The story of the Blackman House begins in 1872, when the Blackman brothers left Bradley, Maine, in search of a new future in the Pacific Northwest. After their family lumber mill failed, William, Alanson, Elhanan, and Hyrcanus Blackman made the long journey west with their wives and children.

The family traveled by sailing ship around Cape Horn, bringing treasured household belongings with them—including the piano still displayed in the front room of the Blackman House Museum today. After arriving in San Francisco, they continued north to Port Gamble in Washington Territory, where other Maine lumbermen had already established a successful timber business.

The Blackmans first worked in the logging camps of Pope & Talbot, then soon set out on their own. By 1876, they had established a logging operation on a small lake north of Snohomish. That lake became known as Blackmans Lake, and visitors to Hill Park can still see old pilings connected to the family’s early logging work.

In 1878, two years after beginning their logging operations, Hyrcanus and Ella Blackman built their home on Avenue B. Other Blackman family members soon built homes nearby, making the family a central presence in early Snohomish. Today, the Blackman House is the only remaining home from that early cluster of Blackman family residences.

Now preserved as the Blackman House Museum, it offers visitors a rare chance to step inside one of Snohomish’s founding-era homes and see the people, objects, and stories that helped shape the town.

In 1884, the Blackman brothers expanded their ventures by opening a sawmill on the Snohomish River. Three years later, a fire destroyed the mill, but they quickly rebuilt, growing their operation to employ 175 men. Elhanan's invention, the tripper shingle machine, helped streamline production, making the mill one of the first in the region to produce surplus lumber for shipment to the East, especially after rail service reached Snohomish in 1889.

Also in 1884, Hyrcanus’s son, Clifford, was born. Years later, Clifford married Maude Morgan, linking the Blackmans to Snohomish’s founder, E.C. Ferguson, through Maude's family. Clifford and Maude had two daughters and later moved to Wenatchee, where Clifford grew the family’s orchard business. Tragically, Clifford passed away during the 1920 flu epidemic, marking a somber chapter in the family history.

Blackman Business & Family Growth

In 1909, daughter Eunice Blackman married Dr. William Ford, a physician from Ontario, Canada, who established his practice across the street. After retiring from medicine due to health reasons, Dr. Ford joined the family’s orchard business in Wenatchee. The home on Avenue B became known as the Ford House, and during the 1930s, Dr. Ford added a sunroom for Eunice’s cherished plants. Eunice lived alone in the house after Dr. Ford's death in 1951, leading a quieter life surrounded by her memories and family legacy.

Becoming the Blackman Museum

After Eunice left Snohomish for medical treatment in the 1960s, the house stood empty until a local newspaper editor discovered it had been vandalized. Eunice’s family decided to sell the home, and it was purchased by the newly formed Historical Society in 1970 to preserve the Blackman legacy. By December of that year, volunteers transformed the house into the Blackman House Museum, celebrating the history of the family and their impact on Snohomish. Eunice was honored as a member of the Historical Society before her passing in 1974.

Today, the Blackman Museum stands as a testament to the pioneering spirit of the Blackman family and their contributions to the growth and history of Snohomish. Visitors can explore the house, admire the family heirlooms, and learn about the Blackman family journey and enduring legacy in the community.