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Published in The Seattle Times online on Oct. 2, 2025
and in Pacific NW Magazine of the printed Times on Oct. 5, 2025
Ready for 50 years of riveting riddles? Game on in Woodinville!
By Jean Sherrard
Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” may recall a scene featuring youthful protagonist Bilbo Baggins exchanging riddles with the gruesome, elder Gollum who threatens to eat him if he fails to answer.
The historical questions we pose here may be playful and seemingly of local import only. But I would argue the stakes are high. Every place matters, every story counts, especially when history itself is on the line.
In its century and a half, Woodinville — just east of the north end of I-405 — contains more than a whiff of rural wizardry. Bounded by gentle rivers and lakes, and now a town known for dozens of picturesque wineries, its earliest brain-teasers are well worth exploring.
“Why was it named Woodinville?” asks a smiling Cherry Jarvis, co-founder of the Woodinville Heritage Society, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
“So much timber maybe?” co-founder Phyllis Keller answers with a chuckle.
For those who don’t know the forest from the trees, the giveaway: Ira and Susan Woodin fled “urban” Seattle in 1871 and rowed up Sammamish Slough in search of new beginnings.
OK, that was easy. But the next sticklers may require attending an event. For details, read on.
Those following the Woodins found work in the village’s surrounding forest and farmland. They included lumber magnate Frederick Stimson, who built a baronial mansion in 1911 and opened a prize-winning dairy. He named it Hollywood Farm. Why? Were holly bushes abundant? Did Charlie Chaplin pay a visit?
A Woodinville blacksmith, born Johann Koch in Germany’s Baden-Baden, set up shop near the town cemetery. Why did he change his name to John Cook?
Tools of Cook/Koch’s trade (anvil, forge, hammer and tongs) pose even more mysteries. Why does his anvil anchor his grave?
Popular Norm’s Resort on bucolic Cottage Lake became nationally famous. Was owner Norm Fragner an early PR genius?
When one of our state’s largest wineries, Chateau Ste. Michelle, sought land to fulfill world-class aspirations, why did Woodinville stand out?
Such queries are enough to create enduring ties that bind.
“When we founded the heritage society in 1975,” recalls co-founder Jarvis, “Woodinville was small enough that we all knew each other.” Today, the town population approaches 14,000. “Together, we can honor the past,” says Kevin Stadler, the society’s president, “while inspiring connections for generations to come.”
Want to catch the inspiration?
Join “Now & Then” co-columnist Clay Eals and me at 10:50 a.m. (doors open at 10:15 a.m.) Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, at Brightwater Environmental Community Center, where Woodinville Heritage Society will host a gathering of passionate, crackerjack history buffs who will supply “pocketses” of answers to all these riddles, and much more.
WEB EXTRA
So we return after a delightful program featuring the Woodinville Heritage Society historians to answer a few of the questions posed in the column.
A video of the hour-long program should be forthcoming with further solutions – we’ll post it as soon as it becomes available.
- Why did Frederick Stimson, lumberman, name his estate Hollywood? Most likely, says direct descendant MaryAnn Feczko, because of family connection to Southern California, specifically Los Angeles. Two Stimson brothers ended up living there and Frederick visited them often. So Charlie Chaplin never visited the farm, although President William Howard Taft put in an appearance!
- Woodinville blacksmith Johann Koch changed his name to John Cook to avoid anti-German sentiment during World War I. In future decades, he reverted to Johann Koch, which appears on his unique anvil tombstone. He requested that the anvil be inscribed “The Woodinville Blacksmith” but as he was not the only smithy in town, the inscription was altered, depriving him of a solo act.
- Norm Fragner of Norm’s Resort was, by all accounts, a genius of PR. His unique logo spread across the country on signs and post cards — bringing to mind the somewhat earlier Wall Drug marketing campaign in the 1930s promoting Wall, S.D., as a destination. Reportedly, signs for Norm’s Resort could be found from Alaska to the Mexican border.
- Finally, the reasons Chateau Ste Michelle chose Woodinville were various, if somewhat obvious. The already bucolic setting of the the Stimson estate combined with proximity to a major urban center provided the ideal environment to replicate a traditional French winery. Over the decades, dozens of winemakers have followed suit.
When the video presentation is completed, we’ll post it here with some fanfare. Congrats again to the Heritage Society on its 50th anniversary!
A fascinating part of our area history for sure! Looking forward to the talk!
Been wanting to trace the Woodinville Woodins to my Great Grandmother’s family of Woodins. They lived in Rainier Valley, Seattle, bought up land there, sold lots and my Grandfather bought one from an Uncle Woodin. He built his home there piece by piece, where my father grew up. At first he and Grandmother lived in a tool shed while their home was being built.
The paper edition said to come to this page for the names of the members of the Woodinville Heritage Society. 🤷🏼♀️
Thanks, Pat. The names have been inserted in the “Now” caption!