Go back: The Cartier Years at Copper Creek Lodge. . . The Van Cleave Years at Copper Creek Lodge, 1951

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In the fall of 1951, Roy Van Cleave saw a "For Sale" ad in the Kennewick, Washington newspaper, the Tri-City Herald and fell in love, sight unseen, with Copper Creek Lodge. He wouldn't let it rest until he had talked his wife Pearl into a drive across the Cascades to see the property. Actuallly it wa pretty run-down and forlorn, but that didn't faze him. He wanted to live there in the peace and quiet. After Several months of negotaitions with Mr. Parrish, they traded their properties. Pearl and Roy Van Cleave on front porch of Cabin #7 at left. Copper Creek Lodge, 1958

Royal Bevy Van Cleave, 1953 (at left) in lodge living room. Running a resort was not new for the Van Cleaves. Pearl had operated three boarding houses in Kennewick. Roy cleaned up the outside property, painted the insides of the cabins and relaced the linoleum. Pearl made new curtains, purchased new linens and set up some of cabins for cooking. A new clothesline was strung outside. "I must have hung a thousand towels on that clothesline - all the corners had to be just so. . . Sheets and pillowcases were ironed on a Mangle ironer." said Ann Van Cleave.

Small cabins rented for $18 per night to Mt Rainier visitors. Camp sites along the back side of the property were developed and used frequently. "My husband, Vernon Van Cleave and I spent our honeymoon at the lodge. He was on leave from the Navy and we were married June 6, 1953 in Kennewick, Washington. The Van Cleaves were in Kennewick for a few days so we had the Lodge to ourselves. We enjoyed our "wedding dinner" of salmon, compliments of the Copper Creek Cafe, served by Rosalea, and sat at the table under the big painting of Mt Ranier." Ann Van Cleave, daughter-in-law of Pearl and Roy. Ann and Vernon lived at the lodge in 1958-59.

"The Lodge was advertised as a good retreat for young church groups and there was a lot of dancing to the phonograph. " Ann Van Cleave

Cabins 1 through 6

Cabin #7. . . before and after the porch remodel. Only a few of the cabins remain. Several were lost in the 70's when a water raged down Copper Creek taking everything in it's path.

The Van Cleave years continued. . .

Copper Creek Lodge in 1952

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