Nels Bruseth

Nels Bruseth was a man whose passions in life made him legendary, nothing ever seemed impossible, he kept himself very busy with all of his projects and studies yet he always had time to take in all the intricacies of the natural beauty that surrounded him. He was the first white man to climb Whitehorse Mountain in 1901. He was usually seen equipped with camera or painters pallet while he traveled the backcountry. Nels and his wife Beate shared a love of gardening when living at their home in Darrington, their gardens spanned around the house and all the way across Emens Avenue to the east. After Nels passed away in 1957 the gardens east of Emens Avenue was dedicated as a memorial garden for this legendary man. Later the Sauk Prairie Road was rerouted through the southern end of the gardens. Nels was born in Silvana, Washington, son of Nils Bruseth and Lina (Torske) Bruseth from Norway in 1886. His parents ran a prosperous farm in Silvana and the old home and barn still stands today across the Pioneer Highway & railroad tracks to the west. Both parents are buried at the cemetery of the old Peace Lutheran Church up on the hill over looking the valley. Fascinated by the night skies, Nels was a very accomplished self taught astronomer. In 1913 joined the AMS, American Meteorological Society. He was known for his work plotting out the Geminid Meteors on December 12 - 13, 1914. His dedication to his work was mentioned in the AMS annual reports in the Popular Astronomy publication acknowledging recording 340 out of a total 0f 540 meteors reported in 1914. His work continued with the AMS until leaving for Darrington to start his career with the Forest Service in 1916.