Rucker Brothers
Encyclopedia
Brothers Wyatt J. Rucker and Bethel J. Rucker (1862–1945) were pioneering entrepreneurs who helped to found the city of Everett, Washington
.
Originally from Ohio, in 1888 the Rucker brothers moved to Tacoma, Washington
, along with their mother Jane Morris Rucker (1830–1907). The following year they moved 60 miles (96.6 km) north to the Port Gardner peninsula, the site that would become Everett. The Ruckers purchased most of the land on the peninsula with plans to create a port and city there. They hoped that the site, near the mouth of the Snohomish River
, would attract the Great Northern Railway, which was then building track toward Puget Sound
.
The Ruckers were soon followed by Tacoma lumberman and investor Henry Hewitt, Jr. who had a similar ambition. Hewitt had lined up a group of wealthy investors, led by Charles Colby and Colgate Hoyt
and backed by John D. Rockefeller
. With their capital he formed the Everett Land Company, which began investing in land, construction, and other business needed by a new city. The Ruckers became partners in the company, selling about half of their land and retaining the rest.
Speculation in Everett was intense, and the new city was built quickly, but the boom turned to bust when it was announced that the Great Northern would establish its West Coast terminus at Seattle instead of Everett. The Rucker brothers survived the economic downturn, and when Rockefeller and his colleagues were ready to divest themselves of their failed investment, the Ruckers helped arrange the deal by which the Everett Land Company's interests were sold to a new entity, the Everett Improvement Company, controlled by the Great Northern's James J. Hill
. Wyatt Rucker became treasurer of the new company.
and several timber camps to the east. These were serviced by the former Everett and Monte Cristo Railway, a line which had been built to access a large mining operation at Monte Cristo
, high in the Cascade Mountains
to the east.
The mine and the railway were another speculative venture by Colby and Hoyt, financed by Rockefeller. When it, too, proved unprofitable, Rockefeller withdrew his investment, and in 1903 the railway came into the possession of the Northern Pacific Railway
. The Ruckers then leased the line from Northern Pacific and ran it under the name Hartford Eastern (named for Hartford, a small town near Lake Stevens). Their primary interest was in servicing their own timber operations, but they also provided cargo and passenger service to others.
The scenic mountain railway became popular with tourists from Everett, some of whom stayed at the Ruckers' hotel in the mining town of Silverton, Washington. Inspired by this, the Ruckers built a grand upscale mountain resort, the Big Four Inn (named for the nearby Big Four Mountain), completed in 1921. The Inn was well supplied with modern amenities and featured a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, and an artificial lake. The Inn prospered, but the railway remained a financial burden on the Ruckers. It became worse in 1925 when their lease expired and the Ruckers were forced to purchase the line from the Northern Pacific. In 1929, they sold the railway. The Big Four Inn was sold as well, and it changed ownership several times before it was destroyed by fire in 1949.
A major thoroughfare in Everett is named Rucker Avenue.
The Rucker mansion, a three-story, 7800 square feet (724.6 m²) brick home built on a hill overlooking Puget Sound (412 Laurel Drive, Everett), was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Legend says that the home, completed in 1905, was a present for Bethel Wyatt's bride, Ruby Brown, whom he had married the year before, but it served as home for several members of the family. The house is currently a privately owned residence.
Members of the Rucker family are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Everett, where they are memorialized by the Rucker Monument, a 30 feet (9.1 m) granite pyramid commissioned by Wyatt and Bethel in 1907 to honor their mother.
Everett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
.
Originally from Ohio, in 1888 the Rucker brothers moved to Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, along with their mother Jane Morris Rucker (1830–1907). The following year they moved 60 miles (96.6 km) north to the Port Gardner peninsula, the site that would become Everett. The Ruckers purchased most of the land on the peninsula with plans to create a port and city there. They hoped that the site, near the mouth of the Snohomish River
Snohomish River
The Snohomish River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington, formed by the confluence of the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers near Monroe. It flows northwest entering Port Gardner Bay, part of Puget Sound, between Everett and Marysville. The Pilchuck River is its main tributary and joins the...
, would attract the Great Northern Railway, which was then building track toward Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
.
The Ruckers were soon followed by Tacoma lumberman and investor Henry Hewitt, Jr. who had a similar ambition. Hewitt had lined up a group of wealthy investors, led by Charles Colby and Colgate Hoyt
Colgate Hoyt
Colgate Hoyt was an American businessman active in the late nineteenth century. He was a director of the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company, and one of the founders of Everett, Washington, where a main street is named after him. He was a New York investment banker who was the partner of Joseph...
and backed by John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller
John Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
. With their capital he formed the Everett Land Company, which began investing in land, construction, and other business needed by a new city. The Ruckers became partners in the company, selling about half of their land and retaining the rest.
Speculation in Everett was intense, and the new city was built quickly, but the boom turned to bust when it was announced that the Great Northern would establish its West Coast terminus at Seattle instead of Everett. The Rucker brothers survived the economic downturn, and when Rockefeller and his colleagues were ready to divest themselves of their failed investment, the Ruckers helped arrange the deal by which the Everett Land Company's interests were sold to a new entity, the Everett Improvement Company, controlled by the Great Northern's James J. Hill
James J. Hill
James Jerome Hill , was a Canadian-American railroad executive. He was the chief executive officer of a family of lines headed by the Great Northern Railway, which served a substantial area of the Upper Midwest, the northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest...
. Wyatt Rucker became treasurer of the new company.
Everett & Monte Cristo Railway
Prosperity returned to Everett around 1900, and the Rucker brothers were among the city's leading citizens, with extensive investments in local real estate, banks, and other ventures. Among these ventures was the Rucker Brothers Timber Company, which operated a sawmill in nearby Lake StevensLake Stevens, Washington
Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States that surrounds the lake bearing the same name. It is southeast of Marysville, north of the city of Snohomish, and east of Everett...
and several timber camps to the east. These were serviced by the former Everett and Monte Cristo Railway, a line which had been built to access a large mining operation at Monte Cristo
Monte Cristo, Washington
Monte Cristo is a ghost town northwest of Monte Cristo Peak, in eastern Snohomish County in western Washington.Prospecting in the region began in the Skykomish River drainage with the Old Cady Trail used for access. In 1882 Elisha Hubbard improved the trail up the North Fork Skykomish, from Index...
, high in the Cascade Mountains
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
to the east.
The mine and the railway were another speculative venture by Colby and Hoyt, financed by Rockefeller. When it, too, proved unprofitable, Rockefeller withdrew his investment, and in 1903 the railway came into the possession of the Northern Pacific Railway
Northern Pacific Railway
The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the west along the Canadian border of the United States. Construction began in 1870 and the main line opened all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific when former president Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in...
. The Ruckers then leased the line from Northern Pacific and ran it under the name Hartford Eastern (named for Hartford, a small town near Lake Stevens). Their primary interest was in servicing their own timber operations, but they also provided cargo and passenger service to others.
The scenic mountain railway became popular with tourists from Everett, some of whom stayed at the Ruckers' hotel in the mining town of Silverton, Washington. Inspired by this, the Ruckers built a grand upscale mountain resort, the Big Four Inn (named for the nearby Big Four Mountain), completed in 1921. The Inn was well supplied with modern amenities and featured a nine-hole golf course, tennis courts, and an artificial lake. The Inn prospered, but the railway remained a financial burden on the Ruckers. It became worse in 1925 when their lease expired and the Ruckers were forced to purchase the line from the Northern Pacific. In 1929, they sold the railway. The Big Four Inn was sold as well, and it changed ownership several times before it was destroyed by fire in 1949.
Legacy
The Rucker mansion, a three-story, 7800 square feet (724.6 m²) brick home built on a hill overlooking Puget Sound (412 Laurel Drive, Everett), was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Legend says that the home, completed in 1905, was a present for Bethel Wyatt's bride, Ruby Brown, whom he had married the year before, but it served as home for several members of the family. The house is currently a privately owned residence.
Members of the Rucker family are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Everett, where they are memorialized by the Rucker Monument, a 30 feet (9.1 m) granite pyramid commissioned by Wyatt and Bethel in 1907 to honor their mother.