Rhs Newsletter 02 2001

The Redmond Historical Society Founded 1999 Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center 16600 NE 80th St., Room 106, Redmond, WA 98052 425-885-2919 February 2001

Newsworthy Notes

- Donald Saunders -

- Members in the News -

It is with deep regret that we announce the death of Society Charter Member Donald Saunders. Don was the third child of Oma and Allen Saunders and was raised in Redmond, graduating from Lake Washington High School in 1952. He was Chief Financial Officer for Bayliner Marine Corporation, retiring in 1987 to travel and enjoy antique car rallies. He drove a Model A Ford around the world, and he traversed the continents between Peking and Paris three times. He was a generous man, quietly giving to many charities and causes. A complete obituary appeared in the Eastside Journal on Wednesday, January 17, 2001. We offer our sincere condolences to Don’s family and many friends.

- Naomi Hardy Receives Honors The President of the Redmond Historical Society, Naomi Hardy, is much in the news lately. Please join us in recognizing the efforts that she has so tirelessly put in for the Society. Naomi was recently named as one of the Eastside’s “energetic leadership” persons by James Vesely of the Seattle Times. Naomi was referred to as one of a “new force in community organization.” And on an even more prestigious note, Naomi has been selected as Redmond’s Citizen of the Year by the Redmond Chamber of Commerce. She was honored at the Chamber’s dinner on February 3rd.

- RHS Nominated -

We can’t think of anyone who deserves these recognitions more than Naomi. Our heartiest congratulations go out to her. Well done, Naomi!

In early January, Marcelle Pechler, Redmond Chamber of Commerce CEO, informed us that the Redmond Historical Society had been nominated for Redmond's Volunteer Organization of the Year. Marcelle mailed an official letter informing us of the nomination. The awards panel met to make its final decision on or around January 19th. We were later notified that we did not win.

Thanks to Margy Rockenbeck for answering our call for an office volunteer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We appreciate you! Rose Weiss has created a handsome photo album of Society members during our first year and has turned the project over to Gerry Radtke Mellquest who will continue to document our people and activities through photographs. If you have a picture to contribute, please contact Gerry at 425-885-0186 or email her at [email protected].

However, being nominated for this award was a major honor for us, the new kids on the block. Much appreciation goes out to the Redmond Chamber of Commerce, our RHS Board of Directors and the membership in general. Previous Volunteer Organizations of the Year have included the Multi-Services Center, United Methodist Church, and Assistance League of the Eastside.

Thanks to Chris Himes for donating a 30-cup coffee maker for our general meetings. No one sleeps at our meetings ever again! Page 1

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Remembering

but we would sure like to obtain information on their locations. (Sink holes are good clues.)

With the passing of Redmond’s Donald Saunders his life-long friend, Ray Haines, shares some memories with us.

Those annual river races bring back fond memories, and some folks wish it were possible to bring back the spring races themselves. Huge crowds lined the Sammamish River’s banks from the starting line in Kenmore to the finish line at Marymoor Farm, as the park was known then. Roy Buckley whose father, like Ray’s, also owned a service station, recalls that those race days were all-day picnic outings for the entire town and surrounding areas. The races drew neighbors together and created an excitement that many old-timers claim our city hasn’t experienced since.

In the 1940’s, Ray’s father owned the Bear Creek Service Station. The Haines family lived in the service station across Avondale Road from the Saunders’ home which was originally the William Perrigo homestead. Ray grew up with Don and Ken Saunders and graduated with Ken from Redmond high School in 1952, a year after Don.

Ray Haines is attempting to locate some old film footage of those boat races, so stay tuned.

Of their boyhood adventures, Ray recalls that the Saunders boys knew how to get into the old coal mines running under Education Hill from their property, and the brothers used to lead Ray and other friends on expeditions that “seemed like miles” to Ray at the time.

(An historic aside: In reading old Sammamish Valley News articles, one finds mention of the Sammamish River races, although many residents called them the Sammamish Slough races. This is due to Editor/Owner/Publisher Robert Bailie’s unwavering admonition to all new reporters on their very first day on the job: “There is one word you must never use in this newspaper: s-l-o-u-g-h.” And we don’t believe any of them ever did!)

Besides the Perrigo Farmhouse which is today’s Eagle Rim apartment clubhouse, Don and Ken’s father, Allen Saunders, owned two other historically important buildings in Redmond: the old Redmond Trading Company and the Bill Brown Building, both brick buildings still standing on Leary Way.

- Seniors Wanted -

In the early 1960’s, Ray and Ken became partners in the Kustom Kraft company, manufacturing wooden boats in the old Redmond Trading Company building which Ken’s father owned at the time. Some of the boats the two friends built were raced in the annual “Sammamish Slough Races,” and the two brothers drove boats in those races. Ray’s recollections touch on two topics of interest to our local history: coal mines and boat races.

In association with Landmark Education and the Redmond Historical Society, Rondinne Hills is interested in gathering memories, anecdotes and old photographs from seniors in the Redmond community. The end product of this will be “Moments in Time” - a video history of Redmond as told from the personal perspectives of seniors in the community!

We’ve been told that city founder Willliam Perrigo dug two mines on his property about 100 years ago, but of the coal’s quality or quantity, we know nothing. It’s been said that the mine’s shafts were covered over, but the tunnels were not filled in. Finding a map of the mines may be too much to hope for,

We will be interviewing seniors at the Redmond Library (Rooms 1 & 2), on Saturday, Feb 17th, at 2:30pm. If you cannot be present on Saturday, Feb 17th, please contact Rondinne Hills (425-492-2356) or Miguel Llanos (425-869-9806) to set up a date and time that you could be interviewed. We would Page 2

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like to have all interviews completed by Feb 25th. Also, if there are members of the community who would like to help with doing the interviews, or can provide any resources that might be valuable to this community project, please also contact Rondinne or Miguel!

Along with loans from Robert Dodd and Redmond Parks, we are displaying 3 new hangings on loan from Gerry Radtke Mellquest: a collage of Doris Colvin sketches from Gerry’s mother, Joan Cotterill Radtke; a poster-like print of familiar Redmond scenes and signs, (the year and purpose of which we would like identified); a color photo of our downtown fire station in the early 1970’s, now undergoing remodeling. Margy Rockenbeck remarked of this last, that although the photo was taken just three decades ago, it already looks old, showing undeveloped downtown lots nearby that have since sprouted 4-story buildings. The photo is a tangible reminder of the need to document our town’s changing face today.

Come and share your memories, photographs, and anecdotes, and become part of this living legacy – a gift to the future!

- A Family of Volunteer Firemen Irene and Boyd Kinney’s lives have been long interwoven with the history of Redmond’s Volunteer Fire Department. Irene is the widow of Chuck Reil who was a volunteer fireman, and both of their sons were volunteer firemen. Boyd Kinney was a volunteer firemen, and he and his wife Mamie Orr Kinney (deceased) had two sons who were also volunteer firemen. Thus, when Irene and Boyd married, the blended family could proudly count four sons and two fathers – all firemen.

- Help Us Scan the Past We are grateful to all those who share their photos with the community. Each picture is a gift of history, and furthers our knowledge and enjoyment of Redmond’s heritage. The easiest way to share your photographs is for the Society to digitally scan them into its archives, then “burn” all of the images collected onto CD-ROMS. This method of collecting allows us to store volumes in a very small space, and the disks are believed to retain their archival integrity for 100 years. This is unbeatable insurance for those precious originals which you can then feel a little more free to display and handle, knowing your photographs can be reproduced from our archives.

Who better than Irene and Boyd to begin a Volunteer Fire Department archive for the Society? During our first year, they’ve collected photos, news clippings and memorabilia from folks in the community, and we are indebted to them. And now they have passed the torch. (Pun intended.) Henceforth, Jan and Diane Patty Foreman will be maintaining and receiving additions to our Volunteer Fire Department collection. If you have items to donate, or which we can copy or photograph, please contact the Foremans at 425-8852273, or email them at [email protected].

Our photo scanner specialist, Larry Hoger, will happily (no one has ever seen Larry when he isn’t smiling!) come to your home to scan pictures of Redmond scenes, people and events. To make an appointment, please contact Larry at 425-427-5344 or email him at [email protected].

- Preservation by Documentation Artwork and photography are two creative means of “preservation by documentation,” and with limited display space at the Old Schoolhouse, loans from members is a practical means of sharing our heritage with the increasing flow of office visitors.

- At Rest, At Last After several years of sitting on stilts on Microsoft's Redmond West Campus, its fate equally up in the Page 3

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air, the historic Morelli farmhouse is finally on firm ground again, its preservation secured. Redmond Mayor Rosemarie Ives led an extraordinary effort to save the Depression-era home, exploring such possibilities as using it for an elementary school's reading room. Despite a lack of supporters among other city officials, and amid controversy concerning her efforts, Mayor Ives persisted in seeking a permanent site for the house. The 67-acre chicken farm was begun early in the last century by four Italian immigrant brothers, and it is one of the few such structures left from Redmond’s agrarian past. Now, after a two year struggle to save it, and just as Microsoft was preparing to demolish it, the house is safely situated on nearby property owned by Panfilo Morelli, son of the immigrant farmer who built it. Mayor Ives’ determination to save this icon is a singular example of dedication to preservation, and future generations will benefit from her work.

- Potpourri The Pacific Northwest Historians Guild conference will be held on March 3rd. The evening before, March 2nd, the Guild is offering conference-goers the opportunity to visit Seattle’s Underground Tour in Pioneer Square for a special guided tour, and afterward (if you like), dinner at Merchants’ Café, the oldest restaurant in Seattle. Space is limited. For more information, call Amanda H. Cooke at the Museum of History & Industry at 206-324-1126 or visit the Web Page at www.seattlehistory.org.

- “Quotable” Quotes “Unless all of us become aware of the importance of our heritage and take action to preserve it, our past won’t have a future.” - Richard Moe, President of the National Trust For Historic Preservation

- Derby Days -

“This makes me think of our tax dollars at work, and here, I think they’re well spent.” - Margaret Evers Wiese¸ while touring the Regional State Archives at BCC

Everybody loves a parade! Everybody especially loves the Derby Days parade! In years past, many of us have been in it. Let’s ALL be in it this year! Do you know of anyone who has a buckboard, horses, or anything else that would reflect Redmond’s history? What great ideas do you have for making our presence known?

- Did You Know? At age 15, Rachel Buchman is our youngest Society member. Our oldest member, Dorothy White Hanscom, is 97. When they are both in attendance at the same meeting, their presence is visual testimony that Redmond’s history is important to all of us. Who says there’s a generation gap?

Bring your ideas to the next meeting on February 10th, or contact Jo Ann Potter at 425-822-3322 or email her at [email protected].

- Items Still Needed The Society is still in need of a computer. We’re looking for a newer Pentium model with 64MB of memory, a 4GB hard disk drive, a color monitor, CD burner and a good quality color printer. If you can help with this, please contact Phil Roe at 425883-4228. Your help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

- The Editor’s Corner I believe that the Redmond Historical Society has been in existence for just under two years now, and I marvel at the progress that has been made in preserving the history around us. Page 4

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And I marvel even more at the people who are on the “front lines”, so to speak. The Naomi’s and the Jo Ann’s and the Larry’s and I could go on and on. Sometimes it seems that the entire organization is run by just a few people. But it isn’t. It’s run by all of us: when we pay our dues, when we come to the meetings, when we talk to our friends and family about RHS, we all have an active role in the organization.

Larry Hoger, Pat Weiss Jovag, Barbara Weiss Joyce, Sharon Bryden Kent, Norma Leicester, Miguel Llanos, Marge Mann, Frank Mann, Carl Marrs, Patricia Marrs, Clare “Amo” Marr, Bill Marr, Don McCoskrie, Eileen McCoskrie, Frances E. McEvers, Doris Hebner McFarland, Gerry Radtke Mellquest, Marion Little Neal, Jackie Norris, Robin Perrigo Norton, Holly Plackett, Dale Potter, Jo Ann Potter, Margy Rockenbeck, Phil Roe, Michael Saunders, Doris Schaible, Ilya Smirnov, Veronica Smirnov, Bob Sollitto, Charlene Johnston Sugden, Tom Thomas, Judy Gilbert Turner, Kristine Underhill, Arlyn Bjerke Vallene, Don Watts, Mike Watts, Ed Weiss, Rose I. Weiss.

When I first joined, I was pretty content to just come to the meetings and absorb the history. But when the call came for a newsletter editor, I felt I wanted to do more and since I had experience in editing newsletters, I volunteered for the position. I know that there are probably more people who would like to get more involved in RHS but don’t know where to start.

Treasurer Phil Roe reported our net worth on Dec. 31, 2000 was $10,613. Our office is currently staffed by volunteers Gerry Radtke Mellquest, Marge Mann, Veronica Smirnov, Judy Aries Lang, Arlyn Bjerke Vallene and Margy Rockenbeck. Tom Thomas and Natalie Hardy Fisher are substitutes. Several more people are needed to staff the office, and Jo Ann Potter invited volunteers to contact her. [425-822-3322 or [email protected].]

Here, let me help you. If you really want to make a difference in the Society you could:   

Volunteer at the Old Schoolhouse maybe one day a week, if possible. They always can use the help there; If you support the United Way, you could designate your contribution be to Redmond Historical Society ; Consider the Society when you are doing your estate planning. A bequest to the RHS is a wonderful way to leave a lasting legacy.

Doris Schaible nominated the slate of officers for 2001, and the following were elected by a unanimous vote:: President Naomi Hardy, Vice-Presidents Miguel Llanos and Don Watts, Treasurer Phil Roe. Web Administrator Veronica Smirnov is the newest member of the Society’s Board of Directors. The Board is now complete per our Bylaws which call for seven appointed officers. Veronica’s husband Ilya Smirnov is the Microsoft programmer who is constructing our site.

No matter what you do, even if you just come to the meetings, you’re appreciated. I especially appreciate you, because without you, I wouldn’t have much to write about! See you at the next meeting on February 10th at 10:30 A.M. at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center, Room 104.

Our guest speaker was Michael Saunders, Regional Archivist for the Puget Sound Regional branch of the Washington State Archives. Michael explained that our State Archives are administered by the Secretary of State as a public trust, and that the archives provide public access to historically valuable records from local government and state agencies.

Highlights of January 13, 2001 Meeting Attending: Margo Marr Alexander, Betty Buckley Anderson, Kay Nichols Brulé, Lynne Rosenthal Bryan, Jennie Bryden, Richard Cole, Marjorie Stensland Costello, Evelyn King Gilbert, Willow Guptil, Naomi Hardy, Jerry Hardy, Rondinne Hills, Page 5

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Our region’s archives are located at Bellevue Community College in the Pritchard-Fleming Building where there is 45,000 cubic feet of temperature and humidity controlled storage. The collections come from counties, cities, schools, ports, public utilities, and various taxing districts. The collections document community history like businesses, land use, community organizations, law and justice, education, foreign trade, and public health.

Park’s official name should honor the pioneering Perrigo brothers, Warren Wentworth Perrigo and William Pulsifer Perrigo. A Perrigo descendant himself, Don has coordinated a committee of relatives who will assist the Parks Board in refining the final selection which the group believes should honor both brothers. Rondinne Hills, a software engineer from England and a new Society member, is producing a video of Redmond history as recalled by our seniors. The video will be titled Moments in Time, and is a project she is undertaking as part of the Landmark Education program. An initial filming will be conducted at the Redmond library on Feb. 17th at 2:30 PM. Long-time residents are invited to participate in sharing their memories in an informal setting of small groups. Individuals may be selected for additional taping sessions. The final video will be widely available in the community, and will serve as a unique historical document. For more information, contact Rondinne Hills: home 425-861-4969, work 425-492-2356, [email protected].

One collection at BCC is King County’s property records of every building that was standing between 1937 and 1972.. These old tax records show the date built, names of property owners and construction elements. Another useful research collection at BCC is Articles of Incorporation for all businesses and organizations. From a transportation collection, The Street Car Era, Michael shared a photo of a crash test dummy in 1917 which was pictured being scooped off Seattle’s railway tracks by a street car’s front skirting. The Seattle World Fair’s Century 21 Exposition Records are also archived on the Bellevue campus, as are files of interest to those who are researching topics like industrial growth, immigration and women’s rights.

The 61st annual Derby Days Committee is meeting monthly, and Jo Ann Potter is representing our Society in the planning process. Dale Potter shared some of the knowledge he’s gained in organizing his personal collection of over 13,000 photographs. He stressed the importance of promptly and systematically labeling photos as soon as they’re developed. Even with such an extensive collection, he’s able to locate individual pictures easily with an index he’s created of his many albums. When tackling a major backlog of photos to organize, Dale advises working backward chronologically from the most recently acquired, and if an impasse is reached, then changing direction and sorting from the opposite end of the collection, starting with the very oldest.

To use the Regional Archives, Michael advised making an appointment. Contact info: 425-5643940 [email protected]. Karen Bauer donated a framed oil painting given to her years ago by Dr. John Way. It is a stylized scene of the Justice White House, Redmond Train Depot, T&D Feeds and the train tracks. It’s signed “Radcliff 1959.” Arlyn Bjerke Vallene has suggested it may have been painted by Bill Radcliff, an art teacher at Redmond Junior High in the 1950s. Redmond’s Arts Administrator, Melna Skillingstead, facilitated a long-term loan to the Society’s office: a framed sketch by Doris Colvin of the Neslund treehouse which was a familiar landmark on 164th Avenue for decades.

Gerry Radtke Mellquest won the drawing for a book, Eastside realtor Bert McNae’s autobiography, Vision, Guts and Money, which Bert wrote with Nancy Way.

Don Watts announced that the Redmond Parks Board is recommending that the new Avondale Page 6