Duvall- like the other towns in the Snoqualmie valley- has had its early history written numerous times by several local residents. But there are five that stand out, and can be considered responsible for what we now call our history. These five either had lived the times they wrote of, or had family that did and so knew the history , or spoke with those that did and had direct knowledge.
In order of appearance, these writers were Don Funk, Ralph Taylor, Marthe Barnett, Allen Miller, and Bob Kosters.
All histories written since theirs have just been distillations of what they originally wrote.
Their sources were their families and xxx mostly the stories that were told , but a few also did research in the resources then available, such as the archives at Sand Point, or older newspapers archived in various libraries, or in State records in Olympia.
The earliest local writer was Don Funk (xx), who wrote a column called Just Coginatin in a local paper The Carnivall in the 1950s. He wrote around 40 columns, which have been collected in volume 3 of the local history society's Wagon Wheel, and make very good reading. He knew a lot- and remembered a lot.
The next writer lived some the same early years as Don Funk, and arrived in 1910, and was devoted to saving what history he could. This was Ralph Taylor, and he wrote only one book, Duvall Immigrant, about his growiing up in the early logging town.
There are five primary ones, and these are Ralph Tayor (1905- xxx), Don Funk (1910-196x), Marthe Barnett (1910-197x), Bob Kosters Sr (xxx), and Allen Miller (195x-xxx).
There were also plenty of others who wrote their personal stories, or recollections, or were passionate about the history and stories, and these are in the historical society's 5 publications, but these five wrote the lion's share, and were (and are- in the case of Allen Miller) instrumental in codifying for what we now call our "history". All later histories are only summaries of theirs.
A few delved deeper, and researched beyond the oral histories of others and their own memories-into the state archives and records, but in the end, the entire history of Duvall was written and codified by 5 or so people, in a very few- less than 5 - publications. They all loved history, and all contribute their own unique perspectives.
Ralph Taylor's was the earliest of the historians, though Don Funk wrote his columns first.