Join us in exploring, preserving and promoting Olympia’s history. We are a non-profit membership-based organization presenting the stories from our past to enrich the present and inform the future of Olympia. The Bigelow House Museum, owned and operated by the Society and Museum, is the oldest residence in Olympia, Washington, and one of the earliest still standing in the Pacific Northwest.
Society News
Walking Tour of Bigelow Neighborhood and Workingman’s Hill–August 27th
Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum is offering a Walking Tour of the Bigelow Neighborhood and Workingman’s Hill on Saturday, August 27.
Led by OHS & BHM Board member Paul Parker, the tour will begin at 11:00 am from the Bigelow House Museum at 918 Glass Avenue NE and proceed down to Budd Inlet. After walking up Olympia Avenue and viewing its many historic homes, the walking tour will head up Puget Street. From there, tour attendees will learn a bit about Workingman’s Hill and see some of the historic buildings and properties uphill from the historic Bigelow Neighborhood. We will then head back downhill past Bigelow Springs and return to the Bigelow House by 12:30 p.m.
Historic view of East Bay Drive from the Bigelow House Collection.
Spring 2022 Printing of Thurston County: Water, Woods and Prairies now available
The popular history Thurston County: Water, Woods & Prairies, which sold out last year, has been reprinted with a new introduction, dedication, and updates and is again for sale by mail order from the Society and Museum. To order click here.
The 290-page book has more than 250 photographs about the capital county of Washington with essays by local authors about Native Americans, maritime explorers, loggers, early settlers, and farmers, as well as the story of the state capital and contemporary times.
The Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum, in partnership with other county heritage organizations, is marketing and distributing the books to promote interest in Thurston County history. The book is also available from the following organizations and retail outfits:
squaxinislandmuseum.org
Call: 360-456-5221
Thanks to all of you for your support
We would love you to shop local, but if you do happen to be shopping on line, please consider clicking on the Amazon Smile logo and designating us as the beneficiary of this program, where a percentage of your purchase will go to support our programs.
We also partner with Fred Meyer, and Ralph’s/Bayview Thriftway charitable donation programs. Click on any of the links provided here to be taken to their donation pages.
Thank you!
