The land on which Old Mill Park now stands was once owned by Anders and Anna Nelson, who arrived in Silverdale from Seabeck before 1909.

Here’s the story behind this site’s evolution from farm to mill to park:

Anders Nelson (Nilson) was born in 1849 in Olden, Norway and emigrated to the U.S. in 1888. His wife, Malina, and children Anna, Lena, Jack, Inga, Jennie, Dina, and Nels Carl followed him in 1889. By 1892 they were living in Seabeck, where their last child, Albert Clarence, was born.

Malina died in 1894 in Seabeck.

By 1895, Anders was living in Silverdale, buying the point of land south of Bucklin Hill Road and west of Clear Creek, as shown on the 1909 county plat map. Anders was, in 1895, one of the 10 Clear Creek Valley settlers who gave eight-year logging rights to I.N. Sill and R. Evans.

In 1899, Anders married Anna M. Einen (born in Norway in 1850) in Seattle, returning with her to Silverdale. The 1910 census shows Anders as a general farmer, with wife Anna, daughter Lena La Clair, son Nels, and granddaughter Frances La Clair living with them. Their neighbors were Julius McCann, William Sprague, Michael Benbennick, Cornelius Sprague, Christen Petersen, and Thue Thuesen. The 1915 and 1917 city directories list the Nelsons as poultry breeders.

Anders died in March 1917 at home in Silverdale, leaving Anna with the farm. Anders’ obituary described him as “one of the most esteemed citizens, neighbor and friend.” It also indicated a much larger involvement in the community than originally thought.

Anders had two brothers that also settled in Silverdale: Paul and Peter Myhre (Myhre Road is named for them). Anders also had a sister, Johanna, who married Rasmus O. Qualhiem; he owned 40 acres on the east side of Clear Creek (about where Costco is) and developed and/or bought and sold land around Kitsap County, particularly Bremerton.

Anders’ eldest daughter, Anna, married Carl O. Qualheim, a real estate broker/developer, in Seattle four months after her father and stepmother married.

After Anders’ death, the 1920 census shows Anna farming the property with her sister, Christine Einen, who moved from California via Seattle to live with her. Their neighbors were Martin Holdridge, Rollo Holdridge, Marcus Bartlett, Dalbert Sprague, John L. Weir, and Harry Palmeter.

A plat map from 1928 or 1929 shows a division of the property, with Annie Nilson (Nelson) on the west side of the peninsula and Al C. Nelson (Anders’ youngest son, Albert Clarence Nelson) on the east 18.5 acres, the part that became the Schneebeck Mill.

The 1930 census shows Anna still on the western part of the property, with her sister Christine working in the neighborhood as a nurse. Their neighbors were Allen Bartlett (on 36.5 acres straddling the creek on the north side of Bucklin Hill Road), Richard Usitalo, Leslie Buckland, Millicent Deathrage, Homer Richards, Elbert Riel, and James Chase.

Warren Lewis said his father, William Olanie Lewis, and brother, William Bucklin “Bill” Lewis, had a partnership under the name Lewis Logging Company. The company was based at Star Route 1, Box 371 (sometimes Bremerton, sometimes Seabeck), at the intersection of the Holly Road and Seabeck Road. The company also had, for a time, offices in the building that is now Our Place Tavern. Note: William Bucklin Lewis’ mother, Henrietta Bucklin Lewis, was the daughter of Nathan Bucklin of Bainbridge Island.

Warren thought his father and brother bought the property where the mill sat in about 1947. Robert Lewis, Bill’s son, agreed they bought the property in 1947 from Bill’s uncle, Frank Lewis. How or when Frank Lewis got the land from Albert C. Nelson is not known.

Initially, the area was used as just a log dump, where rafts of logs were towed to other mills. By April 1951, the Westfall-Schneebeck Lumber Company was operating; the fee owner of the property was ESS Corporation, with Edwin Jacob Schneebeck listed as the owner. However, the property taxes were sent to William B. Lewis at Route 1, Box 371.

Bob Lewis, William B.’s son, said Henry Mitchell ran the log dump and Schneebeck owned the mill. Edwin J. Schneebeck was a businessman from Tacoma (Schneebeck News Agency) with several brothers doing well in manufacturing and machine work in Colorado. It is thought that John Edward “Jack” Mey did the building of the mill. Schneebeck’s superintendent, Bill Wells, ran the mill.

In the mid-1950s, Westfall-Schneebeck Lumber Company installed a German-made mill, the remains of which can be seen at Old Mill Park on the southwest of the mouth of the creek. In one pass, it could cut the log into multiple and whatever sizes they chose to set it for.

Cordell “Corkey” Sunkel worked at the mill from 1961-65. He said the mill had another saw that would cut the logs which were too large for the German-made-mill. It would also cut “cants” (a squared off log) for shipment. The machines were run by electric motors, but the log movement was controlled by compressed air equipment.

Another mill employee, Larry Johnson, said he went to work there for $1.95 an hour, then after two months got a raise to $1.97 per hour. Ray Frender was another local boy who worked at the mill.

The mill often would ship its lumber using two railroad sidings, one at Newberry Hill Road and one at Westgate Road.

In 1958, the Westfall-Schneebeck Lumber Co. made the news when its sawdust burner caught fire. In another incident, according to Corkey Sunkel, the mill’s watchman lived in a trailer on the property. One time, he woke up in the morning and stepped to the door to light a cigarette, and blew himself out of the trailer because of the buildup of gas.

Early in the 1970s, the mill closed and the land, on the east side of the peninsula, sat unused until 1995 when Kitsap County bought it from Westfall-Schneebeck.

This is part of the Edwin J. Schneebeck estate that was made into the park you see today.

— Randy Hunt is a member of the Central Kitsap History Club. He writes Past & Present for the Central Kitsap Reporter.

Early in the 1970s, the Westfall-Schneebeck lumber mill closed and the land, on the east side of the peninsula, sat unused until 1995 when Kitsap County bought it from the company. (Central Kitsap History Club) Early in the 1970s, the Westfall-Schneebeck lumber mill closed and the land, on the east side of the peninsula, sat unused until 1995 when Kitsap County bought it from the company. (Central Kitsap History Club) Early in the 1970s, the Westfall-Schneebeck lumber mill closed and the land, on the east side of the peninsula, sat unused until 1995 when Kitsap County bought it from the company. (Central Kitsap History Club)

Remnants of the Westfall-Schneebeck lumber mill. (Central Kitsap History Club)