Five Generations of History
Our story
Settled in 1903
Carl S. English (1860-1956) was a well-educated man for his time, having graduated from Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State). He was the first Superintendent of the first hydroelectric power plant in Lowell, Michigan, before moving to Clark County. He had built a “horseless carriage” about the same time as Henry Ford, and generated electricity for the farm with a gas-powered internal combustion engine. He took hundreds of photographs, developed the film in the bathroom and mounted most of them on glass slides - which is why we have so many early photographs of the family and farm.
From Michigan to Vancouver
Carl, his parents, his wife and children moved to Clark County by train in 1903. They lived “in town” in Columbia Heights while they cleared the 240 acres they had purchased near Camas for a farm.
5 more children were born on the farm, among them Carl S English Jr., who planted the Carl S. English Jr Botanical Gardens at the Hiram M Chittenden Locks in Seattle.
Carl S English, his wife Betah, mother Persis, father Jude and children, Roy and Beulah. They all moved to Vancouver in 1903 on a train from Michigan.
Clearing the land
A massive wind storm had blown over almost every tree on the previously forested plain.
According to family lore, one could walk on fallen trees all the way to Silver Star mountain without once touching the ground!
The family spent a quarter century clearing the land of fallen timber.
English Farm grew potatoes, grain and prunes, and eventually a dairy was established, which continued until the early 1970’s. Ferris English worked the farm until his early 90s, raising about 50 head of grass fed beef each year.
Winegrapes were first planted in 1980.
Winegrapes
A researcher and educator by nature, Carl English (Ferris’ youngest son) convinced himself, in the process of writing this paper, that a vineyard on the family farm could be a viable alternative to mining it for gravel. It wasn’t that crazy. Joan Wolverton of Salishan Vineyards in La Center was at the forefront of modern wine-growing in the Pacific Northwest and was selling her Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes to wineries in the Willamette Valley. The wines were winning awards.
In addition to a test vineyard of Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Gris, several acres of Pinot Noir and a quarter acre of Cabernet Sauvignon were planted in 1980. The demands of family and work meant that grape growing and wine making were a hobby for twenty years.
In the mid 1990s, Carl remarried. Both children were grown and the time seemed right to consider opening a winery. After years of work getting the vineyard back in fighting shape, Carl, new wife Gail and step-daughter, Kristin opened English Estate Winery in 2001. The early years were full of fun, but then illness struck. Carl was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. After years of treatment, he roared back in 2006 with renewed vigor. Unfortunately the cancer returned in 2009 and Carl passed away in 2010.
Carl’s children, Jennifer and (yet another) Carl. Took the reigns after the passing of their father. The early years were rough! After years of illness, the vineyard and winery were in rough shape. There was a huge learning curve to climb. With two toddlers at home and full-time careers on-going, getting up to speed took some time.
“A COMMON THREAD weaving through the wine industry involves stories about the camaraderie between parent and their offspring, especially among family-owned wineries.”
- Washington Tasting Room, September 10, 2019