Redmond Historical Society 10 2009

Redmond Historical Society OCTOBER 2009 NEWSLETTER • Vol. 11 • NO. 8 Our PURPOSE: To Discover, Recover, Preserve, Share and Celebrate Redmond’s History

H

appy

Valley Memories

Happy Valley Grange celebrating its 100th birthday

October Meeting: Saturday, OCTOBER 10

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 nooN Tucked away off Redmond-Fall City Road, Old Redmond Schoolhouse but well preserved for history, sits the Happy

Valley Grange, which this year turned 100.

16600 NE 80th Street

Join us at our general meeting on Saturday, October 10th when Lorraine Mills, a Grange member since 1940, and Duane and Joanne Isackson share photos and stories of the chapter’s accomplishments and members (many of Scandinavian heritage) over the years.

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

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2009 Executive Board

W

Chris Himes • President Judy Lang • Vice-President Miguel Llanos • Vice-President Joanne Westlund • Treasurer Mary Hanson • Corresponding Secretary Beryl Standley • Recording Secretary

hat’s New Online?

Redmondhistoricalsociety.org has lots to look at: •

1911 to 1912 of Redmond-area

Board of Directors

residents

Nao Hardy Jon Magnussen John Phillips Doris Schaible Patti Simpson Ward Joe Townsend Margaret Evers Wiese

•

students in 1960 ~ including interviews with Robert Cotterill, Gunnar Olson and Elsie Olson •

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

If you don't subscribe, please sign up. Call the office at 425.885.2919 or email [email protected]. State your preference of email or U.S. Mail. (We prefer email as it's inexpensive and photos show up better online.)

Miguel Llanos • Editor Patti Simpson Ward • Society & Newsletter Graphic Designer

MAJOR SPONSORS

Society newsletters from 1999 through 2009.

Table of Contents PAGE

1

Cover article: Happy Valley Grange Memories

2

What’s New Online

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What’s New in Our Collection

The Redmond Recorder

is published nine times annually.

A history of Redmond compiled by junior high

Office Manager • Monica Park Attorney • Charles Diesen Birthday Card Coor. • Amo Marr Library Liaison • Andy McClung

FREE Newsletter

A Polk Directory list from



4 Thank You 4

In Memoriam

5 Redmond-iscing 6-7 RHS News 8

One Book, One Redmond

9

Order Now (Books and Gift Ideas from RHS)

10 Membership Info 11 Membership Form 12 Address & RHS Info

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October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond

WHAT’S

W

hat’s New in Collection?

NEW

Our

We received a marvelous donation of family heirlooms on September 10th from Mike Foss, son of the late Larry Foss and Marylee Phillips Foss.

We now have a great collection of furniture and

tools including a beautiful old trunk, grandfather clock, secretary desk, handmade tool chest, woodworking tools, photos, and a Rube Goldberg contraption that is fascinating to behold, but does absolutely nothing.

We hope to be able to display these items in the

future when our space permits. In the meantime, we will have lots more pictures at our office for viewing. We are particularly glad to be able to preserve these things from years ago so that everyone can enjoy them and learn from them.













~ By John Phillips

Beautiful Foss family heirlooms donated to the Society: handsome grandfather clock, secretary desk and embellished trunk

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

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T

hank

You to...

Mike Foss for donating family heirlooms. (See article on page 3.) Joe Townsend and Jon Magnussen for driving to Granite Falls to pick up the Foss donations, and to Judy Lang for temporarily housing the donations in her garage. Susan Brown for jumping in to help with grant and partnership opportunities. Janine Baker for donating funds to purchase a flat-screen computer monitor to replace our space-consuming one.

Filming History Thanks to the donated labor of R.J. McHatton and his company Inventive Productions, the life stories of brothers Daryl and Ward Martin have been preserved on video. Specializing in personal tributes, the company is right here in Redmond at 2501 152nd Avenue NE. To view examples of their work, go to inventiveproductions.com.

IN

MEMORIAM

Kay Nichols Brulé

An icon of old Redmond passed away last August. Kay Nichols Brulé was not only a business owner and Society member, she was also a Derby Days Queen. Raised on her parents’ dairy farm off Union Hill Road, Kay was chosen queen in 1942 at the age of 16. In a 2005 article in the Journal Reporter, Kay recalled she had been nominated by math teacher Arthur Sorweide for her queen-like qualities. “I was very perky and had an outgoing personality,” she said. Kay was also owner of Bud’s Cash Market (1950-1959) with her husband Bud Moss, and then owner of Bud’s Thriftway Super Market (1959-1962). In 2000, she and another past Derby Queen, Betty Buckley Anderson, were honored as grand marshals for that year’s Derby Parade.

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October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond

I

Saw a Bare

Redmond-iscing

Excerpted from Bob Martin’s “The Way I Remembered It”

My high school buddy and locker

of the tarp, he careened downward

partner, Fred Stray, called me one

through the crowd at breakneck

Friday night in February. He asked if I

speed.

wanted to go with him to Leavenworth

The gnarly tip of a tough little

to watch the ski jump competition. . . .

pine tree protruding about six

He went on to explain that his brother-

inches above the crust of the snow

in-law, who was originally from Finland,

functioned exactly like the tail hook

would be jumping. . . .

cable on an aircraft carrier. The

The next morning Fred picked me

barbed branch securely snagged

up in his Chevy coupe, and we drove

the belt of the young man’s pants,

over Steven’s Pass to the ski jump. . . .

and peeled him like an overripe

We admired the skill, the grace, and the

banana.

courage of the jumpers. Fred’s brother-

He continued to tumble for

in-law finished in a very respectable

a short ways with his Levi’s and

second place. . . .

Jockey shorts bunched up around

The jumping had ended and the

his ankles. Slightly dazed, he spun

crowd near us was descending the

around, skidded to a halt and

steep and slippery slope. A chubby

pulled himself up on his hands and

young man in a bright yellow ski jacket

knees, his snow-roughened pink

decided that walking was too slow and

posterior glistening in the sun.

tiring, so he spread a small piece of

Spectators, who only

plastic tarp on the snow, sat down

moments ago were trying to avoid

on it and started to slide down the

being bowled over by the out of

steep grade.

control human avalanche, now

People leaped out of the way as

gathered around the hapless man

he came whizzing by, gathering speed

as he desperately tried to pull

by the second. As he passed by us, he

up his pants. His futile attempts

had lost what little control he ever had,

were cheered on with rollicking

and his body spun around until he was

applause, complete with whistles

facing up the slope. He had a panicked

and wisecracks. Photographers in

look of someone who had abandoned

the crowd adjusted their cameras

all hope of a happy outcome.

so they wouldn’t over expose the

Still sitting in a backward position with a white-knuckle grip on the piece

best photo opportunity of the day.

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

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RHS

NEWS

A

Juel in the Rough

Right now it sits empty, but the Juel House at Juel Park on 116th just east of Avondale, has some incredible potential (rooms for displays, basement for storage and upstairs for offices) to share Redmond’s heritage. After the City asked for ideas on how to use this space, Society board member John Phillips and new volunteer Susan Brown got to work drafting a proposal that includes heritage walks and outdoor plays. “Rotating exhibits and history walks in the park will illustrate our heritage in a way that newsletters and meetings cannot touch,” they write. “Dramas about historical events will bring close the reality of earlier times and hopefully lead to further interest in them.” Stay tuned, we’ll let readers know what the City decides!

Photo of the Juel House by Joe Townsend.

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October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond

H

otel Cafe Survivors Reunion • October 10,

RHS

NEWS 5 to 9 p.m.

(L-R): circa 1950. Redmond Hotel Cafe owner Mary Wobbley, Janice Kolhman and Rita Kolhman wait on Derby Days customers

Today it’s a pho noodle restaurant, but for a generation it was the Hotel Cafe and one of Redmond’s true local hangouts. “Survivors” and folks just interested in hearing about the old days are invited to a 4th annual reunion. It’ll be at the Redmond Eagles at 11440 Avondale. For more information, contact Sam and Mary Smith at 425.788.3307 or Dori Haack at 425.868.4902.

History Workshop • MOHAI November 14, 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Everyone has a history interest. What’s yours? Join the Museum of History & Industry for a day-long workshop that introduces the skills and resources needed to manage your own research project. MOHAI historian Lorraine McConaghy will introduce three case studies in personal history. Learn how to research your home, neighborhood, family or personal

Cost: $45: MOHAI member • $55: non-members • $5: day-of fee

Advanced registration is strongly recommended. Register through www.brownpapertickets.com (800.838.3006). Questions? Contact [email protected] (206.324.1685 ext. 23).

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

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ONE BOOK ONE REDMOND

J

oin the Conversation

How can history help make community? This year’s “One Book, One Redmond” program does just that by encouraging residents to read and then discuss “The Worst Hard Time: the Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Timothy Egan. Egan will cap the program by speaking at the Redmond Regional Library, which has lots of copies of the book to check out, a program guide and a series of events around the book: Book discussions: In November, the library will hold book discussions throughout the community. Movies: On each Sunday afternoon in November starting November 8th, the library will screen award winning films depicting dust bowl era life: The Grapes of Wrath, The Plow That Broke the Plains, Bound for Glory and Black Blizzard. Black Blizzard features Egan talking about his experiences doing the historical research for the book. Author talk: Timothy Egan will speak at the library on December 3rd at 7:00 p.m. “For those interested in history, the environment, and compelling nonfiction, it doesn’t get any better than this,” says Andy McClung, a library staffer and its liaison to the Redmond Historical Society. Egan’s book, hailed by critics as “a lasting and important work of American history,” won the National Book Award in 2006. Book critic Edward Hoagland wrote that “The Worst Hard Time is wonderful: ribbed like surf, and battering us with a national epic that ranks second only to the Revolution and the Civil War.” Go online for more details: one-book-redmond.blogspot.com.

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October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond

ORDER

NOW

Order “Redmond Reflections”

$22

(INCLUDES TAX)*

Also available at the Public Library FREE SHIPPING for RHS members, so if you haven’t joined or renewed, there’s a form on page 11 to send in with this book order form. Non-members, please add postage: $3 for 1 book, $5 for 2 books, $8 for 3 or more books

ORDERING INFO: NAME



# OF BOOKS ORDERED

PHONE NUMBER AMOUNT ENCLOSED (CHECK PLEASE)

SHIPPING INFO: name street addRESS city • state • zip

✂ Great Ideas for Historical Gifts Need something special for someone who loves our history? These items are available at our Society office:: GREETING CARDS & NOTE CARDS featuring artwork by local artists: • • •

Patti Simpson Ward Dorisjean Colvin Pat Dugan

“Our Town” A history of Redmond, by Nancy Way

“Meeting at ‘The Market’” by artist Patti Simpson Ward

Our “View of History” DVD

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

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MEMBERSHIP

S

eptember

Were you at our September meeting? These folks were. First time attendees are capitalized in bold brown text.

Ray Adams Eric Anderson David Bartley Elsie Bartley Liz Coward Violet Elduen Elaine J. Etzler Lillian Garland Millie Goetschius Russell Goetschius Clara M. Hammersberg Jerry Hammersberg Tom Hansen Carolyn Hudson Jo Ann Ingersoll Judy Aries Lang Miguel Llanos George Lyons Jackie Lyons Cheryl Magnuson Gene Magnuson Bob Martin Daryl Martin Peggy McMahon Larry Miller Richard Morris Monica Park John Phillips Patsy J. Rosenbach David Rossiter Julianne Rossiter Anne Salmi Dee Saunders Claudia Scott Nina Shelden Don Stensland Fran Stray

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Meeting Attendees Fred Stray Faye Turner Sween Anne Tollfeldt Harvey Tollfeldt Jerry Torell Joe Townsend Joanne Westlund Devin Wulff

Our Lifetime Members

Eric Anderson John Anderson Barbara Neal Beeson Brad Best Marjorie Stensland Costello Liz Carlson Coward Frank Garbarino Edward L. Hagen Lucille B. Hansen-Bellings Naomi Hardy Patricia Weiss Jovag Barbara Weiss Joyce Glenn Lampaert Roy Lampaert Judy Aries Lang Miguel Llanos Jon Magnussen Charles Reed Clare ‘Amo’ Marr Daryl Martin Allison Reed Morris Frances Spray Reed Vivian Robinson Laurie Rockenbeck Margy Rockenbeck William Rockenbeck Doris Bauer Schaible Don Watts Rose Weiss Margaret Evers Wiese

October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond

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MEMBERSHIP

oin the

Redmond Historical Society

To Discover, Recover, Preserve, Share and Celebrate Redmond’s History

Renewing Members, Please Send in Your 2009 Dues!

LEVELS OF MEMBERSHIP (✓ Check one only.) $5.00 $20.00



$35.00 $200.00



$250.00 $1,000.00

❍ 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 if out and mail it with your check to: Redmond Historical Society Attn: Membership ORSCC, Room 106 16600 NE 80th Street Redmond, WA 98052 NAME (Print nane exactly as you want it to appear on nametags for general meetings.) (If FAMILY MEMBERSHIP, other names to be included) PHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS street addRESS city • state • zip birthday(s) Newsletter deLIverY:

❍ Email ❍ U.S. Mail

History is happening in Redmond • October 2009

✂

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Redmond Historical Society 16600 NE 80th Street, Room 106 Redmond, WA 98052

425.885.2919 PHONE WEB SITE redmondhistoricalsociety.org [email protected] Email Monday, Wednesday and Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment Hours

October 2009 • History is happening in Redmond