Incoming President’s Message

Mark Foutch, President I’m truly honored to succeed Ralph Blankenship as president of the Olympia Historical Society.  Under Ralph’s leadership OHS has increased its visibility in the community, given community members new ways to learn about our programs and resources, and made significant progress in accessing and preserving local historical materials. What’s so remarkable about…

Fall Newsletter

The Olympia Historical Society’s Fall Newsletter is now available for your viewing at https://olympiahistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=19&Itemid=38 Enjoy, and have a Happy Thanksgiving! — Deborah Ross, on behalf of The Olympia Historical Society www.OlympiaHistory.org

Membership

Click here to download the membership form. Mail Checks payable to “Olympia Historical Society” to: Olympia Historical SocietyPO Box 6064Olympia, 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 members (Seniors…

Summer Newsletter Available!

The Olympia Historical Society’s Summer 2010 Newsletter is available on line for your reading and viewing pleasure! Link to it here: https://olympiahistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=18&Itemid=36 , or, go to our website olympiahistory.org and click on the Newsletter menu for this and previous issues. I’m sure you will enjoy, as we have, the feature article by Elizabeth Bret, a…

Imagine, but Remember, Olympia

by Mark Derricott, editor The City of Olympia is currently updating its Comprehensive Plan, which is the primary document by which the city accommodates the region’s population growth over the next ten years.  The city has implemented a broad outreach effort in order to elicit feedback and input from the community.  You may have heard…

Announcements

LACEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING ALL  ABOARD TRAIN  BACK  TO  1891   STATION LACEY COMMUNITY CENTER SEPTEMBER 28, 2010 ARRIVE 5:P.M. LEAVE 7:P.M.   CELEBRATING: April 1891    NPRR   Builds Lacey Depot – May 1891    Lacey Hotel and Race track open June 1891   Lacey Post Office established   MENU Vintage box lunch and coffee   Please…

Letter from the President

Greetings fellow Olympia History Buffs: At our March board meeting we elected a new slate of officers.  I agreed to serve as president along with a great board that includes three new board members, Mark Derricott, Karen Bowen, and Sean Krier.  Our website lists all with a little bio on each. First I would like…

President’s Message

by Ralph Blankenship, President Season’s Greetings fellow Olympia History Buffs: Well here we are approaching the end of 2010 and all the holiday activities. So much to do.Most of us are looking forward to the December 5 Bigelow House tour of historic homes for the Olympia area. I am volunteering to docent at that event…

Early Residents – B

  A C D E F G H I J K L M N O P-Q  R S T U V W X Y Z   Click here for instructions/tips on using links provided.  Note: to access images from the Washington State Historical Society (WSHS) collections, enter their catalog numbers in Collections Search box. Items in bold face have been scanned Backlund…

Rainey: Short History of Manufacturing

A Short History of Industry and Manufacturing in Thurston County, Washington by Thomas Rainey Mirror of page  http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/labrmrkt/eco/thureco.htm The following history is largely excerpted from “A Short History of Industry and Manufacturing in Thurston County, Washington,” by Thomas Rainey, Ph.D. Additional commentary has been included by LMEA staff. The native inhabitants of what is now…

Newell: So Fair a Dwelling Place

Scanned version “So Fair a Dwelling Place”: A History of Olympia and Thurston County Washington By Gordon Newell Olympia: Olympia News Publishing, 1950. Electronically Transcribed 2001. By Edward Echtle Note: transcription retains errors appearing in the original text, and no doubt includes a few added in the transcription process.  Please check unclear passages against an…

Home Again in Olympia

By J. Pennelope Goforth Everyone looks so much younger, the trees grown much taller, and there’s acres more development. These are a few of the things I noticed when I returned to Olympia after years of travel and living in Mexico, Canada, and Alaska. I wondered if I would feel at home again here. Altered…

Links to Helpful Sites

See also our Bibliography, Many Voices, and other resource pages that include links to thousands of documents, photographs, and other resources for researching Olympia history Olympia area Museums and Historical Groups Lacey Museum Olympia Heritage Commission Olympic Flight Museum Sound Sound Maritime Heritage Association (Harbor Days) Squaxin Island Tribe Museum Thurston County Historical Journal – link…

Letter From The President

Greetings from the President, Congratulations to member Roger Easton for all of his efforts during Olympia’s sesquicentennial year, including the event in May at the Archives which combined Olympia’s anniversary with Thurston County’s birthday.  Roger made not one, but two well received presentations on the origins of Thurston County place names.  Thanks to the members…

Membership

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…