Historian’s latest project, Dutch Savage’s life story

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With roots in Washington and Oregon dating back to 1846, it makes sense that Steve Davies would own a company called NW History Hunters. Now a Vancouver resident, Davies graduated from Battle Ground High School in 1978.

Davies’ fifth great-grandfather ran the ferry from Jantzen Beach across to Fort Vancouver. His second great-grandfather and his son donated the land for the original Maple Grove and Pleasant Valley Elementary schools. His paternal family’s land claim of the 1850s is where Washington Square in Tigard has stood since 1973.

History is a passion of Davies’ and so, in 2007, he decided to try his hand at preserving some of it. With the help of Dwayne Valencia, his best friend from high school, he started with Battle Ground. Battle Ground ... In and Around, written by local author Louise Tucker, was used as an outline. Interviews with Tucker, Davies’ aunt who grew up in Battle Ground in the 1930s and a relative of Valencia’s gave the team further content for a 40-minute production. Originally intended for the sole enjoyment of Davies and a few family members, the feedback received was enough to spur NW History Hunters to begin selling their video.

“At the time, Battle Ground Pharmacy was still open,’’ Davies said. “I had gone to school with the son of the owner (Darrell Rafferty), so I  called him up (Stuart) and asked if they’d carry it. They said ‘Sure, we’ll put it on the counter’ and they sold hundreds of them.”

The next project to peak Davies’ interest was Portland wrestling history. Several hours into an interview with Yacolt resident, Dutch Savage (born Frank Stewart), Davies felt compelled to change his focus to a life story on this area legend. What followed was a series of disasters that almost caused the project to be scrapped.

Interviews and research began in late 2010. After Christmas of that year, Savage suffered a heart attack. Filming picked up in May of 2011 but then, in November 2011 Davies’ wife suffered the first of two cerebral hemorrhages and died just after Christmas. The Dutch Savage story was tabled for the entire year of 2012 as Davies dealt with the loss of Peggy, his wife of 25 years.

In April of 2013, Davies received word that Savage had suffered a stroke.



“I knew then that I had to jump in and finish as quickly as I could but I didn’t quite get it done before he passed away,” Davies said.

What comprises the one-hour-and-18-minute production is a look inside the life of a man who wrestling fans saw for a few hours on Saturday nights but may have never known. Beyond the bruised and bleeding wrestler in the ring was a man who spent countless days away from his family, traveling all over the U.S., Canada and as far away as Japan. All this to make a name for himself in an industry wrought with alcohol and drug abuse.

Savage talks about how he overcame all of that through his faith in God and went on to become a pastor in his retirement years. The negative side of his chosen profession was not enough to make him wish those years had never happened. Rather, Savage takes the opportunity to express his appreciation for the fights, the wins, the memories and the loyalty of the fans.

Davies remembers the time he spent with Savage with great fondness.

“He was somebody that you could talk to that had been through so much in his life,’’ Davies said. “He just had a wisdom about him. He was very, very into his Bible study. I would sit with him for hours and hours. When my wife had her first hemorrhage, he was one of the first people I called that morning.”

Don’t Count Me Out: The Dutch Savage Story was released in November 2013. For more information on NW History Hunters or to purchase a copy of their projects, go to www.nwhistoryhunters.com.