Mark Foutch The boards of the Olympia Historical Society and the Bigelow House Preservation Association have been discussing a merger of our two organizations. Our boards, and others in the community, see advantages for both organizations in the proposed merger. We have a shared mission to preserve and promote local history. Many of our members…
Watch for more information in bulletins concerning docent volunteer opportunities, ticket sales, and other details. The annual tour of historic homes is by now a cherished tradition, kicking off the holiday season. It’s a fun way to support the preservation of one of Olympia’s oldest existing homes, the Bigelow House, as well as an opportunity…
David Goularte [this article originally appeared in the Fall 2013 Olympia Historical Society Quarterly bulletin and has been updated by the author in 2023 and 2024 with new information about the home] The [Egbert-Ingham] house first appeared in print in the forerunner of The Olympian on December 20, 1914 as having been completed that spring. Called…
Deb Ross On a weekly basis, Members Lanny Weaver and Deb Ross catalogue the State Capital Museum collection now housed at the Washington State Historical Society (WSHS) in Tacoma. This project is made possible through a collaboration between the Olympia Historical Society and WSHS, and Deb and Lanny are grateful for the time and cooperation…
Mark Foutch For the remainder of 2002, the Olympia Historical Society continued the process of “standing up” its permanent organization while performing its mission and responding to opportunities. Members elected a Board of Directors, who in turn adopted staggered Board terms and elected officers and adopted a budget for the following year. There were three…
Location: 600 Capitol Way N National Register, Wohleb, mid-Century modern Georgia Pacific building in 1950s, photo from DAHP Georgia Pacific building today photograph from DAHP The plywood industry was an essential part of Olympia’s economy in the early to mid-20th century. Plywood was not only decorative, but used in construction of airplanes during the war. The…
Location: 1017 Capitol Way S Local register, Women’s History Jessie Gibbons and daughter Catherine, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Gibbons House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross This large Foursquare style house, with an adjoining rear annex, was built in 1918 bv contractor E.B. Crews, for his daughter Jessie (sometimes spelled Jesse) Crews Gibbons.…
Location: 331 Rogers St NW Local register Gilbert House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Gilbert House now (2013), photo by Deb Ross This is another example of the modest but attractive homes that were built by J.R. Chaplin in order to induce immigrants to come to Olympia and participate in the development of his utopian college…
Location: 727 West Bay Drive NW State Register Giles House, 1939, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Giles House today (2010), photo by Deborah Ross The Charles Giles House was built in 1885 and is in the Italianate style unusual for existing Olympia homes. It is essentially a tall rectangular building with…
Location: 514 Quince St NE Local Register; Religious communities Glass House, 1970, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Glass House today (2014), photo by Deborah Ross The Glass House near the Olympia Avenue local historic district was erected around 1893, presumably to serve as a Methodist manse, with land donated by Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow. The…
Location: 1601-1603 Capitol Way S Wohleb; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Glidden Duplex, 1938, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Glidden Duplex today (2015), photograph by Deborah Ross Demonstrating once again the amazing breadth of his talents, Joseph Wohleb designed this classic Colonial style duplex in about 1938, the year the above left photo was taken, for Arno…
Location: 523 Central St SE Glidden House-523 Central, 1970, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Glidden House-523 Central today (2013), photograph by Deborah Ross The house at 523 Central Avenue SE is one of three homes in a row that were built by Arno Glidden around 1924 (the others are at 515 and 503 Central).…
Location: Southwest corner Adams and 5th Religious institutions, Women’s history; Diversity: Scandinavians Gloria Dei Lutheran, 1949, Courtesy of Gloria Dei Lutheran church Former site of Gloria Dei Lutheran today (2013), photo by Matt Kennelly Astute visitors to this website may recognize the building at above left as the original First Presbyterian Church building. This building was one of…
Location: 1515 Harrison Ave NW Religious institutions; mid-Century modern Gloria Dei Lutheran in 1961, before addition, courtesy Washington State Historical Society Gloria Dei Lutheran Church today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross The Gloria Dei Church building on Harrison Street in West Olympia is the second eccelesiastical building associated with this congregation. The congregation began as a small Mission church…
Location: 212 Rogers St NW Goddard House, 1966, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Goddard House today (2014), Photo by Deb Ross Built in 1905, the Goddard House is one of the older working class homes in this mixed neighborhood of West Olympia. The home is emblematic of the changes that are often wrought, as styles and needs…
Location: 403 Capitol Way S Downtown National Historic District, Diversity: Jewish Heritage, Mid-century McKenny Block around 1891, Drawing by Edward Lange from Olympia Tribune Souvenir Issue 1891, Washington State Library Goldberg’s Building today (2012) photo courtesy of Deb Ross The McKenny Block was built in 1890 pr 1891 by General T.I. McKenny, a prominent Olympia businessman. It…
Location: 909 Capitol Way SE Transportation; mid-Century modern Golden Gavel Motel, 1960s, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Golden Gavel Motel building today (2014), Photo by Deb Ross The Golden Gavel Motel building was constructed in 1958. At the time, Capitol Way was still part of the main west coast highway, US Route 99. Motels, hotels, restaurants, and other automotive businesses…
Location: 421 4th Ave E Wohleb; Transportation; Religious institutions United Presbyterian Church, undated, courtesy of Westminster Presbyterian Goodyear tire building (2013), photo by Deb Ross United Presbyterian Church, now Westminster Presbyterian Church, is another participant in the game of “musical pews” described in our listing for Gloria Dei. The church was organized in 1893 in a room of…
Location: 208 20th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Goss House 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Goss House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel An early example of the Craftsman style bungalow, the Goss House was built around 1915 for Orville and Mamie Goss. Mr. Goss was Thurston County Superintendent…
Location: 213 4th Ave E Downtown National Historic District, Wohleb, Transportation 4th Avenue looking east, mid 1940s, with Gottfeld’s halfway down on right, Private Postcard Collection Gottfeld’s Building today (2012) photograph by Matt Kennelly The Gottfeld Building was erected in 1908 by local businessmen Millard Lemon and Henry Mallory (see also Mallory House). In later…
Location: 621 Capitol Way S mid-Century modern, Religious institutions Governor House, about 1890 Photograph from Digital Archives Governor Hotel today – Pride Weekend (2012), Photo by Deborah Ross As the capital of Washington State, accommodations have played an important role in the life of Olympia. The photographic record shows the gradual growth and transformation of this…
Location: Capitol Campus Women’s History, Diversity: Chinese Governor’s Mansion 1955, photo from Digital Archives Governor’s Mansion today (2010), photo from Governor’s Mansion Foundation Text and page researched and written in 2012 by Christina Schaller, Olympia Historical Society/Olympia Heritage Commission intern The responsibilities of governing a state as large as Washington are numerous, but it does…
Location: 107 7th Ave SE Transportation; Diversity: Jewish heritage; National Downtown Historic District Parade for dead Spanish-American war soldiers, 1900, with Harris house in background, photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Greyhound station today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Isaac Harris house was built in 1880 at an important location on the…
Location: 1027 4th Ave E Grimm Brothers brickyard, ca. 1880, State Library Collection Le May Market building now (2013) photograph by Deb Ross Brickyards existed in and around Olympia from its earliest days. Early bricks were made by mining the extensive clay beds around Olympia’s shores, molding them, building wooden kilns to hold them…
Location: 1120 5th Ave SW Grugan House in 1938, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Grugan House today (2010), photo by Deb Ross This well proportioned and well preserved home on the West Side was built in 1889, a very early date for West Olympia homes. It is in the pleasing and…
Location: 1114-1116 8th Ave SE Popular culture Gruhlke House in 1991, poster for Olympia punk rock compilation album, courtesy City of Olympia Gruhlke House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This well maintained Queen Anne home was built around 1903 by Rolph Gruhlke, a German-born carpenter. Along with characteristic shingling, columns, and cornices, it has an…
Location: 902 Olympia Ave NE Local register, Olympia Avenue Local Historic District Guyot House 1965, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Guyot House today(2014), photo by Deb Ross The Guyot House was built in 1927 by John Norris, but his relatives the Guyots moved here soon after. It is an attractive Craftsman style bungalow and is…
Location: 502 4th Ave E Local register; Women’s history; Religious institutions Hale Block, 1914, photo courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Hale Block today (2012) photograph by Matt Kennelly Pamela (or Pamelia) Case Hale – teacher, superintendant, Unitarian preacher, suffragist, and businesswoman par excellence – built the Hale Block in 1891, during a time of great…
Location: 902 Tullis St NE National, State, and Local registers, Women’s History Hale House 1939, Thurston County Assessor Photo, Washington State Archives Hale House today (2010), photo by Deb Ross The Hale House on Tullis Street is a good example of a Queen Anne cottage. Diminutive in size, its exterior is full of embellishments…
Location: 3008 Lorne St SE Local register Hamley House, 1941, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hamley House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Hamley House was built in 1940 for Frederick Hamley, a lawyer, public official, and judge. While most of his professional career was in Seattle and later on in San Francisco as…
Location: 1417-1419 Columbia St SW Women’s History Louise Hanson Duplex (White House Press Building), 1969, Thurston County assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Louise Hanson Duplex today (2015), photo by Deb Ross Louise Hanson, wife of Olympia Oyster Company co-founder Ole Hanson (see O.C. Hanson House) commissioned Elizabeth Ayer to design this rental duplex in 1936. Ayer was the…
Location: 1607 Columbia St SW Local register; South Capitol Neighborhood National Historic District; Wohleb; Diversity: Scandinavians Ole C Hanson House, 1937, Thurston County assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Ole C Hanson House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Ole C Hanson House, built in 1914, was an early commission for Joseph Wohleb. In these early years…
Location: 728 4th Ave E Transportation Harbst Service Station building, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Harbst Service Station today (2015), photo by Deb Ross In 1916, at the dawn of the automotive age, this part of Fourth Avenue, down to Capitol Way through Olympia was designated part of the Pacific Highway, the main thoroughfare connecting…
Location: 407 Columbia St SW Downtown National Historic District; Wohleb; Diversity: African Americans; Transportation Olympia Fire Co. No. 2, 1891, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Harbst Tire Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross It is difficult to imagine that at one time, fire fighting organizations were not only organized exclusively by private organizations,…
Location: 1532 Columbia St SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood; Diversity: Scandinavians Harmon House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Harmon House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel The Harmon House is one of several homes that were ordered by catalogue from the Tumwater Lumber Mills Ready Cut Homes. The company was…
Location: 1603 Columbia St SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Harmony House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Harmony House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel Kitty-corner from the similarly named Harmon House, the Harmony House is an early example of the modest bungalows that are typical of the South Capitol Neighborhood.…
Location: 518 Capitol Way Southeast Local Register, Downtown Olympia National Historical District, Diversity: Jewish Heritage; Transportation Harris Dry Goods Building interior, 1943, Vibert Jeffers photograph, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives As it appears today Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross The block between Fifth Avenue and Legion Way on Capitol Way has always been one…
Location: 121 24th Ave SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Hart-Dawley House 1940, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hart-Dawley House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This elegant masonry English revival home was constructed in 1923 by contractor Leo Dawley, who built several other important buildings in Olympia along with his brother…
Location: 416 Carlyon Ave SE Wohleb Hartung House 1941, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hartung House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross Dr. Frank Hartung commissioned Joseph Wohleb in 1939 to substantially renovate and expand a 1 1/2 story home that was originally at this location in the Carlyon neighborhood of Southeast Olympia. It is in…
Location: 503 Puget St NE Women’s History, Popular Culture Henderson House, 1950, photo from Thurston County Assessor, State Archives Henderson House now (2010), photo by Deborah Ross This house, known locally as the Harriet Henderson House, was built in about 1889, and was the residence of Florence Humphrey and her widowed mother. Miss…
Location: 221 5th Ave SW mid-Century modern; Religious institutions Site of organization of First Presbyterian Church, photograph by Asahel Curtis, date unknown, United Churches of Olympia Heritage Bank today (2012), photo by Matt Kennelly The first church in Olympia was organized in 1854 at this location, a cooper’s shop owned by Isaac or…
Location: 315 4th Ave W Diversity: Immigrants Little Hollywood, 1950, after its partial demolition, Olympia Fire Department Collection, Digital Archives Heritage Fountain now (2010), photo from City of Olympia Before the construction of Capitol Lake in 1951, the wide Deschutes Estuary extended to the north, up to the Fourth Avenue bridge. Float houses were built…
Location: 522 Capitol Way S Local register; Downtown National Historic District; Women’s History Main Street with Carroll House, 1876 (detail), courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Hibberd & Cole Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross In the early years of Olympia’s settlement, residences and commercial buildings freely mingled downtown. Shown at above left is a…
Location: 1200 Terrace Lane SW Local Register No vintage photograph for this home has been located. If you have one to share, please contact us Highmiller House today (2014), photograph by Deb Ross Dr. Highmiller, a general practioner in Olympia, designed this house in around 1940. It was built by Copeland Lumber. The home is a…
Location: 2604 Capitol Way S Local register, South Capitol National Historic District Hinkle House 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hinkle House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross This relatively modest Craftsman/Foursquare style house at the far southern end of the South Capitol neighborhood was the long-time home of Secretary of State J. Grant…
Location: 503 Foote St SW Local register Holbrook House 1966, Thurston County Assessor Photo, Washington State Archives Holbrook House today (2016), photo by Ron Barnhart Built in 1892, this spacious Queen Anne home was among the earlier homes to be built in West Olympia, and sat above the Percival Mansion to the south…
Location: 314 Legion Way SE Hollocraft House 1964, Thurston County Assessor Photo, Washington State Archives Hollocraft House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Foursquare-style Hollocraft home was built in 1907 by Thomas Hollocraft, who worked in the State Printing Office. It is one of the few remaining residential structures in the downtown core. The family…
Location: 1404 28th Ave SE local register, Wohleb, mid-Century modern Hosking House, 1940, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Hosking House today (2013), Photo by Deb Ross Frederick Schmidt and his brother Franck, who were part of the Olympia Brewing Company family, platted Stratford Place during World War II. They built several homes in the…
Location: 116 Legion Way SE Downtown National Historical District, Women’s History Hotel Olympian by Jeffers, 1954. Susan Parish Photograph Collections, Washington State Archives Hotel Olympian today (2012), Photo courtesy of Matthew Kennelly When the state acquired the Old State Capitol Building and moved the seat of government to downtown Olympia, it was apparent that downtown accommodations…
Location: East Bay Drive, across from Meyer-Riddle House Diversity: African-Americans Detail from Whitham and Page map, 1890, Washington State Archives View of Howard Point from East Bay Drive (2021), photo by Deb Ross As noted in our Pacific House page, Rebecca Howard was a successful restaurateur in the Port of Olympia. She and…
Location: 413 Quince St NE Local register Howell House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Howell House today (2013), photo by Matt Kennelly The Howell House on Quince Street is an example of one of the many unadorned, yet sturdily built homes that served working residents of Olympia in the late 19th century. It was probably…
Location: 119 17th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Hubbard House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hubbard House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross This well-maintained early Craftsman style bungalow was built about 1910 for C.F. Hubbard, who was State Labor Commissioner. The home is on the local register and…
Location: 1923 Division St NW Local register Huesing House, 1936, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Huesing House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross In 1892 Samuel Woodruff, member of an early Thurston County family, came up with an innovative sales idea. Woodruff had already platted the Woodruff subdivision just north of Division Street on the…
Mark Foutch A lot has been happening this Spring, and it feels like we’re really getting traction toward a number of the Society’s goals. A few examples: Our absolutely outstanding website, which only a few months ago began to show signs of collapse due to its aging online platform, actually disappeared for a couple of…
President’s Column – Summer 2013 Mark Foutch Temple Beth Hatfiloh is 75! Anne Kilgannon and Beth Dubey Have an Historic Summer Stay-Cation Anne Kilgannon Origins of Olympia Historical Society, Chapter 3 Mark Foutch Lanny’s and Deb’s Excellent Adventures Deb Ross We Like to Hear from You! Anne Kilgannon
Anne Kilgannon We’d been talking about doing a field trip for years, so last year on my birthday my friend picked me up on a beautiful sunny day and we headed out, not to the beach, but to Centralia with several stops before and after planned for a local history extravaganza. She had it all…
Anne Kilgannon, with thanks to Beth Dubey for background information. Louis Bettman arrived in Olympia and set up a general merchandise store in 1853. Within a year, two other establishments with Jewish proprietors opened for business in the muddy little village that would become the city of Olympia: Goldman and Rosenblatt’s People’s Emporium and M. Louisson’s…
Anne Kilgannon As President Mark Foutch reports above, the Olympia Historical Society is actively pursuing its mission and goals, and invites our members and readers of this newsletter to join in exploring, preserving and sharing the stories and artifacts of our history. If you have delved into the history of your historic home or pioneer…
Mark Foutch The first two chapters of this history described the Society’s early organizing efforts beginning in 2001, leading to formalizing the organization and its incorporation in February 2002. At the Society’s next two meetings the group began to change its focus as it scheduled public activities and offered historical information resources online, while…
On a weekly basis, Members Lanny Weaver and Deb Ross catalogue the State Capital Museum collection now housed at the Washington State Historical Society (WSHS) in Tacoma. This project is made possible through a collaboration between the Olympia Historical Society and WSHS, and Deb and Lanny are grateful for the time and cooperation of the…
Location: 1204 4th Ave E Hurley House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hurley House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This handsome Foursquare style home was built in 1911 by Mary Hurley, a widow who moved to Olympia from Mason County after her husband died. According to the inventory sheet, it was used as a…
Location: 1309 Bigelow Ave NE Local register Hursey House, 1936, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hursey House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel The Hursey House is a small but attractive bungalow in the Bigelow Highlands neighborhood. It was built in 1926 by E.W. Hursey, a local plumber who lived nearby and built other…
Location: 302 Sid Snyder Ave SW Washington State Capitol National Historic District Insurance Building, 1920s, State Library Photograph Collection, Digital Archives Insurance Building today (2012) photograph by Matt Kennelly The Insurance Building was the second to be constructed on Capitol Campus following the original Wilder and White plan, after the Temple of Justice. It was…
Location: 2732 Capitol Boulevard S Local register Israel House, 1936, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Israel House today (2013), photo by Matt Kennelly The George Israel House on Capitol Way is one of the largest and finest houses in Olympia. Built in about 1904, it is a well-proportioned Foursquare structure with pairs of columns and a…
Location: 208 West Bay Dr NW Transportation Iverson House at far right, 1903, detail from Edward Lange drawing, Olympia, the Capital on Puget Sound, Washington, Library of Congress collection Iverson House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Iverson House offers a striking example of the importance of both water and rail transportation before the advent of the automobile…
Location: 1314-1316 Conger St NW mid-Century modern Jacob duplex, about 1959, Thurston County Assessor Jacob duplex today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross When it was erected in 1959, this represented an unusual design for a duplex. As can be seen in a 2002 photograph in the original DAHP inventory, the living quarters were cantilevered over the carports underneath,…
Location: 1675 Marine Drive NE mid-Century modern Jacaranda Restaurant about 1983, City of Olympia Planning Department, Washington State Archives Anthony’s Hearthfire today (2020), courtesy Anthony’s For the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Douglas Fir Plywood Association created a model home called the Century 21 Plywood Home of Living Light. After the fair was…
Location: 1303 4th Ave E James House, 1937, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives James House today (2010), photo by Deborah Ross The Edwin James House was built about 1890 and is a handsome Pioneer style home that, despite having several owners over the years, has retained many of the attractive yet…
Location: 500 Washington St SE Local, State and National Registers, Downtown National Historic District, Wohleb Jeffers Building around 1914, photograph by Joe Jeffers, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Jeffers Building today (2012), photo by Matt Kennelly The Jeffers Building, erected in 1913 on the corner of Washington and Fifth Avenue, is one of the first,…
Location: 218 19th St SW South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Hugh Jeffers House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Hugh Jeffers House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross The Hugh Jeffers House is one of many in this neighborhood using the Tumwater Lumber Mills precut designs. It is in one of their pleasingly symmetrical Dutch Colonial styles, built in…
Location: 2109 East Bay Drive NE Local register?, Wohleb Joseph Jeffers House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Joseph Jeffers House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross Joseph Jeffers arrived in Olympia as an infant and took an interest in photography from a very early age. He established his own studio in 1904, and hired preeminent architect Joseph Wohleb to…
Location: 114-118 Jefferson St NE National Register, State Register, Local Register, Women’s History Jefferson Apartments, 1964, Thurston County Assessor’s photograph from Southwest Regional Archives Jefferson Apartments today (2011), photo by Deborah Ross The Jefferson Apartments Building (also called the Allen Hotel) was built by Pamela Case Hale, Olympia businesswoman and educator, who developed several blocks…
Location: 205 Maple Park Ave South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Jewett House, 1947, Thurston County Assessor’s photograph from Southwest Regional Archives Jewett House today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross In the early part of the 20th Century, Maple Park was one of the more socially desirable locations in Olympia. Gracious and large homes flanked the park, which was planted…
Location: 700 4th Ave E Johnson Building 1965, Thurston County Assessor’s photograph from Southwest Regional Archives Johnson Building today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross The Johnson Building was erected some time between 1920 and 1923 and operated as a commercial structure with apartments at the upper story. It is inventoried, but not on the local register, although it…
Location: 915 Legion Way SE Local register Jones House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Jones House now (2013), photo by Deb Ross This well-preserved Pioneer style home was likely built before 1890, the home of Mark Jones, who was an early Thurston County settler, and a gardener. The Sanborn insurance maps for 1908 show greenhouses on…
Location: 909 Glass Ave NE Local Register Kaler House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor’s photograph from Southwest Regional Archives Kaler House today (2011), photo by Deborah Ross The Kaler House is listed as being built about 1905 for grocer Cyrus Kaler, although historian Adah Dye believed it to be somewhat older. It is an example of…
Location: 220 Union Ave SE Local register, Women’s History, Religious Institutions YWCA (Kearney House) 1961, courtesy Washington State Historical Society Kearney House now, photo by YWCA of Olympia This fine Foursquare style home is one of several that graced Union Avenue in the early 20th century. Built in 1907, it was owned by the Kearney…
Location: 501 4th Ave E Local register Kelley Building, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Kelley Building today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Kelley building was erected in 1923 and remains one of the largest commercial buildings in downtown Olympia. John Kelley established his furniture store in here 1904 on the then-Swantown…
Location: 430 Percival St NW Local register Kelly House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Kelly House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Kelly House is one of several homes on Percival and nearby streets in the northwest neighborhood that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the Andersen brothers…
by Edward Echtle The Olympia area presents numerous opportunities to learn about the people and places of our past. In rural areas, many historic places survive relatively unchanged from the earliest days of settlement. Museums, historic houses and cabins, archaeological sites and interpretive markers present the curious traveler a varied menu of sights representing the…
Location: 2155 East Bay Drive NE mid-Century modern Earl and Adele Kent complex, 1946, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Earl and Adele Kent complex today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross The Earl and Adele Kent complex, built around 1945, consists of two houses and extensive landscaping on the east side of Budd Inlet. Originally there was a one-story…
Location: 2009 Columbia St SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Kevin House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Kevin House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel The Mission style Kevin House was built in 1928, the same year as the nearby Kevin-Cammarano house. Like that house, it was built by Copeland Lumber…
Location: 203 20th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Kevin/Cammarano House (1938), Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Kevin/Cammarano House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel This substantial Spanish colonial-style house was built in 1928 by Copeland Lumber Company for the Kevin family. Edward Kevin was a superintendent for the Port Townsend…
Location: 1700 Marine Drive NE mid-Century modern; Wohleb; National Register (accepted Oct 2024) KGY Building, 1960s, KGY Archives KGY Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The KGY Building is one of the city’s most distinctive mid-Century modern buildings. The radio station is one of the oldest in the United States, licensed in 1916. It was originally run…
Location: 512 4th Ave E Kincy Hardware building after the 1949 earthquake, William P. Conser photograph, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Kincy Hardware building today (2013), photo by Matt Kennelly The Kincy Hardware building was erected in 1919 and operated as a hardware store by Oscar Kincy starting in 1922. It has changed very little in…
Location: 101 Olympic Way SW Local register Klaumbush House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Klaumbush House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross This well-maintained early Craftsman style home was built about 1911 for William and Avis Klaumbush. Klaumbush owned a barbershop in the city. The home is a prominent landmark upland from the…
Location: 166 Washington St NE Knox Hotel and Apartments, 1914, photo by Robert Esterly, courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Location today (2012), photo by Deb Ross Another example of a downtown building razed to create a parking lot, this is the location of the former Knox Hotel and Apartments. An earlier building was erected…
Location: 407 Olympic Way SW Women’s History Kornmesser House 1966, Southwest Regional Archives, Thurston County Assessor Kornmesser House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Kornmesser Home sits on the corner of Olympic Way and Fourth Avenue just west of the Fourth Avenue bridge and is a prominent landmark. It was built in 1940 to…
Location: 1102 Legion Way SE Kuhns House 1970, Southwest Regional Archives, Thurston County Assessor Kuhns House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross This distinctive house at the corner of Eastside Street and Legion Way was erected in 1931 by Guy Kuhns, who was a local contractor. It is an attractive one story bungalow with unusually long…
Location: 1910 Water St SW Local register, South Capitol National District No vintage scanned image is available. If you have one, or would like to sponsor the scanning of the image linked below, please contact us. Laberee House today (2012), photograph by Deb Ross The Laberee House was built about 1923 by Rose…
Location: 2711 Adams St SE Women’s History; Wohleb; Local Register Lackey Duplex, 1947, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lackey Duplex today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross In the early 1940s, Lillian Lackey, widow of Major John O. Lackey, platted the small Lackey Plat between Capitol Boulevard, 27th Avenue, and Adams Street. She built this duplex in 1945…
Location: 1205 West Bay Drive NW State Register Lane House, 1939, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Lane House today (2010), photo by Deborah Ross The George B. Lane House was built in 1891 and is termed a Gothic Revival style due to its steeply pitched roof and decorations, though it has…
Location: 424 Rogers St NW local register, Rogers Street Historic District Lassen House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lassen House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Lassen House is one of five homes on Rogers Street Northwest that were built about the same time by Tumwater Lumber Mills (TLM). TLM was founded by the…
Location: 1010 Rogers St SW Local Register La Villa-Meeker House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives La Villa-Meeker House today (2014), photograph by Deb Ross Erected between 1930 and 1935, La Villa-Meeker House is one of the most unusual and elaborate homes in Olympia. It is on the local register. Its designer and owner, Ernest Meeker…
Location: 403 Maple Park Ave SE South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Lea House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lea House today (2014), photograph by Deb Ross In the early part of the 20th Century, Maple Park was one of the more socially desirable locations in Olympia. Gracious and large homes flanked the park, which was planted…
Location: 118 19th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Elizabeth and Ralph Lee House, ca. 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Elizabeth and Ralph Lee House today (2018), photo by City of Olympia This Dutch Colonial style home was built some time between 1909 and 1924 in the South Capitol Neighborhood. It…
Location: Legion Way between Plum and Central Local registered site Tree in front of Washington School, probably 1930s, detail from Merle Junk photograph, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives Legion Way trees today (2013), photograph by Deborah Ross The sweet gum and oak trees lining Legion Way between Plum and Central streets were planted in 1928,…
Location: 1021 8th Ave SE City of Olympia landmark tree The Leitgeb children in front of the tree, 1955, courtesy of the Leitgeb family Leitgeb tree 2008, photograph copyright Robert Whitlock used by permission The weeping cherry tree (prunus suphirtella) at the…
Location: 434 Percival St NW Local register Le May House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Le May House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Le May House, built in 1932, is one of several Tudor style homes built in this neighborhood by Tumwater Lumber Mills. TLM provided kit-built homes to owners throughout the…
Location: 603 Governor Stevens Ave SE Le May/Hedges House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Le May/Hedges House today (2015), photo by Shanna Stevenson Ernest and Mildred Le May built this Minimal Traditional style house in 1937 and sold it in 1939 to Thomas and Annie Hedges, who owned the home for many years. Thomas…
Location: 822 Governor Stevens Ave SE Le May/Leonardson House, 1940, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Le May/Hedges House today (2015), photo by Shanna Stevenson The Le May/Leonardson House, built in 1940, is the third in a series of homes built by Ernest and Mildred Le May (see Le May House in West Olympia and Le May/Hedges…
Location: 1023 Capitol Way S Le May Meat Market, around 1940, Southwest Regional Archives Daughters of the Pioneers collection Le May Meat Market building today, photograph by Deborah Ross (2015) In the days before the advent of supermarkets, small groceries were much more prevalent and scattered throughout the city. The Le May Meat Market building currently at…
Location: 217 Columbia St NW Transportation; Diversity: Native American history P.J. O’Brien Blacksmith Shop around 1900, photograph courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Canoe Journey Mural on side of Les Schwab building (2012), Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross Even before the 1911 Carlyon Fill project, the Port area north of State Avenue started evolving into…
Location: 2405 Old Oregon Trail SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood H.L. Lewis House, 1938, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives H.L. Lewis House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross One of the earlier examples of a Craftsman style bungalow, the H.L. Lewis house was built in 1911 at the far southern end…
Location: 212 4th Ave E Downtown National Historic District Fourth Avenue looking west, Yeager Home on right, about 1874, left side of a stereograph, courtesy Washington State Historical Society Liberty Cafe Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross In the early years of Olympia’s settlement, residences and commercial buildings freely mingled downtown. Shown at above…
Location: 918 San Francisco St NE Local register Lilly House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Lilly House today (2013) photo by Deb Ross At the crest of San Francisco Street, in east Olympia, the Lilly House would have had a nice view of the foot of Budd Bay when it was built, some time…
Location: 213 21st Ave SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic District; Wohleb; Women’s History; Schools Lincoln School, 1925-1935, State Archives, Susan Parish Collection Lincoln School today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel The Lincoln School building was constructed in 1923 with the Mission style characteristic of prominent Olympia architect…
Location: 2621 Capitol Way S Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood; Women’s History Lo Ma Villa 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lo Ma Villa today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Lo Ma Villa, built in 1921, was undoubtedly named after the first letters of its owners, Louis and Marie Muench. The design…
Location: 211 21st Ave SW National, State and Local registers; South Capitol National Historic District; Wohleb; Women’s History Lord Mansion 1938, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Lord Mansion today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel Clarence Lord was one of the most important figures in Olympia’s, and indeed the state’s, financial history. Founder of the…
Location: 1627 Dickinson St NW Lowry House, 1937, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Lowry House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Lowry House was constructed in about 1890. At the time, it was located in a remote area of West Olympia, before its rapid expansion in the early 1890s resulting from the establishment of the Woodruff and…
Location: 420 Carlyon St SE Local register Lucas House, 1953, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Lucas House today (2018), photo by City of Olympia This home in the Carlyon neighborhood is a well-preserved example of a Tudor Revival cottage, common to the area. The home was built in 1926; it is well maintained and on the…
President’s Message Spring 2013 Mark Foutch Olympia in Minor League Baseball Emmett O’Connell Origins of the Olympia Historical Society, Chapter 2 Mark Foutch Deb and Lanny’s Excellent Adventure Deborah Ross Personal Reflections of a Former Newsletter Editor Mark Derricott
By Mark Derricott, former editor of the OHS Newsletter I recently re-read a couple of my favorite books: The Histories by Herodotus and Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov.Aside from realizing that I was much too young when I read them last time, I happened to read those books as my personal life underwent some relatively dramatic turn of events.…
On a weekly basis, Members Lanny Weaver and Deb Ross catalogue the State Capital Museum collection now housed at the Washington State Historical Society (WSHS) in Tacoma. This project is made possible through a collaboration between the Olympia Historical Society and WSHS, and Deb and Lanny are grateful for the time and cooperation of the…
By Mark Foutch, President Incorporation, Bylaws and Progress (If the exploratory and organizational meetings of 2001 could be considered “conception” and “birth,” then early in 2002 the Olympia Historical Society was “confirmed” and took its first steps. And suddenly the “toddler” had lots of great ideas. The challenge would be to choose among them and…
By Emmett O’Connell In 1903 John P. Fink, a newspaper man and promoter, had an idea for a baseball league. Fink seemed to be a jack-of-all-trades sort of promoter in the era, is mostly mentioned in that gray area between public relations and newspapering. He wrote about sports, worked for newspapers, but also ran teams…
By Mark Foutch, President It was ‘Standing Room Only” thanks especially to John Dodge’s great write-up in The Olympian, as we started off the year January 26 with a great program at the Coach House. Gerry Alexander, Jim Brown and Bill Jacobs captivated the crowd with an informative and entertaining panel titled, “On The Homefront: …
Location: 222 19th Ave SW Local Register, South Capitol National Historic District Talcott House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Talcott House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross This handsome house was built some time between 1907 and 1915 by R.H. Luepke, who worked at the Olympia Brewing Company, but was later owned by…
Location: 1056 Boundary St SE Local register Lybarger House, 1973, courtesy of Mark Foutch Lybarger House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The Lybarger House was built about 1887 on the east side of Olympia, on the other side of the Swantown Bridge from downtown. John G. Lybarger was a lumberman, but also, for…
Location: 320 17th Ave SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Mallery House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Mallery House today (2013) photo by Deb Ross Naming a house has no set protocol. Sometimes it is named after the first occupant, sometimes the longest, and sometimes the most prominent. The latter reason appears…
The Where are We? feature of the Olympia Historical Society website allows you to find out more about important historical buildings and locations in Olympia. Click on any of the orange buttons on the map to view a popup naming the location. Clicking on “more info” at the bottom of the popup will take you…
Location: 1418 Oak Ave NE Local Register Mallory House in 1939, photo from Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Mallory House today (2010), photo by Deb Ross This pleasing 1895 Queen Anne-style cottage was built by Henry Mallory, who began his career as a a machinist at the Springer and White mill and rose to become…
Location: 1121 5th Ave SE Local register; Women’s History Manier House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Manier House today (2013) photo by Deb Ross This imposing Foursquare style home is unusual for its size in its Eastside neighborhood. It was built in about 1909 and was sold in 1915 to William Wesley Manier and…
Location: 301 5th Ave E Popular culture Mann’s Seeds Building, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Mann’s Seeds Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The utilitarian structure at the corner of Franklin and Fifth was built in 1945 and housed Mann’s Seeds. According to historian Bernice Sapp, this was the location of the home…
Location: 3132 Lorne St SE local register Manschreck House, 1936, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Manschreck House today (2013), Photo by Deb Ross The Manschreck home was built in 1920 by Charles Manschreck, who platted part of the Carlyon neighborhood and built several of the homes. It is an attractive bungalow, built on a…
Location: Deschutes Parkway Women’s History The first women’s marathon trials, 1984, courtesy The Olympian Marathon Park today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Marathon Park, first created in 1970 out of fill that extended the park into Capitol Lake, was renamed to commemorate an historic event. In 1981, the International Olympia Committee finally decided to introduce a women’s…
Location: 113-119 5th Ave SE Downtown National Historical District, Wohleb design; Women’s History Doane’s Oyster House around 1880, photograph from Digital Archives Martin Building today (2012), Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross The corner of 5th and Washington was, in Olympia’s earliest years, the homes of builder Benjamin Harned and territorial librarian Jeremiah Mabie, and later the…
Location: 115 State Ave NE Downtown National Historic District; Wohleb James Martin Warehouse, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives James Martin Warehouse today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The James Martin Warehouse was erected in 1922 with a design by Joseph Wohleb. The Martin family have owned and operated businesses in Olympia since the 1880s, and…
Photographs The Society’s website maintains a small collection of photographs in our image bibliography. Many more photographs and links to photographs are available for viewing in our Where Are We?, Looking Back, and Who Are We? features. The following is a list of the additional photograph collections on our website. Downtown Olympia Historical Postcard Display…
You may print out, fill in and mail this membership form, along with your check, to the address below, or, if you prefer, send an e-mail to the Treasurer listed in the Contact us page with this information…
Charlene’s birth tribe was her mother’s tribe the Colville Confederated Tribes until she relinquished to join her father’s tribe in 1975 after the Boldt Decision. It is from her mother’s ancestry she has cultural connections to the Confederated Tribes Coliville, Yakima and Nez Perce’. Charlene is an enrolled tribal member of the Squaxin Island Tribe-Medicine…
Do you want to become more involved in Olympia’s history and heritage? There are many ways to do so, and we can help. Here are a few: Join the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum and help support our website and programs Donate to the ongoing work of the Society and Museum, by clicking…
The following is a list of materials relating to Olympia area history that are available either on our website or elsewhere. Bibliography – listing of books, transcripts, and articles – many on-line Visual Resources – photographs, films, and videos Geographic Resources – maps, walking tours, and interactive maps. Includes Sanborn Map overlays that virtually lays…
Welcome to “Where Are We?”, a new feature of the Olympia Historical Society website that gives you information about buildings and sites in Olympia. Click here for more information about this feature, or start right in with the interactive map. Locations of Historic Interest 1008 Prospect Ave. NE 219 Percival 2418 Otis 421 Quince 7th…
Articles Bibliography Chinese Olympia Image Bibliography Links to other helpful sites Transcriptions Where Are We? Articles Blankenship: Meet the Yantises and Blankenships Bret: Living with the Pioneers Derricott, Applied Historiography: Olympia’s Capital Lake Derricott: Bush Prairie Farm, Then and Now Derricott: Judge Lee Creighton Derricott: Personal Reflections of a Former Newsletter Editor Echtle, (Re)Discover Bigelow…
Click here to download the membership form Mail Checks payable to “Olympia Historical Society” to: Olympia Historical Society PO Box 6064 Olympia, WA 98507-6064. Please include your name and contact information, including phone number and email address. Dues also accepted at scheduled meetings. Annual membership dues categories, as defined in our bylaws, are: $10.00 Student/Senior…
Thanks go to Ralph Blankenship for securing Gloria Dei Church for the general membership meeting, a pot luck dinner, held November 21. The gathering provided a great opportunity for several of us to discuss our recent research activities; the talks included historical tidbits on the Oregon Trail, Lacey, Alaska and of course, Olympia. Congratulations to…
Click here to download the membership form Mail Checks payable to “Olympia Historical Society” to: Olympia Historical Society PO Box 6064 Olympia, WA 98507-6064. Please include your name and contact information, including phone number and email address. Dues also accepted at scheduled meetings. Annual membership dues categories, as defined in our bylaws, are: $10.00 Student/Senior…
Greetings from the President, Many thanks to member Roger Easton for organizing yet another successful event honoring Olympia’s sesquicentennial year, this time at Priest Point Park on Saturday, August 22nd. Even the weather cooperated! The crowd enjoyed listening to the old time music played by fiddler Vivian Williams and guitarist Phil Williams. Their descriptive anecdotes…
Click here to download the membership form Mail Checks payable to “Olympia Historical Society” to: Olympia Historical Society PO Box 6064 Olympia, WA 98507-6064. Please include your name and contact information, including phone number and email address. Dues also accepted at scheduled meetings. Annual membership dues categories, as defined in our bylaws, are: $10.00 Student/Senior…
Background: For many decades Olympia was content to depend on the State Capital Museum for its local history venue and a place to store many of its important historical assets. In the early ‘90s it appeared that the Art Deco Thurston County Courthouse on Capitol Way would be torn down and a State History Museum…
Tim Ransom, Vice President Interested in the history of where you live? Want to know more about the people who lived there first, the Native Americans, the pioneers and other early settlers? Want to know what it all looked like twenty, fifty, a hundred years ago? Want to help uncover interesting stories about the “good…
Anne Kilgannon, Secretary In a new history column featured in the online news source ThurstonTalk.com, blogger Emmett O’Connell writes about a little known historic site in downtown Olympia. Now the location of the Olympia community center, in the 1850s Territorial Governor Isaac Stevens had his first office built there near the waterfront and first businesses…
President’s Message Fall 2012 Mark Foutch Olympia Historical Society at Canoe Journey Anne Kilgannon Origins of the Olympia Historical Society Mark Foutch New History Blogs That Inform and Inspire Anne Kilgannon The Olympia Historical Society Needs You! Tim Ransom
Mark Foutch, President As you all know, one of our Olympia Historical Society’s most dedicated members, Roger Easton, died July 2 after a short illness. This was completely unexpected and sent a shock throughout the entire South Sound historic preservation community. Roger was a retired junior high school teacher, but “retired” certainly did not describe…
Hello friends. As we are on "summer schedule," this will be your only bulletin for July, but it’s an important one! First, please join historical societies and commissions throughout Thurston County for a* tribute to Roger Easton*, to be held at the Jacob Smith House in Lacey, 4500 Intelco Loop, on Wednesday, July 18, 6-8…
Mark Foutch, President You might (or might not) have noticed that our first OHS newsletter of the year is later than usual. We’ve faced some organizational challenges but now we’re back on track, and rolling.At the annual business meeting in January our members elected Tim Ransom and Brian Tomlinson to the Board, but we were…
Our website has extensive materials and links on Olympia history, but sometimes it’s hard to know where to get started or how to find answers to specific questions. We suggest you begin by entering a search term in the Search button above our Menu bar. If this doesn’t answer your question, we welcome and will…
Related Sites Chinese and Asian American History Becoming American: The Chinese Experience The Chinese American Experience, 1857-1892 Historical Societies, Museums, and Exhibits: Wing Luke Museum, Seattle, WA The Mai Wah Society, Butte MT The Chinese Historical Society of America The Promise of Gold Mountain: Tucson’s Chinese Heritage Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation Chinese Historical and…
The dedication of the Olympia Chinatown Historical Marker took place May 22, 2004 at Heritage Park. Interpretive Marker located in Heritage Park, near the site of Olympia’s last Chinatown The Olympia Area Chinese Fellowship Youth Orchestra provided traditional music for the ceremony. Bill and Toy Kay, Brian Lock, Jimmy Locke, Mary Pang, and City Councilman…
At Forest Memorial Gardens, 2501 Pacific Ave., Olympia Marker for Locke Mai Tuck Edward Echtle photo As late as the 1930s members of Olympia’s Chinese community still gathered at Forest Cemetery for the traditional springtime Ching Ming memorial ceremony. After tidying the site, they laid out offerings of food, burned incense and set off fireworks to…
Due to immigration restrictions it was prohibitively expensive and legally difficult for most Chinese men to bring a wife and family members to America. Nevertheless, a small but significant number of Chinese American families established homes in Olympia from very early on. Census records show several families that came and went over the early decades of…
By the 1870s some of Olympia’s Chinese residents earned their keep as market gardeners. In fact, they were so efficient they effectively cornered the local produce market for some years. Two or more crops annually were common, and some even harvested wild blackberries which were offered for sale along with garden produce: We are asserting…
Restaurants were a pioneer business for Chinese immigrants. Many early Chinese found employment as cooks for affluent families, at lumber camps and in hotels and rooming houses and learned this trade “on the job.” Since opening a restaurant required a relatively small capital investment, it was a more accessible first enterprise. While it is…
A number of Chinese owned laundries existed in Olympia over the years. As laundries required little start up capital, they were often the first business a recent Chinese immigrant could start. Since profit margins were small, laundry operators had to cut expenses wherever possible. For example, the continual need for wood to heat water prompted…
The International Chinese Business Directory of the World for the Year 1913 Over the years Olympia’s main Chinese quarters were located in three places. Available records show the earliest Chinatown was located ½ block west of Capital Way on Fourth Avenue, although some Chinese-owned businesses located near the intersection of State and Washington Streets. The…
Chinese railroad section hands at the Tenino Northern Pacific Railroad depot, early 1880s WSHS Image In the early 1870s construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in western Washington brought a large influx of new Chinese laborers to Olympia, adding to the existing population. Excitement ran high locally over the approach of the rails and residents expected…
by Edward Echtle This series of articles about the Chinese in Olympia was prepared by Edward Echtle, Olympia historian, for the Olympia Historical Society website. The Society is grateful to Edward for his willingness to share his years of research into this important aspect of Olympia’s history. Origins and Early Arrivals Railroads and…
During the latter half of the 19th century, the Puget Sound region received an influx of settlers from around the world. Among them were immigrants from southeast China. Many came to earn money to send to their struggling families, while others arrived planning to stay and make a new start. These men and women provided a…
AMENDED: DECEMBER 31, 2013, January 12, 2015, January 11, 2016, January 16, 2017, and January 20, 2018 Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum Article I. Purpose Consistent with Article III of the Restated Articles of Incorporation, the purpose of the corporation is to preserve, protect, and promote the history and heritage…
Written by Janet Partlow, a descendant of the Streets and Partlow families Ralph Raymond Streets was born in Brockville, Ontario (on the St. Lawrence seaway) in 1870. His father John Streets had emigrated to Canada in 1865 from Lincolnshire, England. John was a shoemaker, and taught the trade to his son, but Ralph had bigger…
President’s Message Mark Foutch Olympia’s African American Pioneers Ralph Munro Meet a Family:The Streets and Partlows Nancy Partlow Lanny’s and Deb’s Excellent Adventures in Tacoma Deb Ross Membership
Ralph Munro, Secretary of State 1980-2001 resident of Olympia since 1966 Secretary Munro offered following remarks at a First United Methodist Church in Olympia on January 29, 2012 in recognition of their life’s work to further civil rights in Thurston County. Olympia was a different place in the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s. Much smaller:…
This is an ongoing series that reports on Lanny Weaver’s and Deb Ross’s weekly trips to the Research Center at the Washington State Historical Society to catalogue documents and photographs relating to Olympia and Thurston County. This installment is written by Deb. One of the fun parts of my cataloguing efforts is the opportunity to…
Location: 112 18th Ave SW Local register, South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood No vintage photograph has been located for this home. If you have one to share, please contact us. Martin-Tiffany House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This home was built some time between about 1911 and 1926. Records show that the home was on…
This feature of our website includes separate pages for historic locations and buildings throughout Olympia. Each location has side-by-side photographs, with brief descriptions of the history and importance of the location, followed by links to other photographs and information. New locations are being added every day, so check back often! We seek your help in…
In 1891, the Olympia Tribune published a souvenir issue, consisting of 22 bound pages that were printed and bound at the State Printing Office. The issue contained information on the State of Washington, and on Olympia in particular. It included short biographies and photographs of many of Olympia’s prominent citizens, as well as descriptions and…
by Richard Edwards Charles Chaenn was born in France in January 1839 to John Chaenn and Madelina Juliet. According to local oral tradition, he served in the French military before entering the United States. He was married on 15 March 1876 to Mari Zoe (maiden name unknown, born in France about 1849) in Texas. Charles…
by Mary Zindt My brothers and I spent the summers doing farm chores. A hike to McAllister Springs was always included during summer vacation. It was about two miles from home. We went through a tunnel under Old Pacific Highway and then on a trail to the pristine, beautiful springs. This natural gushing fountain of…
The previous two newsletters contained articles on the history of Capitol Lake, whose authors maintain divergent conclusions. As our newsletter policies maintain, the Olympia Historical Society welcomes submissions on any subject of local history and does not take positions on the points of view of our contributors. Mr. Miller submitted the following: Unfortunately the membership…
Mark Derricott, Editor Introduction Does Aristotle’s theory of the whole can become greater than the sum of its parts hold true if we apply it to our community? Can something as abstract as a community possibly transcend the totality of its individuals? If so, how does that happen? If the Olympia Municipal Code is any…
Mark Derricott* The excellent recent piece about Capitol Lake by Mr. Allen Miller and a formidable rejoinder in this quarter’s newsletter by Mr. Emmett O’Connell reveals a rich dialogue about our local history. Mr. O’Connell’s appeal to “true historical context” counters Mr. Miller’s exhortation to perfect the Wilder and White plan on its 100th birthday.…
This article originally appeared on the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Natural Resource Department Weblog and was reprinted here as another view of the history of the development of Capitol Lake. The Olympia Historical Society takes no positions on the analysis or conclusions of the authors who submit articles for consideration in our newsletters. The creation of…
Ralph Blankenship In October of 1852 Sarah Y Yantis rode into Olympia with her father B.F. Yantis and 7 brothers and sisters in their covered wagon. They left from Saline County, Missouri where B.F. had been a superior court judge. Sadly B.F.s wife died during the difficult journey to Olympia. B.F. and family homesteaded on…
Location: 105 8th Ave SE (corner 8th and Capitol) Local Register (site) Masonic Temple about 1902, Image from Digital Archives Location today (2012), Photo courtesy of Deb Ross When Edmund Sylvester laid out the plans for Olympia, he set aside property for civic institutions, including two lots specifically set aside for Olympia Lodge No. 1 (formerly Lodge…
Location: 1604 Water St SW Local register; South Capitol Neighborhood National Historic District Maury House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Maury House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Maury home is a well-preserved example of one of Tumwater Lumber Mills pre-cut homes. It is in their popular English Revival style, built around…
Location: 223 19th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic District McArdle House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives McArdle House now (2013), photo by Deb Ross This handsome Foursquare House, with two stories of bay windows, was built around 1906. It is named after long-time residents L.D. and Fannie McArdle. L.D. was a legislator from…
Location: 703 4th Ave E Transportation, Diversity: German heritage Vietzen home, with family members, courtesy State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society Courtyard Antiques mall at this location today (2012), photo by Matthew Kennelly In early days, the Swantown Slough separated the commercial part of Fourth Avenue from the residential area to its east.…
Location: 111 21st Ave SW Local register, National Register; South Capitol National Historic District; Wohleb Henry McCleary House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Henry McCleary House today (2013), photo by Marisa Merkel This imposing mansion on the corner of Capitol Way and 21st Avenue is surpassed in grandeur and formality only by the…
Location: 101 Sherman St. NW Local register McCleary-Robinson House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives McCleary-Robinson House today (2013), photograph by Deb Ross This large home, overlooking the mouth of the Deschutes Estuary and the bridges to downtown Olympia, was built in 1916 by Charles McCleary, son of lumber magnate Henry McCleary (see…
Location: 327 Sherman NW Schools McClelland House, 1939, photo from Thurston County Assessor, State Archives McClelland House now (2010), photo by Deborah Ross This attractive, unassuming Pioneer-style home is one of many in West Olympia built as part of the development of this part of town to serve middle class families. The land…
Location: 121 19th Ave SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood McCoy/Trullinger House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives McCoy/Trullinger House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This Craftsman style house was built by George and Edith McCoy about 1923. It was purchased a few years later by Rae and Truman Trullinger. Mr. Trullinger…
Location: 1702 4th Ave E Local register McCormick House 1956, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives McCormick House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The McCormick House on busy 4th Avenue was originally constructed in 1906 in a Foursquare style. Its grounds included an orchard and livestock, and McCormick, a builder, later platted the McCormick subdivision…
Location: 1625 Sylvester St SW Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood; Women’s History; Wohleb McCully House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives McCully House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross Demonstrating the vast scope of his architectural repertoire, Joseph Wohleb designed this house for Merritt and Ethel McCully around 1921, shortly after their…
Location: 2215 Water St SW South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood W.B. McDonald House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives W.B. McDonald House today (2015), photo by Deb Ross The W.B. McDonald House, erected in 1939, is an art moderne take on a Colonial theme. It was designed by Seattle architect J. Lister Holmes. McDonald owned the Avalon…
Location: 414 Capitol Way S Downtown National Historic District; Wohleb H.B. McElroy Store Building, 1964, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives H.B. McElroy Store Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This building was designed by Joseph Wohleb and erected in 1926. It originally housed a tavern and stores. The building was redesigned several…
Location: 702 Washington St SE Thornton McElroy home around 1873, photograph courtesy of Washington State Historical Society 702 Washington St. today, Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross Between Sylvester Park and the territorial capitol building at the current location of Capitol Campus, several prominent citizens erected stately homes in the 1870s and 1880s. A few have survived,…
Location: 123 Cushing St. NW Local Register Joseph McIntyre home around 1900, photograph courtesy of Washington State Historical Society McIntyre home today (2012), Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross The McIntyre home is one of the best preserved and restored homes in Westside Olympia. It was built by or for Joseph McIntyre, a carpenter who arrived…
Location: 2201 Water St SW Women’s History; South Capitol National Historic District Margaret McKenny House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Margaret McKenny House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This unassuming duplex bungalow was the home of famed naturalist Margaret McKenny. She was the daughter of General Thomas I. McKenny, who served in…
Location: 114 22nd Ave SE Local register; South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood No vintage photograph has been located; if you have one to share, please contact us McLaughlin House today (2013), photo by Deb Ross The McLaughlin House is one of many Craftsman style bungalows in the historic South Capitol Neighborhood. It appears to…
Location: 502 Edison St SE Local register McMurry House 1965, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives McMurry House today (2014) Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross The McMurry House is located in a quiet residential neighborhood southeast Olympia. A good example of a modest Craftsman-style home, it was built by Frank and Lucinda McMurry in about 1922. It is…
Location: 318 Rogers St NW Rogers Street Local Historic District McNeil House 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives McNeil House today (2015) Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross This Tumwater Lumber Mills house appears to have been built around 1930. It is located in the Rogers Street Local Historic District, which was created to showcase the contributions of TLM’s ready-built…
Location: 119 Columbia St. NW Downtown Olympia National Historical District; Schools Meacham Furniture Co. around 1880, photograph courtesy of Washington State Historical Society Munro Building (Mekong Thai) today (2012) Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross The Meacham Furniture Company shown above to the left was located on the west side of Columbia Street between State and Fourth;…
Location: 1616 Capitol Way S South Capitol National Historic Neighborhood Mead House, 1939, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Mead House today (2014) Photograph courtesy of Deb Ross Until 1908, when the current Governor’s Mansion was built, Washington’s territorial and state governors had to find their own lodging, typically by renting a suitable home from one of…
Location: 619 Legion Way SE Wohleb Meadowlark Dairy Building, 1965, Thurston County Assessor, Southwest Regional Archives Meadowlark Dairy Building today (2015), photo by Deborah Ross Demonstrating the breadth of his expertise from sublime to utilitarian, Olympia’s iconic architect Joseph Wohleb designed this no-nonsense building for the Meadowlark Dairy in 1943. The dairy was one of several in…
Location: 1015 4th Ave SW mid-Century modern Perspective of Medical Arts Building, about 1962, Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation Medical Arts Building today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Medical Arts Building was commissioned in 1962 by doctors E.V. Olson and William Bigelow. It was completed in 1966. The building was adjacent to St. Peter’s Hospital on…
Location: 1202 10th Ave SW Local register Meeker House 1959, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Meeker House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This elaborate Mission revival style building overlooks Capitol Lake. It was erected in 1924 by builder Ernest Meeker (see also La Villa-Meeker Mansion). Its former owner believed it may be a Joseph…
Location: 834 Percival Street SW Local register; Diversity: Jewish Heritage Meeker/Bean House 1957, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Meeker/Bean House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross This is the first-built of three unusual homes designed by builder Ernest Meeker overlooking the Deschutes Estuary in Southwest Olympia (see Meeker House and La Villa-Meeker Mansion). Each of these spectacular homes has…
Location: 529 4th Ave W Wohleb; mid-Century modern Memorial Clinic building, 1949, Thurston County Assessor, Washington State Archives Memorial Clinic building in 2013, photo by Deb Ross The Memorial Clinic building was designed by local architect father and son team Robert and Joseph Wohleb and built in 1948. The photograph at above left was…
Location: 3520 Boulevard Rd SE No vintage photograph of this house has been located; if you have one to share, please contact us. Merryman House today (2014), photo by Deb Ross The Merryman House was built some time between 1892 and 1903 (sources vary) by Alexander Merryman, who arrived in Thurston County in 1890. It…
