The employees here at Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson and Hook are always looking for creative ways to get our names into the community. Our very own Vince Roman had an article recently published in the Finnish American Reporter. The article concerns his ancestor and is quite interesting. Click on link to read. Enjoy. john-eskola-story

We recently planted six more small tomato plants to fill in an area in the garden that was empty. These tomatoes will grow quite well due to the sunlight they are exposed to on the west side of the house. Photos also include an updated version of the garden which nicely displays carrot and radish sprouts; as well as green onions, snap peas, chives, eggplant and of course tomatoes. Also shown in the photo is out brand new rotating compost machine which will allow us to create organic material to be used in fertilization of our vegetables.

Recently, I was presented with a flat of sweet woodruff to plant around the arbor vida trees. I evenly spaced the 20 small plants between and in front of the trees. Ideally, the sweet woodruff will will grow and expand to create a lush ground cover in the newly created soil bed surrounding the trees.

Yesterday we hauled two truck loads of new gravel to fill in an area between the parking lot and the grass. It looks very nice.

There was also a stack of old historic bricks lying next to the shed and we used them to build a new flower garden. In this garden we planted carrots, radishes, cucumbers, squash and tomatoes. The outside is starting to come together and look sharp.

We have now planted herbs in the different quadrants between the marigolds. Some of the herbs include; cilantro, basil, oregano, peppers, rosemary and sage.

We have also planted snap peas in the vegetable garden. We created small teepees with bamboo for the peas to grow upon. Also planted in the garden is two rows of carrots and radishes.

So far we have planted a variety of lettuce in the garden and several types of herbs including basil, oregano, cilantro and sage. They seem to be coming along just fine. The herbs are planted in their original location where Mrs. Brown would have put them back in the 1800s, on the east side of the house, but in slightly more shade than the lettuce.

Early American west pioneers created fruit and vegetable gardens to supply their homes with fresh foods in a foreign land. Years later, during the World Wars, such gardens were known as “Victory Gardens”. Victory Gardens were built to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In today’s economy these are increasing in popularity. The Brown family, American west pioneers, had such a garden, as did their neighbors. It was a necessity of life. We at the Brown House have recreated the Brown family’s garden, most likely in its original location. Watch as we restore the garden to its authentic beauty while providing fresh produce for all to enjoy.

Stahancyk, Kent, Johnson & Hook is excited to welcome new associate Matthew Blum to our Vancouver office. Matt graduated from Gonzaga University and earned his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law. Matt brings a high energy and hard working attitude to the office and we are thrilled to have him as a part of our team.

Here is a photograph of the Charles Brown House taken in the 1950′s from the corner of 11th and Daniels Streets. Note the structure on the left no longer exists. Photo courtesy of Mary Ellen Bates.

The article below appears in the current edition of the Clark County Genealogical Society’s annual publication “Trailbreakers”. It concerns early Vancouver citizen Charles Brown, his life and tragic death. Mr. Brown is who our Vancouver office is named after. Please click on the link titled chas-brown-story to read. Enjoy!

chas-brown-story