Story by DONALD W. MEYERS Yakima Herald-Republic Nov 4, 2019 Updated Nov 8, 2019
This headstone to Frank Sagar will be dedicated during a ceremony Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery. The Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts raised the money to pay for the marker, which also notes the role a Seattle motorcycle courier played in the effort to save Sagar’s life by delivering a serum to combat blood poisoning.
Ninety years ago, a Kittitas County miner lay in an Ellensburg hospital with blood poisoning, and foul weather grounded aircraft that could bring a serum that might heal the man.
Instead, it was a Seattle motorcycle courier who made the run across Snoqualmie Pass in what was then record time to deliver the serum.
Saturday, 90 years and one day since that heroic run, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and historians will recreate the ride, as well as dedicate a headstone to the miner.
Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts are sponsoring the event to pay for the headstone, as well as one for the motorcycle courier who made Washington’s version of the Nome serum run.
The story begins with Frank Walter Sagar, who was born in San Francisco in 1876, and moved with his family to Oregon in 1880, according to the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Census records show he was in Alaska in 1910 and 1920, working in the gold fields. He eventually came to Washington state and was working in gold mines in Liberty, which is now a ghost town in Kittitas County.
Sagar was caught in a mine collapse on Nov. 4, 1929, which crushed his leg. In addition to the broken bones, he also developed a severe form of blood poisoning. Dr. William A. Taylor at Ellensburg General Hospital requested a serum to treat the poisoning from a Seattle pharmacy on Nov. 8, according to the museum.
But heavy fog precluded getting the medicine to Ellensburg by air, and rail service would not get the serum there until at least the next day, the Ellensburg Daily Record reported. Sagar, it was said, would not live that long without the treatment.
It was decided to have a courier deliver it by motorcycle.
Clifford Amsbury, a 25-year-old pharmacy messenger was given the assignment to get the medicine to Ellensburg that day. Bear in mind, this was in the days before the Interstate Highway System, which meant a longer trip on rougher roads than we’re used to today.
To aid him in his run, King County Sheriff Claude Bannick deputized Amsbury, giving him the legal authority to travel with all possible speed and not stop for anything, according to the Seattle Star. Bannick, the newspaper noted, also called ahead to make sure authorities along Amsbury’s route would keep the road clear for him.
Amsbury was also given a state patrolman’s badge in case anyone tried to stop him.
Amsbury hit the road at noon and, with speeds reaching 70 mph, made it to Ellensburg in a record-setting two hours and 45 minutes.
Newspapers in Seattle and Ellensburg touted Amsbury as a hero. “It cannot take rank with the historic dog team dash to Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin, but it is unusual enough to attract attention,” the Seattle Daily Times noted.
Ellensburg newspapers reported days later that Sagar’s health was improving, both because of the medicine Amsbury delivered, as well as an amputation of Sagar’s leg. But Sagar died of blood poisoning on Nov. 20, and he was buried in 1930 — after the ground thawed — in Holy Cross cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Amsbury, who continued to work as a courier for the pharmacy, died in 1931 of a combination of pneumonia, appendicitis and an infected finger, Thayer said. Like Sagar, he was also buried in an unmarked grave.
Thayer investigated Sagar’s case, and approached the motorcycle museum and the vintage motorcycle group to help put a marker on Sagar’s grave in Ellensburg.
The groups are doing fundraising to pay for Sagar’s marker as well as one for Amsbury’s grave in Seattle.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. with an orientation meeting at the Black Dog Café in Snoqualmie, followed by a ride starting at 10:15 a.m. and arriving at the cemetery at 1:15 p.m. for the headstone ceremony. That will be followed by a celebration at Cornerstone Pies in Ellensburg, where the original hospital doors are located, Thayer said.
This headstone to Frank Sagar will be dedicated during a ceremony Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery. The Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts raised the money to pay for the marker, which also notes the role a Seattle motorcycle courier played in the effort to save Sagar’s life by delivering a serum to combat blood poisoning.
Ninety years ago, a Kittitas County miner lay in an Ellensburg hospital with blood poisoning, and foul weather grounded aircraft that could bring a serum that might heal the man.
Instead, it was a Seattle motorcycle courier who made the run across Snoqualmie Pass in what was then record time to deliver the serum.
Saturday, 90 years and one day since that heroic run, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and historians will recreate the ride, as well as dedicate a headstone to the miner.
Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts are sponsoring the event to pay for the headstone, as well as one for the motorcycle courier who made Washington’s version of the Nome serum run.
The story begins with Frank Walter Sagar, who was born in San Francisco in 1876, and moved with his family to Oregon in 1880, according to the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Census records show he was in Alaska in 1910 and 1920, working in the gold fields. He eventually came to Washington state and was working in gold mines in Liberty, which is now a ghost town in Kittitas County.
Sagar was caught in a mine collapse on Nov. 4, 1929, which crushed his leg. In addition to the broken bones, he also developed a severe form of blood poisoning. Dr. William A. Taylor at Ellensburg General Hospital requested a serum to treat the poisoning from a Seattle pharmacy on Nov. 8, according to the museum.
But heavy fog precluded getting the medicine to Ellensburg by air, and rail service would not get the serum there until at least the next day, the Ellensburg Daily Record reported. Sagar, it was said, would not live that long without the treatment.
It was decided to have a courier deliver it by motorcycle.
Clifford Amsbury, a 25-year-old pharmacy messenger was given the assignment to get the medicine to Ellensburg that day. Bear in mind, this was in the days before the Interstate Highway System, which meant a longer trip on rougher roads than we’re used to today.
To aid him in his run, King County Sheriff Claude Bannick deputized Amsbury, giving him the legal authority to travel with all possible speed and not stop for anything, according to the Seattle Star. Bannick, the newspaper noted, also called ahead to make sure authorities along Amsbury’s route would keep the road clear for him.
Amsbury was also given a state patrolman’s badge in case anyone tried to stop him.
Amsbury hit the road at noon and, with speeds reaching 70 mph, made it to Ellensburg in a record-setting two hours and 45 minutes.
Newspapers in Seattle and Ellensburg touted Amsbury as a hero. “It cannot take rank with the historic dog team dash to Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin, but it is unusual enough to attract attention,” the Seattle Daily Times noted.
Ellensburg newspapers reported days later that Sagar’s health was improving, both because of the medicine Amsbury delivered, as well as an amputation of Sagar’s leg. But Sagar died of blood poisoning on Nov. 20, and he was buried in 1930 — after the ground thawed — in Holy Cross cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Amsbury, who continued to work as a courier for the pharmacy, died in 1931 of a combination of pneumonia, appendicitis and an infected finger, Thayer said. Like Sagar, he was also buried in an unmarked grave.
Thayer investigated Sagar’s case, and approached the motorcycle museum and the vintage motorcycle group to help put a marker on Sagar’s grave in Ellensburg.
The groups are doing fundraising to pay for Sagar’s marker as well as one for Amsbury’s grave in Seattle.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. with an orientation meeting at the Black Dog Café in Snoqualmie, followed by a ride starting at 10:15 a.m. and arriving at the cemetery at 1:15 p.m. for the headstone ceremony. That will be followed by a celebration at Cornerstone Pies in Ellensburg, where the original hospital doors are located, Thayer said.
Story by DONALD W. MEYERS Yakima Herald-Republic Nov 4, 2019 Updated Nov 8, 2019
This headstone to Frank Sagar will be dedicated during a ceremony Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery. The Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts raised the money to pay for the marker, which also notes the role a Seattle motorcycle courier played in the effort to save Sagar’s life by delivering a serum to combat blood poisoning.
Ninety years ago, a Kittitas County miner lay in an Ellensburg hospital with blood poisoning, and foul weather grounded aircraft that could bring a serum that might heal the man.
Instead, it was a Seattle motorcycle courier who made the run across Snoqualmie Pass in what was then record time to deliver the serum.
Saturday, 90 years and one day since that heroic run, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and historians will recreate the ride, as well as dedicate a headstone to the miner.
Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts are sponsoring the event to pay for the headstone, as well as one for the motorcycle courier who made Washington’s version of the Nome serum run.
The story begins with Frank Walter Sagar, who was born in San Francisco in 1876, and moved with his family to Oregon in 1880, according to the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Census records show he was in Alaska in 1910 and 1920, working in the gold fields. He eventually came to Washington state and was working in gold mines in Liberty, which is now a ghost town in Kittitas County.
Sagar was caught in a mine collapse on Nov. 4, 1929, which crushed his leg. In addition to the broken bones, he also developed a severe form of blood poisoning. Dr. William A. Taylor at Ellensburg General Hospital requested a serum to treat the poisoning from a Seattle pharmacy on Nov. 8, according to the museum.
But heavy fog precluded getting the medicine to Ellensburg by air, and rail service would not get the serum there until at least the next day, the Ellensburg Daily Record reported. Sagar, it was said, would not live that long without the treatment.
It was decided to have a courier deliver it by motorcycle.
Clifford Amsbury, a 25-year-old pharmacy messenger was given the assignment to get the medicine to Ellensburg that day. Bear in mind, this was in the days before the Interstate Highway System, which meant a longer trip on rougher roads than we’re used to today.
To aid him in his run, King County Sheriff Claude Bannick deputized Amsbury, giving him the legal authority to travel with all possible speed and not stop for anything, according to the Seattle Star. Bannick, the newspaper noted, also called ahead to make sure authorities along Amsbury’s route would keep the road clear for him.
Amsbury was also given a state patrolman’s badge in case anyone tried to stop him.
Amsbury hit the road at noon and, with speeds reaching 70 mph, made it to Ellensburg in a record-setting two hours and 45 minutes.
Newspapers in Seattle and Ellensburg touted Amsbury as a hero. “It cannot take rank with the historic dog team dash to Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin, but it is unusual enough to attract attention,” the Seattle Daily Times noted.
Ellensburg newspapers reported days later that Sagar’s health was improving, both because of the medicine Amsbury delivered, as well as an amputation of Sagar’s leg. But Sagar died of blood poisoning on Nov. 20, and he was buried in 1930 — after the ground thawed — in Holy Cross cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Amsbury, who continued to work as a courier for the pharmacy, died in 1931 of a combination of pneumonia, appendicitis and an infected finger, Thayer said. Like Sagar, he was also buried in an unmarked grave.
Thayer investigated Sagar’s case, and approached the motorcycle museum and the vintage motorcycle group to help put a marker on Sagar’s grave in Ellensburg.
The groups are doing fundraising to pay for Sagar’s marker as well as one for Amsbury’s grave in Seattle.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. with an orientation meeting at the Black Dog Café in Snoqualmie, followed by a ride starting at 10:15 a.m. and arriving at the cemetery at 1:15 p.m. for the headstone ceremony. That will be followed by a celebration at Cornerstone Pies in Ellensburg, where the original hospital doors are located, Thayer said.
This headstone to Frank Sagar will be dedicated during a ceremony Saturday at Holy Cross Cemetery. The Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts raised the money to pay for the marker, which also notes the role a Seattle motorcycle courier played in the effort to save Sagar’s life by delivering a serum to combat blood poisoning.
Ninety years ago, a Kittitas County miner lay in an Ellensburg hospital with blood poisoning, and foul weather grounded aircraft that could bring a serum that might heal the man.
Instead, it was a Seattle motorcycle courier who made the run across Snoqualmie Pass in what was then record time to deliver the serum.
Saturday, 90 years and one day since that heroic run, a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and historians will recreate the ride, as well as dedicate a headstone to the miner.
Kittitas County Historical Museum, Pacific Northwest Museum of Motorcycling and Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts are sponsoring the event to pay for the headstone, as well as one for the motorcycle courier who made Washington’s version of the Nome serum run.
The story begins with Frank Walter Sagar, who was born in San Francisco in 1876, and moved with his family to Oregon in 1880, according to the Kittitas County Historical Museum. Census records show he was in Alaska in 1910 and 1920, working in the gold fields. He eventually came to Washington state and was working in gold mines in Liberty, which is now a ghost town in Kittitas County.
Sagar was caught in a mine collapse on Nov. 4, 1929, which crushed his leg. In addition to the broken bones, he also developed a severe form of blood poisoning. Dr. William A. Taylor at Ellensburg General Hospital requested a serum to treat the poisoning from a Seattle pharmacy on Nov. 8, according to the museum.
But heavy fog precluded getting the medicine to Ellensburg by air, and rail service would not get the serum there until at least the next day, the Ellensburg Daily Record reported. Sagar, it was said, would not live that long without the treatment.
It was decided to have a courier deliver it by motorcycle.
Clifford Amsbury, a 25-year-old pharmacy messenger was given the assignment to get the medicine to Ellensburg that day. Bear in mind, this was in the days before the Interstate Highway System, which meant a longer trip on rougher roads than we’re used to today.
To aid him in his run, King County Sheriff Claude Bannick deputized Amsbury, giving him the legal authority to travel with all possible speed and not stop for anything, according to the Seattle Star. Bannick, the newspaper noted, also called ahead to make sure authorities along Amsbury’s route would keep the road clear for him.
Amsbury was also given a state patrolman’s badge in case anyone tried to stop him.
Amsbury hit the road at noon and, with speeds reaching 70 mph, made it to Ellensburg in a record-setting two hours and 45 minutes.
Newspapers in Seattle and Ellensburg touted Amsbury as a hero. “It cannot take rank with the historic dog team dash to Nome with the diphtheria antitoxin, but it is unusual enough to attract attention,” the Seattle Daily Times noted.
Ellensburg newspapers reported days later that Sagar’s health was improving, both because of the medicine Amsbury delivered, as well as an amputation of Sagar’s leg. But Sagar died of blood poisoning on Nov. 20, and he was buried in 1930 — after the ground thawed — in Holy Cross cemetery in an unmarked grave.
Amsbury, who continued to work as a courier for the pharmacy, died in 1931 of a combination of pneumonia, appendicitis and an infected finger, Thayer said. Like Sagar, he was also buried in an unmarked grave.
Thayer investigated Sagar’s case, and approached the motorcycle museum and the vintage motorcycle group to help put a marker on Sagar’s grave in Ellensburg.
The groups are doing fundraising to pay for Sagar’s marker as well as one for Amsbury’s grave in Seattle.
The ride begins at 9 a.m. with an orientation meeting at the Black Dog Café in Snoqualmie, followed by a ride starting at 10:15 a.m. and arriving at the cemetery at 1:15 p.m. for the headstone ceremony. That will be followed by a celebration at Cornerstone Pies in Ellensburg, where the original hospital doors are located, Thayer said.
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