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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1882 - Thomas Ray (Ray-Carrossino Farmhouse)Tracing historic home BY LOUISE JONES-BROWN ACTING DIRECTOR, TUKWILA HISTORY MUSEUM Thomas Ray has been credited with building the 1882 farmhouse referred by local residents as the Ray —Carrossino House. Thomas or T.K. and Lucretia (Julian or Julien) Ray were married on Dec 5, 1880 in Duwamish, Washing- ton Territory. Thomas was born in 1853 and the family lived in Iowa where he attended school while working the family farm and learning to be- come a teamster (driv- ing teams of horses or mules). Thomas and Lucretia's first child, Clara, born on August 4, 1881, was followed by Dorothy (1884), Rhoda (1886), Eldra (1888), Viola (1894), Cecil (1894), and then Eugene (1903). All of the children except Clara are believed to have been born in the farm house. It was stated by Rodney Ray, who currently resides in the Auburn area, that his father, Eugene was born in an upstairs bedroom of the house. The parents of Thomas, Abner Ray and Mary Ann (Keith) Ray also came to Duwamish, Washington Territory and are buried in the area Lu- cretia's father, Jacob Julian, came to King County where he purchased 68 acres of farmland on the Duwamish River. He sold the land and purchased a larger farm where he continued to successfully farm for 20 Thomas Ray years. Jacob Julian was a Democrat and the Duwamish precinct is where he faithfully voted for twenty seven years. It is noted that he was very active and influential in local area public affairs serving as school director and road supervisor. He passed away in 1905. A property of 10 acres on the Duwamish River was purchased by Thomas in 1881 or 1882. He was very successful with his arm with growing fruit and vegetables in the furtile river bottom soil and also provided a ferry service for those living on the South side of the Duwamish. The family lived in the sturdy farmhouse until1910 and it has been said that they lived very comfortably. Thomas had taken on farming land in the Auburn area where he moved the family. He lived there until his death in 1940 at the age of 87. Lucretia passed in 1945 at age 83. I just recently met 3 direct descendants of Thomas and Lucretia Ray, Carol Bruce (Clara), Judie Stewart (Eugene) and Gwyn Vukich (Eugene). They provided our or- ganization with a host of family photos some of which are featured in this article along with many stories of the Ray family. We also made a trip to visit the farm house with the Ray descendants and it was very sad to see the once lively home boarded up and isolated by the local business de- velopment. This land was once a thriving farm and family residence which was the center of the Ray family. We happily dis- covered that there was a family connection between the Maple and Ray families by the marriage of Mary Van Asselt and William Julian in 1886 since Mary's mother was Catherine "Jane" Maple. w%( .TUKWILAREPORTER.com » JULY2012) 5 The Ray-Carrossino House dates to the 1880s in the Duwamish Valley; now its fate is uncertain. Louise Jones -Brown, Tukwila Historical Society Tukwila house part of heritage Editor's note: The Tukwila Historical Society each month will share an artifact from its collection, as part of its exploration of Tukwila's history, its story. The column is written by Louise Jones - Brown, the acting director of the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center. The Thomas Ray family carve to the Duwamish Valley in 1882. Theybuilt a farmhouse and outbuildings on the north side of the Duwamish River in the area of 11269 East Marginal Way. A gar- den and orchard were added. The Rays provided ferry service for neighbors on the south side of the Duwamish River as commer- cial service had ended with the bridges being built at Georgetown and Black River Junction. Several of the main floor rooms were made large enough to hold many parties and dances. Neighbors up and down the river would put on their best clothes, some riding for more than an hour or arrivingbyboat in order to share in the fun. Around 1915 the house was bought by Joseph and Teresa Carrossino. They put in abocce ball court, where they played the popular Italian game. It was tradition to complete the farm chores early on Sunday and have friends join them for the game and socializing. The picture of the farmhouse was taken within the last couple weeks. The Ray-Carrossino house represents the typical 1880s farmhouse that was quite common in our Duwamish River Val- ley. This 130-year-old family home and once vital social center is now sitting abandoned behind a chain -link fence just beyond the Sound Transit light rail -line waiting for the wrecking ball. It is most likely the last of the homes built during the 1800s to exist in Tukwila The Tukwila Historical Society has received artifacts from the property such as tiny miniature horse shoes and a wine bottle that still has the original unknown liquid inside. The Tukwila Historical Society invites you to submit for review any photos that you may have of this house or the surrounding area to possibly add to our collection. Please feel free to contact Louise Jones -Brown, Acting Director at the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center. The Center phone number is 206-244-HIST.