Story & Photos – Joseph Boyle
When you wiz through the intersection of Custer Road W and Bridgeport Way W, have you ever noticed the Lakewood Historical marker on the corner, at the Union 76 Gas Station?
A bronze marker is mounted on a large piece of granite to commemorate the original location of the Bradley Blockhouse. Blockhouse is another term for the word fort.
Additionally, the marker notes that the Flett family home was first established at this location. The family name, Flett, brings to mind Flett Creek, Flett Dairy, and Flett Blueberry Bog, which are both important parts of our local history.
The fine print tells us the marker was donated to our citizens by the Lakewood Rotary and the Lakewood Historical Society in 2002; gosh, a decade ago.
The other day my curiosity got the best of me, so I stopped to take a closer look at the marker.
Here is what I learned about this historical City of Lakewood site.
1840s: The Bradley Blockhouse started out as a barn.
1855 – 1856: The barn’s use was converted to a blockhouse serving as a safe house to protect local settlers during the Indian Wars.
1889: The Flett family built their home on the site of the old barn. This is the same year Washington became our 42nd state.
1950s: The Flett family home was moved about 300’ north to make way for the first gas station on this corner.
To prevent you from crashing your car as you try to grab a look, I have attached a series of photos to this article for your educational review and enlightenment.
The next time we connect with someone from Lakewood Rotary or Lakewood Historical Society, please join me in thanking him or her. Marking our local historical sites is an excellent contribution to our community heritage.
A special thank you to Joe Boyle for the interesting articles and pictures he brings to The Suburban Times.