Alibi Restaurant, the beginning
The legendary Alibi restaurant was started in 1936. George McCormick related a version of how it came about. “I was working in Vashon and didn’t like carry my lunch, so I went to a local tea room, as that’s all there was. One day I thought my serving called for a little something else. When I asked for it, I was given a small muffin and charged an extra 10 cents. In those days 10 cents was 10 cents. When I objected to the extra cost, but got no results, I thought to myself, I’ll start my own restaurant. I knew Elmer (Harmeling) was a good cook because I had watched him operate on camping trips. I knew too that he didn’t like his job so he was ready for a change. He and I got together and took over the old Steffenson building and made it into a restaurant. The Past Remembered II
Recreation Center New Venture in Vashon: “A place of business devoted to recreation has been opened in Vashon by Elmer Harmeling, with George McCormick as silent partner. The Garvin building has been remodeled and furnished with a lunch counter, pool tables and card tables. Morning coffee will be served at 10 o’clock, sandwiches, cake, and pie at noon, and soft drinks throughout the day and evening. The recreation center is for these of both men and women, and the highest standards of wholesome entertainment will be maintained. Elmer Harmeling has a hearty, friendly personality and is noted for his hospitality and good fellowship, which will undoubtedly make this place one of the most congenial in Vashon”. Vashon Island News Record, October 22, 1936
“The Alibi, practically the first restaurant in Vashon. Heretofore hungry businessmen had eaten at Tim’s Place, and before that at the hotel. Both were now gone. So Elmer Harmeling , rotund, good natured, and definitely popular, thought there should be a place serving hot meals. And he was the man who could whip up a good one. So in 1936 he and George McCormick started the Alibi near the site of the old hotel. Why the name Alibi”? “If you heard as many tales of ‘the one that got away’ as we hear when these guys get together, you’d know why we named it The Alibi they said”. Marjorie Stanley, Searching for Laughter
The Alibi was THE place to chew the fat and learn about community gossip. In 1942 the Seattle Sunday Times reported that, “Vashon’s residents began preparations, (for WWII civil defense), October 1941 when Paul Billingsley, a mining engineer, didn’t like the looks of war maps. Neither did other islanders”. Island businessmen and other community members such as Lloyd Raab, John Metzenberg, John Ober, George McCormick, the same guys who told the ‘one that got away’ stories, met in the back cribbage room of the Alibi and as the Sunday Times reported. “Laid plans on an aerial map of their island and marked out all water, gas, and electricity lines”. The group continued to meet at the Alibi developing a Civil Defense force with over 900 volunteers.
The Alibi Restaurant. 1938 King County Tax Id photo.
Brenno Service, 1937
1937 Harold Brenno bought Fred Stevenson’s service station, starting a 60 year span of Brenno Service. The original building was on the property where the Giraffe building currently stands. At the time Brenno bought it there was a vacant lot between the Tavern building to the north, from the 1933 Martin Block building fire. In the 1940’s Brenno would expand to the southern part of that property and Lloyd Raab would build on the northern portion. Below, Brenno Shell, center, YMCA building, right. 1930’s Postcard.
Below photo, looking west from the vacant lot north of Brenno’s Shell, across the street is the newly rebuilt England Peterson building, and the town water tower, (which was located on the property where the Vashon water district office is currently located). The wall on the left is the north wall of Brenno’s, a few years later Brenno expanded north, (to where Spiders Sports shop is currently located). Lloyd Raab built a building to the right between Brenno’s and the Tavern building, (current restaurant/dance floor area of the Red Bicycle Tavern) in the 1904’s. Brenno family photo, no date.
McMurray Building, 1939
W.D. Garvin had a Drug store in the north side of the Van Olinda, (or Post Office building as it was called). He sold it to Tim Clarke in 1927. The store was called the Dew Drop Inn. There is no report of an actual pharmacist. The Vashon Island News Record reported that, “Tim Clark is now the taciturn gentleman who now hands out peruna and peppermint, kotex and confectionery at the Dew Drop Inn”. Clark sold to Mr. and Mrs. Sexson who were both registered pharmacists.
In 1939 E.C. Paul bought the pharmacy from the Sexson’s. The demands of an increasing business made a larger space necessary . On February, 16,1939 the Vashon Island News Record reported, “Ground was broken this week on the lot between the Post Office and the Daily Needs for a new store building which will house the Vashon Pharmacy, the new store is being built by Dr. P.A. McMurray”.
Below, the McMurray Building, was a Pharmacy from 1939-57, (current location of Sporty’s Tavern). 1944 King County Tax Id photo.
Beall Hansen Building
“A building previously rented by the Thompson Meat Market had been empty for several years. Ann and I thought that possibly we could rent that building from the Vashon State Bank and open a small department store”, Cephus Ramquist recalled in Past Remembered II. “I contacted Terkel Hansen, then president of the bank and rented it for $25 per month. We borrowed money to stock the store and opened with a bang in the spring of 1940”.
In 1940 the Sweet Shop, in the south section of the same building as the Thompson Market, changed owners and became the Betty Ann Cafe. The November 7, 1940,Vashon Island News Record reported, “The Betty Ann will feature a complete variety of bakery and pastry as well as candy and ice cream dressed up in countless ways”. Mary Ann Agren and Betty Tjomsland proprietors of the Betty Ann were recent, 1940 Vashon High School graduates.
Below, Ramquist Department Store, left, Pharmacy, right, Betty Ann Cafe not pictured. Undated photo, Vashon-Muary Island Heritage Association.
Vashon Hardware Co.
On February 22, 1940, Vashon Island News Record reported, “Announcement was made this week that George McCormick had purchased from G.C. Kimmel his interest in the Vashon Hardware Company, and is now sole owner of the business which he has managed for the past 11 years”.
Soon after McCormick remodeled and added to the building. A partition was removed adding floor space, a warehouse was added to the rear of the building. The modern, art deco store front the building still has was added at this time.
Bacchus Building, 1941
In 1928 A.T. Bacchus bought all the lots on the east side of Vashon Hwy Sw as far as the current Subway Store, excluding the lot on the corner on Vashon Hwy Sw and Bank Road where the Weiss Store was built. Bacchus built a lumber store in the center lot and then began to build commercial buildings for lease on the other lots. The tenant in the first building was the Shirley Shop.
Mrs. Shirley Coutts will open a shop in the Bacchus building, “featuring woman’s wearing apparel, lovely gift items, infants wear, a book nook and lending library. Vashon Island News Record, March 6/1941.
Below, Shirley Shop, (current location of Vashon Baking Co), in this photo far left is the Bacchus Lumber building, to the right you can see part of an out building of the Met-Cro garage. The tower in the background was used for shipping navigation on the East Passage, it was removed in the late 1970’s. 1944 King County Tax Id photo.
Bacchus Building, 1941
In 1928 A.T. Bacchus bought all the lots on the east side of Vashon Hwy Sw as far as the current Subway Store, excluding the lot on the corner on Vashon Hwy Sw and Bank Road where the Weiss Store was built. Bacchus built a lumber store in the center lot and then began to build commercial buildings for lease on the other lots. The tenant in the first building was the Shirley Shop.
Mrs. Shirley Coutts will open a shop in the Bacchus building, “featuring woman’s wearing apparel, lovely gift items, infants wear, a book nook and lending library. Vashon Island News Record, March 6/1941.
Below, Shirley Shop, (current location of Vashon Baking Co), in this photo far left is the Bacchus Lumber building, to the right you can see part of an out building of the Met-Cro garage. The tower in the background was used for shipping navigation on the East Passage, it was removed in the late 1970’s. 1944 King County Tax Id photo.
North of the Bacchus Lumber building was the Blekkink building, (current location of James Hair Design building), it was used as a barn and for hay and feed, in the 1930’s Fox River Butter Co. Hay & Feed was in the building. Note the sign on the front, Bill Robinson operated The Rink, a roller skating rink there from 1938-41. 1938 King County Tax Id photo.
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