Street of the Week: Falk Road

Location: Runs north/south between Manitou Beach Road and Valley Road

History: Imagine traveling across the country with a seven-month-old. That’s just what Dona Falk and his wife did in 1876. The young family settled on a 155-acre claim in the Rolling Bay area along Murden Cove.

The Falk family were the first white settlers to call the Manitou Beach area home.

Like many early pioneers on Bainbridge Island, the Falks made their living as farmers. Come harvest, Dona would carry his produce into town using a neck yoke.

When Dona died he left each of his eight children a parcel of the family’s land: eight acres for each of the five boys and five acres for each of the three girls. Some Falks still live on that same land today.

This occasional Islander series explores the history of island street names, as compiled by Elinor Ringland and fellow Bainbridge Island Historical Society volunteers.  If you have an island road story to share, email Ringland at elinorjoe@msn.com.