the lessons of 1850’s history - redmond historical … items to the society by monica park the...

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Join us November 8 with author and legal historian Michael Schein, as he explores the period from the first European-American settlement in Puget Sound to the execution of Chief Leschi, leader of the Native Americans in the Indian War of 1855-’56. A story of extremes: great courage, cultural misunderstanding, interracial love, heroism and cruelty, the discussion will cover the trial of Leschi, and the limits of constitutional protections in the face of hysteria and fear. Schein will explore the causes of the war, cultural misunderstandings and the consequences of fearing a stereotyped “other.” After the program, members are encouraged to stay for the election of the Society’s 2015 Executive Board. Also in this issue: how to make a loan to the Society, honoring pioneer women, our local pride in Jim Whittaker and more.

Cover image from author Michael Schein’s historical novel, Bones Beneath Our Feet: Puget Sound Indian Wars 1855-’56

Every town has a history. Discover ours. • November 2014

The redmoNd recorderREDMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTERNovember 2014 • VOL. 16 • NO. 9

Every town has a history. Discover ours.

Upcoming—SatUrday Speaker SerieSSaturday, November 8, 10:30 a.m. to 12 noonOld Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, 16600 NE 80th Street

the LeSSonS of 1850’S hiStory

November 2014 • Every town has a history. Discover ours.

EXECUTIVE BOARDChris Himes • PresidentJudy Lang • Senior Vice-PresidentJoe Townsend • Vice-President FinanceGene Magnuson • V.P. CollectionsMary Hanson • Secretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORSRosemarie IvesJudith SimpsonSherry StilinKris SwansonMargy RockenbrockChristian Bruhn

OFFICE MANAGER • Monica ParkATTORNEY • Charles Diesen

Our finances are public record and may be viewed at the office.

FREE NEWSLETTERIf you don't subscribe, please sign up.Call the office at 425.885.2919 or email [email protected]. State your preference of email or U.S. Mail. The historical society prefers email as it's inexpensive and photos are enhanced online.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK:facebook.com/Redmond.Historical.Society

THE REDMOND RECORDERis published nine times annually.Jeanne Gustafson • EditorJanice LeVeck • Art Director/Webmaster janiceannleveck.com

What’S neW onLine: redmond LightS

2014

Major Sponsors

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Though this is our last issue of the Redmond Recorder for the year, the holiday season is just gearing up. Don’t miss Redmond’s winter celebration, Redmond Lights, on Saturday, December 6 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The festivities begin at Redmond City Hall, followed by a luminary walk along the Redmond Connector Trail to Redmond Town Center, where the evening of lights, music and entertainment will continue. While you’re there, be sure to stop by the city’s Historic Core tent for updates on the Historic Core project. Get all the details online at redmondlights.com.


eLection time iS here Society News

At our November Program, the Redmond Historical Society will be holding its Election of Executive Board Officers for 2015. We are asking all members in good standing to please attend the Speaker Series program on November 8, and stay until the end of the program so you can participate in voting for your new Executive Board members.

The slate consists of :• President: Joe Townsend• Senior Vice President: Mary Hanson• Vice President of Finance: Ed O’Brien• Secretary: Lori Perrigo

Hope to see you at the meeting.~Christine Himes

Book SaLe: Redmond Reflections

Want to share your Redmond pride? Redmond Reflections, the Society’s 800-plus photo essay of Redmond, is on sale for the remainder of this year. Learn or reminisce about Redmond’s history with chapters ranging from the area’s Native Peoples to our high tech economy. Perfect as a holiday gift, or to add to your own library, the book is available now through December 31 for $10 plus shipping—a savings of $5 per copy. An order form with the is available on page 9 of this issue.

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BoneS Beneath oUr feet:pUget SoUnd indian WarS 1855-’56

Society News

Once upon many times, Native Americans and American settlers fought over land—the histories are everywhere, but easily forgotten as societies move on. One such war—between settlers led by Washington Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens and a coalition of native tribes led by Chief Leschi—defined the future of the Puget Sound area, and yet few even know it happened or the ultimate result. Author Michael Schein will discuss the 1855-’56 Puget Sound War and its present-day lessons at the Redmond Historical Society Speaker Series at on November 8 10:30 a.m. at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center. He is the author of Bones Beneath Our Feet: A Historical Novel of Puget Sound. “This is a tale of injustice,” says Schein, a former professor of American legal history. “For me, that is the most important story, since the telling and retelling helps us learn how to avoid perpetrating future injustices.” “We have seen the name ‘Leschi’ everywhere, yet all but a few are surprised to hear that he was accused of murder and ultimately hanged by our first territorial governor, Isaac Stevens,” adds Schein. “Many people are unaware that there even was a war—they might know there were treaties, but not that enforcement of the first treaty led to war.” A Seattle-based author, Schein says he chose to write a novel, not a non-fiction work, “because it is accessible to readers who would not pick up a traditional history book. Historical fiction can help a reader directly experience the ‘emotional truths’ of a time period in a way that no recitation of precise facts can.” “After my talk and slide show, people are motivated to talk,” he adds. “We can explore whatever themes resonate with the group.” The Saturday Speaker Series is a monthly program presented by the Redmond Historical Society on every second Saturday (with the exception of June, July, August and December) at 10:30 a.m. at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, located at 16600 NE 80th Street in Redmond, WA. Topics are of local, state or Pacific Northwest historical interest. There is a suggested $5 donation for non-members.

Michael Schein, courtesy of Michael Schein

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Society NewshiStory in the making:

Loaning itemS to the Society

By Monica Park

The Redmond Historical Society has a few really interesting items on loan to us.Many are long-term loans, but they are a fun part of our collection that allow us a view into the personal histories of Redmond residents. Some of the items currently on loan to the Society include pictures, an old set of History of Washington books, and three replica models—one of a touring car, one of an old trolley, and one of a rail car! You can stop by anytime during our office hours, and before or after our monthly program to see these and other items in our office! For anyone who is interested in sharing a piece of history with the public through our program but who wishes to retain ownership of the artifact, a loan to the Society offers the best of both worlds. Loans may be made for a specific period of time, or for an indefinite period, at the loaner’s discretion. When a loan item comes in, we will help you complete a form with information about the item, the loaner’s name and contact information, how long the loan will be for, and any additional information you might have about the item. If the loan has a specified time, we will contact you when the end date nears to find out if you’d like to extend the loan or retrieve the item. In the meantime, we will care for the object at our office to ensure that its original condition is maintained. We welcome loans anytime, and you are welcome to stop by our office during regular hours, Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Have questions for our history insiders? Email your question to [email protected] with the subject line History in the Making, and we’ll try to answer it in a future column.

Pencil drawing of the Justice White House by Doris Colvin, on loan from Christine Himes.

Editor’s note: Our semi-regular column, penned by local history “insiders,” provides insight into what goes into historical preservation and collections, and explains how you can participate in keeping record of Redmond’s past and future history.

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Society News don’t forget the LadieS

By Tom Hitzroth

In 2011, while preparing for my first tour of the Redmond Pioneer Cemetery, I noticed something that had escaped my notice just as it so often escapes the notice of researchers. Lying next to nearly all of the well-known persons I was going to be talking about was a wife.

We remember prominent women such as Emma McRedmond White and Anna McRedmond Smith, daughters of Luke McRedmond. Emma was postmistress at sixteen, wife of Justice White, and proprietor of the Hotel Redmond. Meanwhile, Anna was the first white child born in Redmond, and proprietor of the boarding house west of the Hotel Redmond. Maybe one or two other women are memorialized for their own works, but how many people know of Elizabeth Tosh, wife of John Tosh; Elizabeth Tosh, wife of Adam Tosh; Laura Brown, Addie Reed, Mary Stensland, Anna Graff; Lottie Huffman, Rhoda Faulds, Lorina Durkoop—the list goes on.

All these women are examples of the adage that “behind every man is a good woman.” Unfortunately, this phrase has become more of a cliché today than an understanding of reality. We have a tendency to focus on the accomplishments of the men who made Redmond and often overlook, undervalue, or under appreciate the contributions their wives made to their ability to be that successful. Bill Brown was mayor for nearly 30 years, as well as a county commissioner, but how well would he have accomplished it without Laura? When John and Adam Tosh were away a week at a time working at the Newcastle mines and coming home on the weekends to work their homesteads, who managed the land and looked after the animals? Let’s ask ourselves: Who was the social bedrock of the town? Who did the behind-the-scenes work that made progress successful in the early days of Redmond? Who often tended the sick? Who organized social events that served to bind the community together?

While we don’t need to minimize the role the men played in building Redmond into what it has become, let us not forget that they didn’t do it alone. It was the women who did as much to build Redmond as it was the men we remember today. Those women, pioneer wives, mothers and postmistresses, should also be recognized for the crucial role they performed then.

John and Elizabeth Tosh, photo courtesy of Eastside Heritage Center

Beside every early Redmond pioneer man stood a pioneer woman.

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Society NewshometoWn pride:

from redmond to moUnt By Tony Emmanuel

Some of the big news of the 1960s was the Seattle World’s Fair, the Rosellini-Evergreen Point Bridge (520), the I-5 Freeway—and Jim Whittaker’s Mount Everest climb. Seattle and the Northwest seemed to grow success after success: Boeing with the new 727 and 747, the UW’s Rose Bowl football, the fisheries fleet, skyscrapers and superferries. None of these, however, gave us more fulfillment than the Jim Whittaker Everest climb. Jim gave many talks on his Everest climb. I attended one at a sales clinic and another at the Redmond Mond Theater. Jim lived across Lake Sammamish from me and we were also work neighbors. I worked out of a Seattle building that took up the corner of 11th and Pike. Jim, meanwhile, worked out of the building that took up the corner of 11th and Pine. Mine was Bell Store Equipment Co.; Jim’s was Recreational Equipment Co. (REI). Other than asking him a question at his Seattle talk, we never met until he came into our Seattle office looking for store equipment for REI. After a very enjoyable 45 minutes showing him our products, I mentioned that I needed a tent and canoe. He said, “Come on over, I’ll show you what we have.” He signed me up to be a member of REI and proceeded to give his expert advice on which tent and canoe to buy. I purchased both from Jim. The tent has long been used up, but the canoe exists to this day—48 years later! A neighbor whom we shared babysitting with had their kids stay with Bobby Kennedy’s and Jim’s kids when he and Jim went up to Alaska to climb Mount Kennedy. When I heard about this, I asked my kids if they were with the Kennedy kids at the Whittakers. They answered, “Who?” The fame of Jim Whittaker gave the Northwest, for a solid 10 years or more, a steady diet of pride and joy. We hadn’t had anything like this for 35 years, since a fellow named Charles Lindbergh. Jim’s brother Lou was a prominent fixture at Mount Rainier. He was leading a climb when I was designing and installing a store at the Visitor Center. The Whittakers were very visible to locals in the 1960s and ‘70s as they were so active. Their activities seemed to take them everywhere—even to the tops of mountains.

Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mt. Everest. Source: Sammamish Valley News, May 1963.

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hUge hiStoricaL thank yoUS to:

Society News

Many thanks to following people, who helped move our large items from the Olson barn to the Martin Park storage area: Joe Townsend, Tom Grinna, Sherry Stilin, Gene and Cheryl Magnuson, and Dale Potter, with special thanks to Justin Miniken from the city of Redmond for giving us access to the Martin Park storage area, and to Jacob Hudson for providing equipment and expertise in moving the vintage hay mower.

Moving the farm equipment. Photo courtesy Cheryl Magnuson.

Thank you Redmond Saturday Market volunteers Gene and Cheryl Magnuson, Fernando Ramos, Bill McKenzie, Linda McCrystal and Judy Lang, who helped us close out another wonderful market season. Thanks to all who participated in the Moonshine event, including Gene and Cheryl Magnuson, Tom Hitzroth, Miguel Llanos, Joe Townsend, Sherry Stilin and Judy Lang.

We appreciate the volunteers for the October Speaker Series program, including greeters Julianne Rossiter and Beryl Standley; Tom Hanson for setting up; and Redmond High School/Key Club members Connor York and Hugh Aldner and David Rossiter for doing audio/visual.

Judy Lang decked out in period finery for Moonshine in Redmond. Photo courtesy Cheryl Magnuson.

are yoU a faceBook fan? Share our Saturday Speaker Series with your Facebook friends! Go to the Redmond Historical Society page and invite your friends to our event or just share the information!

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SHIPPING & HANDLING: Please add $5.00 shipping & handling surchage

for any order that you would like mailed.

ORDERING INFO*: NAME____________________________________________________ PHONE NUMBER_____________________

# OF BOOKS ORDERED_______ AMOUNT ENCLOSED (CHECK PLEASE) _$_____________________________

SHIPPING INFO: NAME _______________________________________________________________________________________

STREET ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________________________

CITY • STATE • ZIP _____________________________________________________________________________

NOTE: REDMOND REFLECTIONS is also available at the RHS OFFICE at the Old

Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center. (Hours of operation on page 12.)

Redmond Reflections

$10 (INCLUDES TAX)*

Need something special for someone who appreciates our history? These are available at our Society office:

GREETING CARDS, MAGNETS& NOTE CARDS featuring artwork by local artists:• PATTI SIMPSON WARD• DORISJEAN COLVIN • PAT DUGAN

“OUR TOWN”History of Redmond by Nancy Way

“VIEW OF HISTORY” DVD

Gathering at the Grange, is the work of fine artist Patti Simpson Ward.

Visit her website to see more images of Eastside settings—pattisimpsonward.com.

great gift ideaS for hiStory LoverS

Order now

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oUr Society Lifetime memBerS

Eric Anderson John Anderson Barbara Neal Beeson Brad Best Marjorie Stensland CostelloJohn Couch Liz Carlson Coward Tony EmmanuelFrank Garbarino Edward L. Hagen Tom HallLucille B. Hansen-Bellings Wayne HansenJerry HardyNaomi Hardy Chris HimesRosemarie IvesCory de JongPatricia Weiss Jovag

Barbara Weiss JoyceGlenn Lampaert Roy Lampaert Allen LangJudy Aries Lang Miguel LlanosJon Magnussen Clare “Amo” MarrDaryl Martin Allison Reed Morris John PhillipsRoxie PhillipsDale PotterJo Ann PotterCharles Reed Frances Spray ReedVivian Robinson Laurie Rockenbeck

Margy Rockenbeck William RockenbeckRichard ShinstromBeryl StandleyJohn StilinSherry StilinFred Springsteel Fred Stray Doris Bauer Schaible Herb SwansonDoris TownsendRoger TrepanierArlyn Vallene Patti Simpson WardDon Watts Rose Weiss Joanne WestlundMargaret Evers Wiese James Windle

Society News

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memBerShip drive: reneW or Join the Society noW

If you haven’t renewed your membership yet, or if you’ve been considering joining, there’s no time like the present to help support preservation of Redmond’s history.

As our thank you for helping us keep Redmond’s history alive, the Redmond Historical Society is offering:

neW memBerS 14 monthS for the price of 12 Please use the form on the next page to join now, or sign up online at redmondhistoricalsociety.org, and your dues will be paid through the end of 2015!

correction: Corporate member Nelson Legacy Group, in 2014 became a Redmond Historical Society Sponsor with an ongoing commitment of sustained donations to the Society. Their status was misstated in the October newsletter; we regret the error.


$5.00$25.00$40.00

$200.00$250.00

$1,000.00

FOR NEW OR RENEWING MEMBERS, PLEASE SEND IN YOUR DUES.

LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP (Check one only.) _____ TRAILBLAZER (Student) _____ PIONEER (Individual) _____ HOMESTEADER (Family) _____ ENTREPRENEUR (Supporter) _____ CORPORATE (Business) _____ HISTORY MAKER (Lifetime)

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: REDMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Fill out the form below, cut out and mail with your check to:

Redmond Historical SocietyAttn: MembershipORSCC, Room 106

16600 NE 80th StreetRedmond, WA 98052

MEMBERSHIP (CIRCLE ONE): NEW RENEWING

NAME

If FAMILY MEMBERSHIP, OTHER NAMES TO BE INCLUDED

PHONE NUMBER

EMAIL ADDRESS

STREET ADDRESS

CITY • STATE • ZIP

NEWSLETTER DELIVERY (CHECK ONE): _______ EMAIL ________ U.S. MAIL

MembershipJoin

redmondhiStoricaL Society

Every town has a history. Discover ours.

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the lessons of 1850’s history - redmond historical … items to the society by monica park the...

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