Historically Speaking
By Linda Thompson
Summit Lake, Washington. Yes, there’s one on Mount Rainier, but I’m talking about the one just over 7 miles east of McCleary off State Route 8.
It has gone by the name of Pray’s Lake and Crooked Lake before being named Summit Lake.
The lake is in Thurston County, but has always been an important spot for McClearyites. It was a great spot for fishing, picnics, and family reunions. Then the building started.
Now the only public access is the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife boat launch on the southwestern side of the lake. There’s a tiny spot on either side where you can drown a worm if you don’t have a boat, but the beauty of the lake can only be fully realized out in the middle – or down to the right of the boat launch – and just a couple hours before sunset is the best time.
Even if it’s a windy day, those last two hours of the day are beautiful. The wind dies down, as if yielding to the setting sun’s attention.
This 500-plus acre lake boasts rainbow trout, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch and coastal cutthroat. The lake is said to be 100 feet deep and have 5.6 miles of coastline.
An 1878 edition of The Olympia Transcript boasts that Pray’s Lake is an excellent hunting and fishing “gem in the woods” located in the “everlasting woods” around the shores.
Reports of silver salmon, tom cod and salmon trout could be caught in the lake. The wildlife included birds, deer, wildcat, elk, bear and panther.
Pray’s Lake was named for Mr. Pray who had an icehouse near the shore. He and several men had to work hard and fast to lay up the ice from the lake for summer use.
Another 1878 note from The Olympia Transcript reported that three boys from McCleary went out to the lake earlier in the week, stayed out two days and came home with 180 trout, two deer and four grouse. An old dog that had gone with the boys chased the deer into the lake.
In 1882 Mr. J.T. Hicklin sold his farm near Summit Lake to a Californian for the price of $2,500.
The Vidette had a story in the July 23, 1897 issue about a large chestnut tree near Pray’s Lake or Summit Lake on Hicklin Road. The tree was twenty inches in diameter, 30 feet high and had a 40-foot spread. The previous year it had yielded about eight bushels of nuts. The article continues telling of calling at the home of William Vance and learning about the beauty of the lake and calls it one of the grandest places to fish.
The Morning Olympian in July 1906 reports of a fishing party and list their successes and lack thereof. Ed Parsons landed one, Willie Combes has three and Harry Persons caught 40 in 15 minutes. The next day Persons landed 400 before dinner. Ed Persons let out 1000 feet of line and couldn’t find the bottom, but Sunday evening a dragon 150 feet long was seen. The body was slim and it had a glistening tail as it sped through the water. Our own Lock Ness monster!
Oh, and don’t forget, there was a town just north of McCleary named Summit until the early 1900s when it was absorbed into the town of McCleary. We still refer to that section as Summit. We now have Summit Place, a neighborhood of new homes just north of the tracks.
With that notation I want to tell you of a Fourth of July celebration. The town of Summit gave notice to three counties, Chehalis, (later named Grays Harbor), Thurston and Mason, that it was to hold the Fourth of July celebration for the year 1908 at Summit Lake. Everyone in the three-county area was invited to the event. As the name implies, the lake is at the summit of Black Hills, an elevation of 450 feet above sea level. In 1908 a railroad and an excellent wagon road gave easy access to Elma and surrounding country.
There were plans to build a hall for dancing and indoor entertainments, and this was to be completed before the next Fourth of July. A Mr. Hanson owned Vance Place and had 19 boats to use, with many more being added for the occasion. Eating and sleeping arrangements were being made. You just didn’t hop into your car and drive home in 1908. It was half a day’s journey to get to Summit Lake from Olympia and just a bit closer for McCleary. A ‘costly’ display of fireworks would be set off from a float on the lake. Close your eyes and imagine what a sight that must have been in 1908, 110 years ago.
