington 01c. 1913Stillwater Lumber and Shingle Mill, Vader, Washington…
1930s5 items
Western Washington, Lewis County1939Western Washington, Lewis County Sign on post office door: Farm animals and household equipment for sale. Vader, western Washington1939Sign on post office door: Farm animals and household … Stump farm. Typical of cut-over area of Western Washington. Lewis County, near Vader1939Stump farm. Typical of cut-over area of Western Washi… Untitled photo, possibly related to: Western Washington, Lewis County1939Untitled photo, possibly related to: Western Washingt… The Nieman farm showing cleared land on which the bulldozer is clearing more land. Western Washington, Lewis County, ne…1939The Nieman farm showing cleared land on which the bul…
1940s–1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Today2 recent
Historic Vader Jail2021Historic Vader Jail A Street in2021A Street in
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Vader, Washington 05
Retake this viewVader, Washington 05, c. 1895

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Vader’s page.

Retake this view · +15
On the National Register

2 historic places in Vader

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
2
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
2
each building in a district counts
first listed
1976
Ben Olsen House
in Washington
#78
by listings
Ben Olsen HouseGrace Evangelical Church of Vader
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne1
Late Victorian: Gothic1
Ben Olsen HouseQueen Anne
Grace Evangelical Church of VaderLate Victorian: Gothic

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

2 famous people were born in Vader

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

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Herbert HeyesActor · b. 1889
Roy A. TaylorAmerican politician · b. 1910
Help out

Finish Vader’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewVader, Washington 05: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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From Wikimedia Commons (7), the Library of Congress (5), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikipedia and Wikidata for famous people. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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