Mary
McCrank's was originally The Dutch Mill Inn, which opened
on June 16th, 1928. The original owners, Clinton &
Clara Anderson, lived on the premises with their two
daughters Lois & Jeanne. They served BBQ sandwiches,
fresh plucked fried chicken and sold milkshakes and ice
cream. Their business did not survive the depression.
Mary McCrank acquired the business in 1935.
Mary Isabel McCrank was
born to John & Mary McCrank on July 22nd, 1899, in
Vancouver, B.C. Her mother died when she was only three
days old. Mary and her father moved to the Chehalis area
in 1904, where her father worked as a logger. Relatives
helped care for Mary until she was of school age. She was
then sent to the Olympia Boarding School. She worked at a
variety of places from the time that she was 13 years old.
On May 10th, 1935, Mary
opened the restaurant she named The Shamrock Inn, later
to be changed to Mary McCrank's Dinnerhouse. Over the
next 50 years, people became quite fond of Mary, her
cooking and the atmosphere of her lovely restaurant. Mary
never married, her closest companions were her silver
poodles, Murphy & Patrick. She lived at the
restaurant and enjoyed people feeling at home while
eating. Mary's has always been known for its fresh "Made
from scratch" meals and desserts.
Mary passed away at the age
of 84, on March 20th, 1984. We are so proud to be
carrying on many of Mary's traditions. We hope that your
time with us here will bring back many happy memories for
those who have dined here before, and for those who
haven't, we hope that you will take some of your own
wonderful memories with you. |
