Monday, November 3, 2008

What business operated for 47 years before being replaced by Willows Run Golf Course?


Vegetable Farming in 1921 before Golfing at Willows Run

- excerpt from the Redmond Historical Society Newsletter, Miguel Llanos, Editor

The Willows Run Golf Course now dominates the Sammamish Valley area near downtown, but back in the old days the Aries family’s produce farm was the center of attraction.

Redmond Historical Society President Pro Tem Judy Aries Lang was born into that Italian family as was her sister Angela – and both pulled a few carrots and worked in the packing shed at Aries Gardens.

On Saturday, Nov. 8, from 10.30-noon at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, the sisters will take folks on a slideshow and video tour. All are welcome.

“The farm started with three partners in 1921 and 6 acres,” Judy recalls. “By 1928, it had 9 partners and 87 acres and was the largest in the valley, according to the East Side Journal. In 1930, they employed about 80 farm hands at the busiest time.”

“Head lettuce was the biggest crop, with half the acreage planted in lettuce,” Judy adds, “but over the years they also grew carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, turnips, spinach, potatoes and pumpkins.”
The farm closed in 1968 with an equipment auction, of which a video was made, part of which will be shown at the meeting. “All the big veggie farms folded around this time,” Judy says. “An end to the era of truck farming in the valley.”
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With assistance from my neighbor, Richard Morris, The Redmond Historical Society has created a new Web site -- with a new address: redmondhistoricalsociety.org. Check it out!
Here’s a sample of what you’ll find: 1) Past newsletters to 2001, 2)Select biographies
3) List of items we sell (great holiday gift ideas!) 4) Upcoming heritage events
5) Video clips (e.g. Derby Days; and one of the last trains through town)

2 comments:

  1. Curious about the people, places and traditions of Redmond? If so, sign up for our free newsletter by emailing info@redmondhistoricalsociety.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll send you a first issue to make sure you're able to open and read them (the files are PDF).



    We can also send you the newsletters via US Mail if email doesn't work, but the photo quality is not as good as the email version.



    We also archive past newsletters, click here to view our collection going back to 2001.

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  2. aries garden...in 1949-50 my family moved from Wyoming to redmond and my father worked at aries garden .. we occupied a small cabin located in the middle of the gardens for about a year I was 3 years old at the time...my uncle (sonny Lucas)
    a few years later lived in the same cabin for a short time .


    Roy L Galutia

    ReplyDelete

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