Historic Langley

1912: Stanley and William Oscar ("Bob") Hunziker buy the property.

On August 22, 1912, William Howard and his wife Vella sold Lots 18,19,20 in Block 8 to Stanley Hunziker (23) and his younger brother William Oscar ( "Bob") (19) for $350.

1948 plat (Courtesy South Whidbey Historical Society).

1915: Stanley and "Bob" Hunziker build house on Lot 19.

1915. House under construction. Stanley and "Bob" Hunziker in window (Courtesy Douglas McLeod)..

In December, 1916, a judgement was brought against William Oscar ("Bob") and his brother Walter who were doing business as the "Hunziker Brothers" on First Street from 1914 to 1915 when Bob decided to go to Alaska. A sale was forced by the sheriff in 1917 to satisfy the debt and Lots 7, 17 block 8 and Bob's half interest in Lots 18,19,20 were sold to Stanley Hunziker for $250.

1915. Hunziker Brothers Mercantile (Courtesy Bonnie Peters).

Stanley married Ada Marguerite Wolfe in 1918. In 1921, Stanley and Marguerite sold Lots 5,6, 7,17,18,19, and 20 in Block 8 to Arthur E. and Jeanette E. Peck who then transferred her interest in the property to her husband Arthur.

"Mr. and Mrs. Peck were the first owners of the telephone system. He serviced the lines, and she managed the switchboard." (Island County: A World Beater (1968).

1937: David McLeod buys house

In July 1924, Arthur Peck sold the property to Esther Syversen, who sold the lots to David Angus McLeod March 30, 1937. " My Dad owned most of that block and sold some parcels of it over the years." (Mary Gebhart).

1937. David McLeod standing at S.E. corner of house "as purchased" (Courtesy Mary Gebhart).

David's father Murdoch (b. 1866), youngest of four McLeod brothers who settled in Langley, came from Nebraska in 1904 with his wife, Charlottte ("Lottie") and five children, Ruth, Malcolm, Boyd, Donald, and Marjorie.

Circa 1907. L-R: Murdoch, Malcolm, Boyd (on bike) "Lottie", Margie, Ruth, Robert (Courtesy, Douglas McLeod).

Murdoch bought a 10-acre farm on the present Fairgrounds. then purchased 10 acres abutting his brother Angus' home on Third Street and built a house where David was born April 22, 1909.

David was one of nine children, several of whom died young. "When Lottie delivered David, the doctor had been summoned, but did not arrive for several days. So, he had no birth certificate which caused quite an uproar when he applied for social security." (Mary Gebhart).

In 1916, the family moved to the Saratoga brush camp where David started school." (Cherry, III). The family moved back to Langley in 1917 where David completed his schooling. He then attended Washington State College for one year "but could not afford to finish." (Mary Gebhart).

"He was a machinist for 6 years in Everett. He later worked in the Post Office there in Langley, and then as a general laborer. He commuted to Everett, to help build the original Boeing plant, and helped build the Naval station in Oak Harbor." (Mary Gebhart). David married Clara Peterson July 15, 1936. Their only child, Mary, was born in 1953.

According to Mary, their marriage "cost $4.50. They gave the clerk a $5 bill, and David kept the 50-cent piece in change in a cigar box. Although her name was written as "Claire" on the marriage certificate, my Mom's name was Clara Charlotta Peterson. I never knew her to go by Claire. Dave and my mom dated many years before marrying. He would travel in his Model T to visit her in Greenbank. He said the road was so rutted all he had to do was put the wheels in the ruts and push the gas pedal. "It cost" (Mary Gebhart).

ca. 1938. "Clara at the pool in backyard" (Courtesy Mary Gebhart).

1938. West side of house with wishing well (Courtesy Mary Gebhart)

1941. SW corner of house with garage (Courtesy Mary Gebhart).

"Dad's best friend Burt Hunziker. He helped David fix the house and add the garage. The pine doors on the house, the pine garage doors, and the kitchen cabinets, were made for my parents as a wedding gift by Burt. My parents collected the rocks for the fireplace during trips to eastern Washington. I think my dad built the cabin. They used it for packing evergreens and making door swags. My mother's best friend was her sister Alice Bergquist. They were both artistic and enjoyed oil painting and making rugs on a large loom that was kept in the cabin behind the house." (Mary Gebhart).

1942. East side (Courtesy Mary Gebhart).

David served on the Langley Town Council and was a volunteer fireman for 14 years. "He was born only a couple blocks from where he spent his life" (Mary Gebhart).

1942. East side (Courtesy Mary Gebhart).

Clara died in 1972 and David married Georgia McInnis in 1973. David died December 16, 1987.

2001: Michelle LaRue purchases house.

Michelle LaRue purchased the home from Mary Gebhart in 2001.

2005. South side of house and "cabin" seen from Anna Primavera’s house on Third Street (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2007. North side of house (Courtesy Robert Waterman).

2012: Michelle LaRue sells the house.

Michelle LaRue sold the property to Michael Lerner and Sharyl Patton who painted the house red and added a porch on the south side.

2023. Northeast corner (Courtesy Debra Waterman).

2023. South side (Courtesy Debra Waterman).

2007. North side of house (Courtesy Robert Waterman).