Ref. History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties Washington, 1906 Interstate Publishing Company, p 372 QUOTED IN PARTS AS FOLLOWS: MACHIAS Charles Niemeyer, Sr., one of the earliest pioneers of the Pilchuck valley, is the man who secured from the United States government title to the land upon which the town of Machias has been built. Mr. Niemeyer was one of a number of men who in 1877 surveyed the township in which it is located, namely, Township 29 north, Range 6. He filed upon this land the following year. At this date there was not a road up Pilchuck worthy the name,much less a railroad, and the time when the conveniences of civilizathion would be enjoyed by the Pilchuck pioneers seemed indeed remote. Before locating his family upon their new home, Mr. Niemeyer assisted his neighbors, Horace Andrus and W.A. Clark, in cutting out a possible road up the valley, and over this he brought his household goods and small children in a sleigh drawn by oxen. The white population of the valley at this time consisted of Messrs. Niemeyer, Clark and Andrus, already mentioned, the two Dubuques, Gregory and Fred Foss, but there were many Indians especially just across the Pilchuck from Mr. Clark's, where there was a larg camp. . .. . a railroad right of way was executed October 4, 1888. . . . and built soon after that. . . early in 1890 the town was started by L. W., Getchell and others, who bought for the purpose eighty-acres of land from Mr. Niemeyer. Before this time, a postoffice named Rudd had been established in the vicinity and a store was maintained by C.B. Miller, but the first business house opened in the town proper was the grocery and supply store of A. Sapp, who, for a number of years, enjoyed a monopoly of the trade of the surrounding country. The writer was in his place of business in 1896, and distinctly remembers that though the country was then just emerging from a four-year period of great financial depression, Mr. Sapp and his assistants were rushed with work filling orders that were pouring in upon them. Of course, one of the first essentials of an ambitious new town in a timber country is a saloon, and Machias was not long without its vendor of grog. A blacksmith shop, another prime requisite, was early started by Samuel Cox. The main support of the town was the logging and shingle manufacturing induestries, both of which received a mighty impetus from the building of the railroad, but the dull times which followed so hard upon the starting of Machias prevented it from securing the splencid early development which it might othersise have had. END OF QUOTE. No mention of Daniel BERRY or hwf Belle BERRY was found. In my recall Rudd or rudd translates to "red" but I see no further mention of it. Perhaps there are others on here who might have that info. I knew a BERRY Family in Snohomish - good friends, in fact. The ones I knew moved away and have since passed away, but I will try to make further inquiry in case they could have been from that possible tie, and let you know if I find one. I could not find a Berry surname among the biographical sketches in the above quoted source. Good hunting and I hope someone can help you trace those names! There are books of unusual or names of WA places, Also, there are sources for finding old Post Offices & who the postal clerks were - I know because I have used it. A gazeteer sometimes works to find info, I have found. Earliest Gazeteer having Machias WA in it might be revealing. My experience in finding Hartland, WA. worked wonders for finding my Grt Grt GF's gravesite at Lone Pine Cemetary (sic.!) as it was spelled across the top of the gates to it, 12 miles up into rattlesnake country from Lyle, WA on the Columbia River, WA side - Lyle, itself, is a nitch in the hwy (The Dalles area). The pioneers there always called it High Prairie. Indians buried there, also. Best wishes, or 73, Carroll, Snohomish * * * A Blessed Christmas to ALL * * * ___________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]