NewsletterofthePioneerAssociationoftheStateofWashington January2014VolumeXXXVINo.2

P IONE ER PR E S ENC E S

NextMeeting:

January11,2014

BoardOnly

BoardofTrusteesBusiness

Meeting10:00a.m.

PioneerHall

TableofContents

ModelTrainExhibit 1

President’sMessage 2

BoardMeetingMinutes 3

HallCleanupDay 3

VolunteersNeeded 4

PeterPuget 5

DuesMembershipReminder 6

DuesMembershipForm 7

Contributorsforthisissue:

AlanMurray,RichBlake,Randy

Sleight,JuniusRochester

Pioneer Presences (USPS 533-

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per person, per year, by the

PioneerAssociationoftheState

ofWashington,164242ndAve

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©

ModelTrainsatPioneerHall

The Pacific Northwest On30 Modular Group brought its model train layout to

Pioneer Hall on October 26 and 27. The Hall was open each day for viewing by

members and the general public, and many found time to enjoy the trains. The Pa-

cific Northwest On30 Modules Group is an informal group of modelers from all

around Washington, Oregon and British Columbia creating modules for a free-

lanced narrow gauge railroad loosely based on prototypes and themes in the Pacific

Northwest during the turn of the last century up until about 1940.

— Alan Murray, Vice President for Membership

ThisfascinatingphotobyRichBlakecameabout

whenanoilpaintingonthewallofPioneerHall

becameabackdropforamodeltrain

onexhibitlastOctober.

President’sMessage—AnAssociationonTheMove–PartII

164243rdAvenueEast

Seattle,WA98112

Telephone206-325-0888

www.wapioneers.org

PioneerHallHours

In September and October, open houses are

held the second and fourth Sundays of each

month. In November, December, January and

February, open houses are set for the second

Sundays only. Time: 1:00 pm to 4: pm. —

Volunteers Are Needed to Staff Open Houses.

On-the-jobtrainingisprovided

BoardofOf,icers

President Junius Rochester

1st Vice President Robert Selene

2nd Vice President. Alan Murray

Secretary Teresa Summers

Treasurer Saundra Selle

Historian Gary Zimmerman

Past President: Jeff Christensen

Trustees

Carol Hawkins, Louise Jones-Brown,

Carla Hendrickson

(Term to June 2014)

Dave Brazier, Gayle Johnson,

Jeff Rodgers

(Term to June 2015)

Kathy Durgan, Joe Wert,

Peggy Parietti

(Term to June 2016)

PioneerPresences

Teresa Summers, Editor

newsletter@wapioneers.org

T h i s i s a n o n p r o f i t e d u c a t i o n a l

d o c u m e n t ; d o n o t c o p y o r

d i s t r i b u t e

My column for October 2013 reviewed the growth

of our Association from its inception in 1871 (later re-

dedicated in 1883 as “Washington Pioneers”). I left

you hanging with a description of our early well-

attended 1890s meetings in Seattle and Tacoma.

In 1895, and with the momentum of many original

“pioneers” on the scene, we announced our new name:

The Pioneer Association of the State of Washington. Our mandate was “historical,

scientific, literary, monumental and social.” In 1902 the Association received the gift

of a lake shore lot in Seattle’s Madison Park from Judge and Mrs. John J. McGilvra.

After Judge McGilvra died, issues arose about the property line, taxes, and other

matters. Because strife and struggle are part of any “new” organization, after the

Judge’s death, his son Oliver G. McGilvra and the Pioneers tussled over these mat-

ters. Despite such growing pains, in 1908 Sarah Loretta Denny bequeathed $20,000

– a substantial sum in those days – for construction of a headquarters on the

McGilvra lot. Several female members took the lead as amateur building archi-

tects/superintendents. One of their notable achievements: construction of the new

Hall’s cobblestone fireplace and sandstone mantel holding the inscription “auld lang

syne.”

The Daughters of the Pioneers was founded in 1911 . By 1937 it was incorpo-

rated statewide, with the Seattle Chapter designated No. 1. Besides serving and

cooking at Association meetings, Daughters maintained the Hall’s historical displays

and a museum/workshop on the second floor. Despite an aging membership and the

difficulties of finding qualified younger members, those contributions by the

Daughters continue to this day (see article on page 5).

In the 1960s a revival of Pioneer activity occurred during the presidency of Al-

bert S. Balch with the help of Joshua Green, Sr., and many other members. For ex-

ample: repair and restoration of the Hall began; a determined effort to find descend-

ants was instituted; a new membership directory was produced; and in 1970 the Hall

was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A veritable Washington State Hall of Fame preceded our 21st Century efforts.

We inherited a special place, many formidable ghosts, bits of regional history, and

the responsibility to host and protect the efforts of several generations.

-- Junius Rochester, President

January2014 PioneerPresences—Page2

Those of you who are able to track down a copy of the December 2013 Madison

Park Times might want to turn to page three. A feature story on Junius Rochester, Association President, includes comments about our Pioneer Association, local his-tory and a look at Seattle.

The Times’ Website: http://www.madisonparktimes.com/

—Editor

Minutes—BoardMeeting,October19,2013

PioneerPresences—Page3 January2014

President Junius Rochester called the meeting to order at 10:01 a.m. Present were: Dave Brazier, Kathy Durgan,

Louise Jones-Brown, , Alan Murray, Peggy Parietti, Junius Rochester, Jeff Rodgers, Bob Selene, Helen Smith, Teresa

Summers and Joe Wert (later joined by Carla Hendrickson).

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the August 24, 2013, Board meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Saundra Selle unable to attend. No report.

Finance Committee: Chair Gayle Johnson unable to attend. No report.

Hall Rentals: Dave Brazier said Joan Wilson has done a good job managing Hall rentals in Gary Zimmerman’s ab-sence. The Board expressed its thanks to Joan.

Park Shore management have agreed to follow up on paving the four-foot portion of the parking strip in front of our building damaged by delivery trucks entering Park Shore’s driveway. Dave Brazier has Board authority to submit the required permit application to the City of Seattle.

Work Party: Alan Murray and Joe Wert reminded us of the work party scheduled for 10 am to 1 pm tomorrow, Octo-

ber 20, when we hope to clean up building and grounds.

Volunteers Report: Volunteer Coordinator Carol Hawkins unable to attend. No report.

Vice President for Membership:

• Alan Murray still hopes to create a committee to develop a plan for pending contracts, funding, grant applications,

etc., for Hall foundation repair. His notice in the recent Fall Pioneer Presences did not generate any new volunteers.

• The Board had a lengthy discussion regarding need and options for generating new members.

• Alan has sent out membership renewal notices.

Website(s): Jeff Rodgers agreed to work with Dave Brazier to clean up and update the Association Website, perhaps

including an event calendar and a link to our newsletter.

Alan recommends shifting the PastPerfect Website to the Association Website.

Nominating Committee: The committee consisting of Joe Wert, Helen Smith, Jeff Rodgers --and possibly Gayle

Johnson – will seek nominees and present a proposed slate of 2014-2015 officers at the January 2014 Board meeting.

— Minutes taken and summarized by Teresa Summers, Secretary/Newsletter Editor

Thanks to those volunteers who arrived at the Hall on a cold Sunday to

clear away years’ accumulation of assorted junk. Dave Brazier, Alan Mur-

ray, Jeff Rodgers and Joe Wert all lent a hand to remove and haul away old

pieces of lumber, carpeting and dishware. Teresa Summers helped take

away hundreds of old dishes to clean, sort and re-use/recycle. After sever-

al years of planning, the main floor stage/platform is gone, making the

space seem larger and more accommodating to various programs and clas-

ses.

We still need help in grounds cleanup and other chores.

— Teresa Summers, Editor

CleanupDayOctober20

JeffRodgersandAlanMurray

To Members of the Pioneer Association of the State or Washington

PioneerHall

We the members of the Pioneer Association will need to make a major investment in Pioneer Hall during the next

several years. We need to stabilize the foundation and retrofit the building to meet proposed local building code require-

ments for unreinforced masonry buildings. We must reduce the potential for building damage due to earthquake and to

protect against injury to users. Initial activities to meet these requirements follow.

ProjectManagementTeam

Members who have experience in building design and construction, including contracts, are urged to volunteer if they would be interested in serving on a project management team. While the goals of the team has not been deter-mined, it may include definition of the capital program scope, schedule and budget, procurement of needed consultant services and preparation of contracts. This may require many meetings over several years.

SeattleLandmarkStatus

The Board authorized the building committee to prepare an application for Landmark Status for Pioneer Hall from the City of Seattle’s Landmark Preservation Board. This is an important application and if Landmark Status is granted, the Association will be able to apply for funding from some of the many of the available sources of grant funds that can be used towards repairs and/or updates at Pioneer Hall. Alan Murray, Dave Brazier and Louise Jones-Brown will par-ticipate in this effort. Any member with grant experience is encouraged to lend a hand in this effort. We anticipate at most two meetings of this committee.

Anyone interested in serving on any of these committees, please contact Alan Murray at ramsplace2@aol.comorbycalling(206)794-9283.

— Alan Murray Vice President for Membership

January2014 PioneerPresences—Page4

RenewedCallforAction

MoreNewMemberstoWelcome

In our last issue we mentioned several names of those who have recently joined the Pioneer Association. We are

pleased to announce several other people who have entered our ranks in recent months and look forward to hearing

their pioneers’ stories

Kristen Louise Strand — new Life Membership a gift of her grandmother, Mary Louise Hammond

Tammer Thomas O'Connor — new Life Membership, son of Thomas O'Connor

Roberta DeVore — upgrade from Annual to Life Membership

Jennifer DeVore — new Life Membership

Lynn B. Marich — upgrade from Annual to Life membership

Stephen Raymond Ricketts — upgrade from Annual to Life member

The Association has received many requests for new membership with the latest dues campaign. We will be add-

ing their names as soon as we receive and confirm lineage information.

— Alan Murray, Vice President for Membership

PioneerPresences—Page5 January2014

PeterPuget’sPaci,icNorthwestLegacy

Every few months I roam the waters and shoreline of Puget Sound, which is technically everything south of Tacoma (Admiralty Inlet occupies the northern half). I also occasionally take the lower Columbia’s River’s last ferry, the old Wahkiakum, from Westport, Oregon to Cathlamet, Washington. A dry land portion of that exciting crossing is the short drive across a large, diked gravel bar called PUGET ISLAND. Along the mid-Columbia River, across from the historic hillside town of Cathlamet, you can find PUGET BAR, Oregon. In 1829, Hudson’s Bay employees once called today’s Tumwater Falls near Olympia, PUGET FALLS. North of Olympia, near the rich, preserved Nisqually Delta, an 1890s group of real estate dreamers sited an area they called PUGET CITY. No one noticed their efforts, and the name at that location quickly disappeared.

What is the origin of “PUGET”? Credit must be given to two men: Captain George Vancouver of King’s Lynn, Norfolk, England, who sailed through our waters in 1792-1794, and one of his trusted officers on that voyage, Lieuten-ant Commander William Robert Broughton. Broughton, aboard the armed tender Chatham, worked his way up the Co-lumbia River in 1792, naming sites along the way. Among the names he inscribed on his map was Puget Island, in hon-or of Broughton’s colleague, 2nd lieutenant Peter Puget, R.N. Captain Vancouver confirmed Broughton’s use of the name “Puget,” indicating that Lieutenant Puget was held in high regard by both Vancouver and his colleague, William Broughton.

Peter Puget entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman in 1778, joined several vessels in the West Indies, and was later promoted to lieutenant in 1790. When he sailed with Captain Vancouver aboard the Discovery in the early 1790s he was a seasoned man of the sea. After his Pacific Ocean adventures, Puget fought in the 1804 battle to destroy the French fleet at Brest, France, and later during the surrender of the Danish fleet in 1807. He died on October 31, 1822, at his home in Grosvenor Place, England, holding the rank of Rear Admiral. His death was attributed to a “long and pain-ful illness.” At least one early source speculated that the years Puget spent in the tropical climate of Madras, India, may have contributed to “the destruction of his health.”

Long before Vancouver’s voyage within our beautiful Ice Age waters, local Indians called much of Puget Sound Whulge, or Whulj (sometimes translated as “the saltwater we know”). Peter Puget’s short, double-P name rolls off the tongue. Today – and for over 200 years – we have gazed at, sailed, motored, described, drawn and painted the shimmering salt water sea that dominates Washington State’s northwest reaches. Later, future members of the Pioneer Association of the State of Washington read and pronounced the names “Puget Sound” long before they arrived in the Pacific Northwest. It may be time to appreciate our precious Inland Sea by taking a closer look.

-- Junius Rochester,President

DaughtersofthePioneersofWashington

At its November meeting, the Daughters of the Pioneers of Wash-

ington celebrated 102 years of existence. Author Shanna Stevenson

gave a presentation on her new book Women's Votes, Women's Voices:

TheCampaign forEqualRights inWashington (Washington State His-

torical Society). DPW member Carol Whipple introduced Shanna.

Carol’s Great Grandparents Grace and Roger Sherman Greene were

influential in the suffragette movement in our state.

The Daughters purchased a copy of Stevenson’s book for their li-

brary.

—Teresa Summers, Editor

ValBrunsmadethislovelyand

deliciouscommemorativecake.

JamesAlexanderPickardFamily

Be on the lookout in March 2014 for a family history news article and presentation by Randy Sleight, one of our newest members who is set to tell us about his pioneer ancestors at our March general membership meeting. Randy will also have an article in the March newsletter. In May, 1869, James Pickard and his family started for the Pacific Coast in a wagon train with his father in law B. J. Hunt. We are excited to read Randy’s story about their travels, and see his presentation.

— Editor

January 1, 2014

Members of the Pioneer Association of the State or Washington

Reminder - Membership Renewal and Donation Request for July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014

Dear Member,

If you have yet to return your dues payments for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, we wish to hear from you soon. Additional donations will help fund Association Capital and Restoration programs.

Membership:

Annual dues are $25.00. Parents may enroll their children for an initial fee of $5.00. Junior members do not receive newsletters or pay dues until they are eligible for full member status, at age 18 and have paid their annual dues. Please indicate date of birth of children.

No member delinquent in the payment of dues shall be entitled to vote in the proceedings of the Association and any member delinquent for two successive years may be dropped from the membership rolls. Should you wish to convert to life membership may pay a one-time fee of $250 or a down-payment of $125; you will be billed for the second payment in the following year. Junior members may be enrolled as life members, but they may not vote until they attain the age of 18 years.

Your annual payments fund the operational costs of the Association, including production and mailing of the newsletter, heating the building and paying for the phone, internet connection and electricity. Recently we have also made repairs to the furnace and some window frames. While we also receive some rental pay-ments for use of the building by other like-organizations, receipts do not cover all of the expenses.

No member delinquent in the payment of dues shall be entitled to vote in the proceedings of the Association and any member delinquent for two successive years may be dropped from the membership rolls.

Junior Members will not receive a notice because they are not required to pay dues until they become full members, after their 18th birthday. The one-time fee of $5.00 registers them in the Pioneer data base.

If you have lost your payment form, we have provided blank form on the back of this page. Please return your membership payment as soon as possible.

If we hear from you, you will hear from us.

If you have moved recently, or have other changes in your contact information, we will not know unless you tell us. Some of you have a second home. Please show both addresses on this form, and indicate when you reside at each, i.e., Mid Oct - Mid May.

Newsletter Delivery by E-mail:

While we try to send newsletters to the correct address, our spring and fall mailings of Pioneer Presences may cross paths with your travel between residences. The Board is considering e-mail delivery so you will not miss an issue. Please indicate if you would prefer e-mail delivery of newsletter and other Association correspondence.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Junius Rochester R. Alan Murray

President Vice President for Membership

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ModelTrainsatPioneerHall

January 11, 2014 Board only 10 a.m.

March 8, 2014 Board 10 a.m.

General Membership

Meeting 1:00 p.m.

April 26, 2014 Board only 10 a.m.

June 21, 2014 General Membership/Annual Busi-

ness Meeting 10 a.m.

Family History/Featured Speaker ~

10:30 a.m.

Short Break ~11:45 a.m.

Salmon Bake 12 Noon

2014Schedule