[2] Shelton was one of the few Snohomish to speak both English (which he learned when he enrolled himself in a mission school) and Lushootseed, the language of the Coast Salish.

Historical photos of the complete pole exist in the digitized holdings of the nearby Everett Public Library.

At a time when the US government sought to destroy all vestiges of Native American culture in the Pacific Northwest, Shelton was able to work out a deal with Washington State governor Roland Hartley wherein he was permitted to carve a story pole in exchange for his willingness to create a written record of the oral legends behind the figures he wished to carve on the pole.

That pole stood on the grounds of the state capitol campus in Olympia, Washington, until November 3, 2010, when it was removed due to safety concerns.

[6] Ruth was a fluent speaker of Chinook, a trade lingo derived from French, English, and Native American languages.