| Gottfried PETRASCH was born about 1834 in Germany. He
was a stone mason by occupation. His son, Herman PETRASCH was
also born in Germany about 1862. The Blaine Journal of May 20, 1886 reports the following:
U. S. LAND OFFICE AT OLYMPIA, W. T. April 30th, 1886 In The Blaine Journal of May 3, 1888 is found the following: Herman PETRASCH went over into British Columbia yesterday in search of employment.
Herman seems to have been pretty independent out of the household by 1880. I have some pictues - not sure if they are Herman, but it shows the person with a railroad housing car, crew members, there also is a picture of some type of steam engine operation near a RR siding. I also have a landscape photo showing a small hotel, with a windwill and corral. Only a portion of the hotel Billboard can be made out but there are only 2-3 letters missing from the name - ___nsel Hotel. The background are rolling hills probably with grasses and sparce trees parbably not evergreens I would like to know if the area of Whatcom has this type of terrain and any old hotels of 1880's 1890s by that name. Herman as far as I know was single, supposedly by 1892 he had gone to the southwest. He became a ranch hand, and miner. Thanks Paul Pettit |