rhs newsletter february2016

7/25/2019 RHS Newsletter February2016

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Though at times mistakenly relegated to sh wrap, discoverhow a communitys newspaper remains a living part of the historicalrecord of our city, providing context and voices where other historicaldocumentation cannot. Hear the story of Redmonds longstandingnewspaper, the Sammamish Valley News,from local journalist JeanneGustafson,through photos, stories and anecdotes from its pages. Learnmore about Redmonds history through the lens of this longstanding

local medias coverage, and how you can continue to use it for research.Relax over a cup of coffee at the Redmond Historical Society

Saturday Speaker Series, a monthly program from September to Maythat features eight speakers addressing topics of local, state and PacicNorthwest historical interest (No program in December). Also inside, learnabout the rst Redmond Post Ofce (p. 6).

Bob Bailey, the founderof the SammamishValley News, was oftenreferred to as Mr.

Redmond.

Every town has a history. Discover ours. FEBRUARY2016

THEREDMONDRECORDERREDMOND HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY2016 VOL. 18NO. 2

Every town has a history. Discover ours.

UPCOMINGSATURDAYSPEAKERSSERIESSaturday, Feb. 13, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center16600 NE 80th St., Redmond, WA

JUMPINGOFFTHEPAGE:THEHISTORYOFTHESAMMAMISHVALLEYNEWS


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FEBRUARY2016 Every town has a history. Discover ours.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Joe Townsend President

Mary I. Hanson Senior Vice President

Ed Dint OBrienVice President FinanceCrystal Rojas MoraVice President

Collections

TBASecretary

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Judith Simpson

Steve JohnsonSharon Brocker

COLLECTIONS MANAGERJlean

McDonaldADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

Laura Lee BennettATTORNEYCharles Diesen

Our nances are public record and may

be viewed at the ofce.

FREE NEWSLETTER

If you don't subscribe, please sign up.

Call the ofce at 425.885.2919or email

[email protected] 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 RECORDER

is published nine times annually.Jeanne Gustafson Editor

Janice LeVeck Webmaster

redmondhistoricalsociety.org

SAVETHEDATE:ANNUALSOCIETYPICNICNEWVENUE!

2016

MAJORSPONSORS

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Get ready now for theannual Redmond HistoricalSociety Picnic!

The annual Potluck Picnicdate has been reserved, soplease mark your calendarnow!

June 11, 2016Perrigo Community Park,9011 196th Ave NE,Redmond, WA 98053.

This is a signicantrevision to a long-standingtradition of the picnic being at

Anderson park.

The new facility with allow

us access to water, power anda larger space for all the fun!

Happy ValleyGrange #322


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NOTESONSTEWARDSHIPPRESIDENTSNOTEBOOK

I have quoted the Mission Statement of theRedmond Historical Society in a number of thesecolumns. This month, I want to talk specicallyabout a word in the Mission Statement:stewardship.

Redmond Historical Society serves the

community through stewardship: collecting,

preserving and sharing Redmonds unique

heritage.

The American Association of State and LocalHistory publishes the Standards and Excellence Program for HistoryOrganizations (StEPs). On stewardship of collections, StEPs emphasizesthe importance of public trust, accountability, diversity, ethics, technology,and resource conservation. These t nicely into dictionary denitions ofstewardshipthe careful and responsible management of somethingentrusted to ones care.

In the broad sense, we are entrusted with caring for the communitysorigins, the initial building blocks of our unique sense of how Redmondcame to be, our heritage. We share this responsibility with the CitysHistoric Preservation Ofce. Specically, we care for artifacts, archives,photographs, stories and memories captured in oral histories, andgenealogical information. We devote considerable staff time andhundreds of volunteer hours to this responsibility. That work continues.

Stewardship is often illustrated by three elements: treasure, time,and talent. Certainly, caring for the communitys origins in the publictrust requires all three. Our staff and volunteers provide time and talent.Donors provide treasure. As Society members and newsletter readers,you have an opportunity to support our stewardship Mission. Give us yourtreasure, time, and talent. We need all three, time and talent no less thantreasure. We have rewarding volunteer and leadership positions available.Call me.

At the Redmond Historical Society we understand public trust and

accountability, and the vital role we fulll with the all of the elements of ourMission. The bottom line is protecting, to the extent feasible, Redmondsunique heritage through effective stewardship.

~Joe Townsend

Redmond Historical Society President

Joe Townsend

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HISTORYOFTHESAMMAMISHVALLEYNEWS

SATURDAYSPEAKERSERIES

Despite having been stored in a morgue, pastissues of Redmonds hometown newspaper, theSammamish Valley News, serve as a living history ofthe city.

Founded in 1946 by Bob Bailie,the SammamishValley Newswas Redmonds community newspaperuntil 1997. Held within its pages are unique insights intothe citys politics and people, from weekly social pages

to thousands of photos of residents in their daily lives.Sometimes humorous, sometimes critically important,the information found in the SVN expands our understanding of the city.Even advertisements within its pages let us peer into the businesses,products, and events that shaped and reect the citys development.

You learn so much about what was important to a community, andhow its growth was shaped, through the lens of reporters who lived,worked, and participated in the events as they happened, says Jeanne

Gustafson,a long-time journalist and Society volunteer who will shareexamples that will detail the importance of the paper as historical record.

The Sammamish Valley Newsalso served as a launch pad for journalists now on the national stage, and with Pulitzer Prizes under their belts.

On Saturday, Feb. 13, take a trip back through the pages of the citys30-year newspaper, exploring what the paper can continue to illuminatethrough images and stories of Redmond and the people who recorded it.

We hope this presentation will inspire you to celebrate with us theongoing Redmond Historical Society project to digitize this amazingresource. We also will show our guests how to use it for their ownresearch and enjoyment, from the comfort of home.

The Saturday Speaker Series is a monthly program presentedby the Redmond Historical Society on every second Saturday fromSeptember through May (no program in December) at the Old RedmondSchoolhouse Community Center, located at 16600 NE 80th Street.

Topics are of local, state and Pacic Northwest historical interest. Thereis a suggested $5 donation for non-members.

The Redmond Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-protorganization that receives support from the City of Redmond, 4 Culture,Nintendo, the Bellevue Collection, and Happy Valley Grange as well asfrom other donors and members.

Jeanne

Gustafson

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SOCIETYNEWS

Like the Saturday Speaker Series?

Bring a Friend!

SOCIETYSEEKSPROGRAMCHAIR

Can you hear it? Opportunity knocking?

Redmond Historical Society is recruiting for a volunteer to chair theSaturday Speaker Series Program Committee.

The Saturday Speaker Series is the crown jewel of the Societysservice to the community. The role of Program Committee Chair is anexceptional volunteer opportunity for someone who loves history, enjoysworking with effective people, and nds satisfaction in good planning

and organization. The chair will assume responsibility for a program thatis already highly developed but also has opportunities for growth andenhancement. Attendance at the programs has averaged 136 people.

The May 2015 Redmond Recordernewsletter carried an informativearticle, titled How the Saturday Speakers Series is Created.Read aboutthe fun and rewards of this exciting position. This is a great opportunity togive back to the community, using your skills developed over a career

perhaps in marketing or event planning. Since the May 2015 article, theSociety has added to staff with an Administrative Manager specicallyassigned as staff liaison to the Saturday Speaker Series ProgramCommittee. Staff assists in committee work, as well as event production.

As noted in the article, ideas come from many places includingmembers, the statewide historical community, newspapers, the Societyarchive of past programs, and word of mouth. The HumanitiesWashington Speakers Bureau has also been an excellent resource.

The committee has kept busy. In the past nine months, the committeehas nalized plans for the 2015-2016 season currently underway and isworking on the 2016-2017 season. This is planning at its nest.

If you are interested or know someone looking for such anopportunity, we invite you to contact Laura Lee Bennett at [email protected] or 425.885.2919. A detailed description ofthe opportunities can be found on the V

olunteerMatch.orgwebsite, or onour website, under the Get involved/Volunteer menu.

Happy Volunteering!

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LOCALHISTORY REDMONDSFIRSTPOSTOFFICE

By Tom Hitzroth

One thing I dislike inhistorical investigations isa loose end. While that isnot always avoidable, thisarticle is to tie up a looseend. In the April 2014edition of the RedmondRecorder,page 8, I notedthat The rst postmasterwas Adam Tosh,havingbeen appointed in 1881 asthe postmaster of Melrose.We have no idea where heoperated the post ofce.

That statement truly

bothered me so much

that the following month Iwent to the National Archives at Sand Point and pulled the applicationsfor the establishment of the Melrose Post Ofce in 1881, as well as theapplication for the change of name from Melrose to Redmond led byLuke McRedmondin 1883. I learned where the Melrose Post Ofcewas located and the 1883 map led by Luke McRedmond showedthe locations of the principal land owners in the Redmond area whichresolved some of my questions about land ownership in 1883.

On June 6, 1881 Adam Tosh, an early Pioneer, led application withthe United States Post Ofce to establish a post ofce in what was thenthe settlement of Melrose. On the application he notes that the onlynearby post ofce was in Newcastle (opened August 22, 1878) althoughthere were proposed sites in Houghton (opened June 20, 1881) andWoodinville (opened June 27, 1881). Adam noted that the post ofcewould be located on the Sammamish River in Section 14, immediately onthe west bank of the river.

A review of the old maps of the Sammamish River channel showthat the river owed west out of Section 13 and was in Section 14 forabout 600 to 800 feet before turning north into Section 11. In my aerialphotograph collection I have a 1950s aerial of Marymoor during the timeUberto Dickeyowned the property and found that it contained the partof the river described by Adam Tosh in his application. In the photograph

Arial view of the location of Redmonds rstPost Ofce, circa. 1950s, by Uberto Dickey

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(shown by the arrow, Clises windmill is to the left) isthe location of the Melrose Post ofce.

Adam Tosh was appointed postmaster of Melrose June 28, 1881.

Tosh located his post ofce so it could be reached by land or water. Postofces did not operate the hours then that they do today. Since thepopulation was small in those days getting the mail once or twice a weekwas normal. The Melrose and rst Redmond post ofce were open onMondays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

In 1963 and 1964 the Army Corps of Engineers dredged andstraightened the Sammamish River and the part of the river where theMelrose Post Ofce once stood was removed. Today a green eld at

Marymoor Park covers the site of the Melrose Post Ofce but the locationcan still be found if one knows where to look.

SOCIETYNEWS

The Nokomis Clubhouse was razed on Jan. 8, 2016. Redmond

Historical Society participated in the appeal of the Determination of Non-Signicance, as reported in earlier issues of the Redmond Recorder.Theappeal failed, as did subsequent appeals by the Nokomis Club.

For more information, please see the Jan. 15 issue of the RedmondReporteron their website:

http://www.redmond-reporter.com/green_editions/?iid=i20160114170905429

NOKOMISCLUBHOUSEUPDATE

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SATURDAYSPEAKERSERIESVOLUNTEERS

Many thanks to our Saturday Speakers Series volunteers for theirgenerous donation of their time and efforts to ensure a smooth programday.

Press ReleaseMiguel LlanosAudio VisualDavid RossiterCoffeeBeryl Standley

Door GreetersFred and Fran StraySet-up CoordinatorTom HansenSet-up/clean-upStephen Nickel, Aaron Ong and Allen MuiSnacksCynthia Olsenand Bliss Ong, Coldwell Banker Bain


HUGEHISTORICTHANKYOUSSOCIETYNEWS

The Society thanks Paul Dorpat for his recent donation of this historicphoto. Complete with bell tower and a eet of trucks, Mayor Brownsgarage was the place to gather in Redmond in 1920. Author and historianPaul Dorpat published a column on Redmond this month on his SeattleNow & Then website. The article appeared Sunday, January 24, 2016, on

the nal page of the Pacic NW Magazine of The Seattle Times. Dorpatand Jean Sherrard consulted with Tom Hitzroth, Chair of the City ofRedmond Landmark Commission, on the historical details. Dorpat hasdonated the digital image to Redmond Historical Society, and attributesthe photograph to the Society. A longer version of the article can be foundon the website:

http://pauldorpat.com/.

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http://pauldorpat.com/http://pauldorpat.com/


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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____________________________________________________________________________

CITYSTATE 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 someonewho appreciates our history? Theseare available at our Society ofce:

GREETING CARDS, MAGNETS

& NOTE CARDSfeaturing artwork by local artists:

PATTI SIMPSON WARD

DORISJEAN COLVIN PAT DUGAN

OUR TOWN

History of Redmond by Nancy Way

VIEW OF HISTORY DVD

This painting of Marymoor Park, Flying Kites at the Clise

Mansion, is the work of ne artist Patti Simpson Ward.

Visit her website to see more images of Eastside settings

pattisimpsonward.com.

GREATGIFTIDEASFORHISTORYLOVERS

ORDERNOW

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OURSOCIETYLIFETIMEMEMBERSRay Adams

Eric Anderson

John Anderson

Barbara Neal Beeson

Brad Best

Pierre Bruneau

Marjorie Stensland

Costello

John CouchLiz Carlson Coward

Tony Emmanuel

Frank Garbarino

Edward L. Hagen

Tom Hall

Lucille B. Hansen-

Bellings

Wayne Hansen

Jerry HardyNaomi Hardy

Chris Himes

Rosemarie Ives

Cory de Jong

Madeleine Roberts Hagen

Mary Hanson

Patricia Weiss Jovag

Barbara Weiss Joyce

Glenn Lampaert

Roy Lampaert

Allen Lang

Judy Aries Lang

Miguel Llanos

Jon Magnussen

Clare Amo Marr

Daryl Martin

Allison Reed Morris

John Phillips

Roxie Phillips

Dale Potter

Jo Ann Potter

Charles Reed

Frances Spray Reed

Bobbie Graep Rettig

Vivian Robinson

Laurie Rockenbeck

Vivian Robinson

Margy Rockenbeck

William Rockenbeck

Richard Shinstrom

Beryl Standley

John Stilin

Sherry Stilin

Fred SpringsteelFred Stray

Doris Bauer Schaible

Herb Swanson

Doris Townsend

Joe Townsend

Roger Trepanier

Arlyn Vallene

Patti Simpson Ward

Don Watts

Rose Weiss

Joanne Westlund

Margaret Evers Wiese

James Windle

SOCIETYNEWS

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2016 HISTORICALWALKINGTOURSANNOUNCED

Redmond Historical Society is pleased to announce the 2016 Walking Tour

schedule, led by local historian Tom Hitzroth.

There is a $10 suggested donation for each person.

2016 Walking Tour Schedule*

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Sunday, May 8, 2016

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Sunday, September 11, 2016

The tour runs from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m., starting from the Redmond Connector

across NE 76th St. from the Justice White House at 7730 Leary Way

Pre-register for the event by calling our ofce, 425.885.2919, or email us at:[email protected] drop in our ofce or mail in a check to

16600 NE 80th St. Room 106, Redmond, WA, 98052.

Tours include a signicant amount of walking and standing, with limited

opportunity for resting. We recommend comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate

clothing, and rain/sun gear.If you have any further questions about our tours,

please call our ofce.


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$5.00

$25.00$40.00

$200.00$250.00

$1,000.00

CONSIDER A GIFT MEMBERSHIP FOR A FAVORITE HISTORY BUFF.

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

CITYSTATE ZIP

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

MEMBERSHIP

JOIN

REDMONDHISTORICALSOCIETY

Every town has a history. Discover ours.

Renew Now!

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rhs newsletter february2016

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