Matt Forstrom

A Hardworking Pioneer in Rochester, Washington

by Joelle Steele

Matt Forström was born on October 11, 1858 in Terjärv, Finland, and died on February 18, 1931 in Steilacoom, Washington. He and his wife Sofia are buried at Grand Mound Cemetery in Rochester, Washington. Forstrom Road in Rochester is named for him.

Matt was the oldest surviving child of eight born to Karl Mattsson Forsbacka (09/03/1833-09/11/1896) and Anna Carl-Gustafsdotter Fors (07/05/1836-02/10/1900). He married Maria Sofia Andersdotter Emet (06/25/1860-1942) on November 22,1877 in Terjärv. They had five sons. The first two born in Terjärv, the other three in Rochester, Washington. Their oldest son Arvid married my grandmother, Helny Maria Andersdotter Furu (07/04/1885-04/20/1968) on February 28, 1907, and ten years later, he was killed in a train accident in Centralia, leaving her to raise three surviving of their six children. Two years later, Helny married my grandfather.

In 1880, Matt left his wife and sons in Finland and came to the United States where he settled in White Cloud, Michigan, along with his brothers Karl and Anders, his sisters Johanna Alina and Hulda Maria, and their families. In 1891, after his brother Karl died, Matt relocated to Rochester, Washington where he homesteaded on Forström Hill between Rochester and Oakville. In 1898, he was joined in Rochester by Sofia and his two oldest sons; his two sisters and their families joined him soon after. His brother Anders remained in Michigan.

In November 19, 1892, Matt began a long and complicated list of 63 legal transactions that ended with his his death on February 18, 1931. These included wills, guardianships, and other estate matters; real estate sales and acquisitions; leases, debts, claims, loans, deeds, promissory notes, quitclaim deeds, and finally, bankruptcy.

Matt was a hardworking man, and he ultimately owned all of the land on the north side of Independence Road up to just beyond 188th Avenue, and from Marble Street SW to what is now the Chehalis River bridge at Helsing Junction. He also owned all of the land on the south side of Independence Road from the bridge to Marble, and south of the river down to Lundeen Road. Over the years, he sold some of that land, including the land where the Triangle Market once stood, to his children and other family members.

Not everything was rosy in Matt’s life. His English was poor, and despite all of his real estate transactions, he had a long and unpleasant history of financial and legal problems. This ultimately resulted in a bankruptcy that was awarded conditionally on his commitment to Western State Hospital as a result of his inability to manage his affairs due to dementia and cancer of the face.

At the time that Matt became a patient at Western State Hospital, the only form of therapy was hydrotherapy – wet packs, hot baths, and showers. The Physician’s Certificate, which was part of the court’s bankruptcy judgment, indicated that doctors O’Leary and Partlow had examined 72-year-old Matt on admission and found him to be “insane” as he was suffering from “senile dementia.”

During his stay at Western State Hospital, Matt was evaluated only four times – including on admission – and there is no indication that he was ever provided with any type of medical or other form of treatment or therapy. The following are all of the physician’s notes verbatim:

January 7, 1930: This patient is an old man quite deaf and apparently unable to understand English. Is in a poor state of general nutrition; has a large new growth, probably carcinoma, involving the left cheek and extending over across the bridge of the nose; its surface appears raw with oozing of bloody fluid; shows a round prominence in the center and has raised edges all around its margins. Also has an ulceration (epithelioma on the skin of the neck). Patient is resistive and suspicious and becomes angry when a detailed physical examination is attempted. Shows a marked hardening of radial arteries due to advanced arteriosclerosis. Talks in Finnish and becomes quite demonstrative. Requires restraint to keep him in bed.

February 6, 1930: This patient has cancer of left side of face; seems to be spreading. Physical condition is poor.

June 24, 1930: Condition of this man seems about the same, except cancerous condition is spreading into left eye.

February 18, 1931: Patient has gradually failed since last note. Epithelioma of face kept spreading over face. Died this date, Feb. 18, 1931 at 12:30 a.m. Cause of death – carcinoma of face.

This was the sad ending to the life of a hardworking Washington State Pioneer.