May - Kitsap County Historical Society

VISIT
REMEMBER
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The Kitsap Historian
Summer 2013
Currently on Exhibit:
MAIN STREET
Nurses at Your Service: A
Century of Caring
KCHS 65th Birthday
Celebration
First Friday, July 5th
6 – 8 pm
Kitsap History Museum
Featuring
Eric Haines
The One Man Band
The mission of the Kitsap
County Historical Society
is to collect, preserve, and
exhibit the diverse culture,
heritage, and history of
Kitsap County for the
education and enjoyment of
the public.
Kudos for the History Book
The third edition
of Kitsap County: A
History has won an
Award of Excellence for
Publication from the
Washington Museum
Association. The award
was presented June 13
at the association’s annual conference held in
Ellensburg.
Published last fall,
this expansive history
of Kitsap is primarily
a reprint of the 1977
and 1981 editions, but
Carolyn McClurkan, Nina Hallett, and Eric Dahlberg, members of
is more attractive and
the history book committee, can smile as they display the book
user friendly. The new
that took five years to edit and republish. Carolyn and Nina will
edition is printed on
travel with Executive Director Patricia Drolet to the Washington
better paper and has
Museum Association conference to accept the Award of Excelclearer photographs.
lence for Publication.
In addition, the ediof Kitsap County: A History, “What
tors developed a more
kind of historians are you that it takes
complete appendix and, blessedly, a single
you five years to write a book?” “Apcomprehensive index to replace the former
parently some things never change!”
five separate indexes for each section of the
Nina observes.
county.
“The Green Book,” so nicknamed because of its handsome green binding— the
earlier editions were “The Brown Book”
— the 2012 edition is a hefty 839 pages
of fascinating anecdotes, oral histories,
newspaper articles, photographs and other
records of our county’s history.
This most recent edition took five years
to come to fruition as the book committee
labored to find replacements for photos no
Kitsap County: A History
longer available, assure historical accuracy,
Third Edition
and create the improved index.
Nina Hallett, the chair of the book comAvailable for purchase
mittee and the driving force behind the
at the Kitsap History Museum
book’s publication, thanks all those who
280 Fourth Street
awaited the book’s publication for their
Bremerton
$75 plus tax
patience. She came across a letter written in
the 1970s, inquiring about the first edition
Page 2
THE KITSAP HISTORIAN
Kitsap County Historical
Society & Museum
280 Fourth Street
Bremerton, WA 98337
360-479-6226
info@kitsaphistory.org
www.kitsaphistory.org
Board of Trustees
President
Scott Nelson
Vice President
John Sledd
Treasurer
Sandy Schaut
Secretary
Sara Nell Davis
Directors
Kathleen Cahall
Nina Hallett
Russ Hauge
Claudia Hunt
Annamarie Lavieri
Carolyn McClurkan
Carolyn Neal
John Sledd
Anita Williams
President’s Message
Scott Nelson
2013 marks the 65th anniversary of the Kitsap County
Historical Society. We invite you to celebrate this milestone
with us by attending our birthday party on Friday, July 5th,
(July First Friday), from 6 to 8 pm at the museum. There will
be food, drink and fun for all to enjoy. Little did Chloe Sutton, a local elementary school teacher and the first president
of the Kitsap County Historical Society Board of Trustees,
imagine that the legacy begun by a small group of committed
Kitsap County residents in 1948 would be going strong 65
years later!
This success is due to the dedicated support of staff, volunteers and community over several generations, and it is critical that this support continue today
and into the future.
I would like to thank our staff, loyal members and volunteers, along with all
of you who have given so generously over the years, for helping us move forward
in our mission of keeping the history of Kitsap County alive for this and future
generations.
To those of you who have donated to the 2013 Annual Fund Drive, I offer a
heartfelt thank you. If you have not yet contributed, please consider supporting our efforts with a financial contribution. We welcome any amount you can
donate. Your help makes a huge difference!
The Kitsap County Historical Society is 65 years young and going strong. If
you are a member, volunteer or supporter, we would like to see more of you at
the museum. If not, come and meet us! It’s a great place to be a part of!
I look forward to seeing you at the birthday party on July 5th and hope you
have a great summer!
Advisory Board
Suzanne Callison Dicks
Roger Horne
Paul Middents
Ralph Munro
Helen Langer Smith
Ed Wolfe
Administrative Staff
Executive Director
Patricia Drolet
Executive Assistant
Robin Barnes
Archivist
Carolyn McClurkan
Newsletter
Sara Nell Davis
Bob Christensen
Become a fan of KCHS on
Facebook! Visit:
www.facebook.com/kitsaphistory
Community forester Jim Trainer describes some of Kitsap’s grand trees at May’s First
Friday event at the museum. Jim entertained youngsters (and their adult friends) with
a Saturday craft workshop titled “Trees and Treetures.” As part of the Kitsap Museum’s
Speaker Series, Jim spoke about the many unique trees in the local area. He generously
donated a copper beech sapling from a historic tree for a raffle to benefit KCHS.
Summer 2013
Page 3
Patricia Drolet
Museums are
always looking at
ways to provide a
more interactive
and engaging experience for museum
goers. As one step in bringing our
exhibits up to date with technology, we
are excited to provide a mobile tour for
our popular exhibit Main Street.
The audio tour is offered through
OnCell. Kitsap Museum visitors will
be able to access the tour using their
smart phone, iPod or other mobile
device. Main Street will have ten stops,
starting with the “schoolhouse” and
ending with the “fire department.”
Each stop will have a sign with the
specific stop number, the mobile web
address, a QR code and an icon to
download the iPhone app. Just dial
into the tour, enter the number of the
stop and listen, or you can access the
mobile web tour on your smartphone
by scanning the QR code.
Come try it out and give us your
feedback!
We Depend on You
Thank you to those of you who
have responded to our 2013 Annual
Fund appeal with a generous donation. We at KCHS are most grateful for your support. Annual Fund
donations provide essential funding
for our operations.
We are dedicated to collecting,
safeguarding and sharing our collective Kitsap history. We depend on
you, our donors, for much-needed
support of our mission.
If you have not yet sent in your
donation, please consider sending a
contribution today. You may send a
check to KCHS, 280 Fourth Street,
Bremerton, WA 98337 or phone the
office at 360-479-6226. We accept
Visa or MasterCard.
Again, thank you!
New Exhibit
Photo: Washington State Historical Society
Director’s Message
A new exhibit, Nurses at Your Service: A Century of Caring, is on view at the
Kitsap History Museum.
Nursing was one of the first professions open to women. This exhibit tells the
story of how economics, war, epidemics and education shaped the profession in
Washington State over the last 100 years.
Developed by the Washington State Historical Society/Traveling Exhibit Service, the panels and images are complemented by photos and artifacts from the
Kitsap Museum’s collections. The exhibit will run through September.
It’s a Party!
You’re invited!
Happy Birthday,
Kitsap County Historical Society
Join us as we
celebrate 65 years
First Friday, July 5th
6 – 8 pm
Kitsap History Museum
Featur
i
ng the
f
Eric H antastic
One-m
aines
an ban
d, c
juggle omedian,
singer
r,
, guita
rist, st
6 – 7 p ilt walker
m
Ice Cream Sundaes
Birthday Cake
Beverages
Live Entertainment
Page 4
THE KITSAP HISTORIAN
Research Corner
A Look at the Book...
Bonnie Chrey
The third edition of Kitsap County: A History is now available for purchase
at the Kitsap Museum. Major changes and additions make this award-winning
book the most comprehensive reference of Kitsap County history — an entertaining and enlightening reference well worth adding to your collection.
There are better quality pictures, one complete index at the end, and additional appendices, including Mosquito Fleet routes, location names and naval,
seamanship and fishing terms. Drawn from reprinted newspaper and journal
articles, personal accounts and oral histories, narratives in the “Green Book”
provide an intriguing look back in time to the early days of our county.
While doing research for street
names in the county, I received a
request in a letter from a woman in Indiana. She is doing genealogy for her
family, which includes the Rockwell
family of Sidney (Port Orchard). She
was trying to find out where an ancestor, Henrietta Pegan Hatch Rockwell,
is buried and any further information
about her. She gave us background information on the family: Ira Rockwell
married Henrietta Pegan, and they
moved to Sidney in 1888. Henrietta
had a son, Henry, from her previous
marriage. On New Year’s Day, 1889,
Henry, then a teenager, was given permission to go hunting. He was removing a shotgun from the gun cabinet in
the kitchen. He didn’t realize the gun
was loaded, and it went off, shooting
a bullet through the wall and hitting
his mother in the chest while she was
sitting in a chair in the living room. Henrietta died minutes later.
Ira went on to adopt his stepson
Henry. I checked the WA state digital
archives and found an entry in “Frontier Justice” for 1889 for guardianship
for Henry Hatch. Ira was named his
guardian. I did not find any death entry for Ira or Henrietta.
Here at the museum, we did not
have any of this history of the Rockwell
family. We do have mention of Ira
Rockwell in our history book, but not
these family details.
Ira was the first mayor of Sidney,
elected in Sept 1890. He was also
selected to be a Washington state
representative and served in the state
legislature in 1891. There is a street in
Port Orchard named Rockwell in his
honor.
If anyone has any information
about this family, please contact me
at the museum, either at research@
kitsaphistory.org or 360-479-6226.
A peek inside the “Green Book” to whet your “historian” interest:
The Kitsap County Pioneer was the first county newspaper, launched
in 1866 in Port Orchard. “A. H Sroufe, came to work for the Pioneer
as typesetter and all ‘round man in the shop…being a wood cutter,
clam digger, house builder, boatman and shingle bold cutter.” The
next year Sroufe bought the Pioneer. He “became a militant fighter
for the growth of Sidney (now the town of Port Orchard) and Kitsap
County. Under its masthead was the phrase: ‘A Republican Newspaper, Independent in All Things and Neutral in Nothing — Devoted
to the Interests of Kitsap County and Western Washington.’”
120 years ago:
The world financial crash of 1893 had a disastrous effect on Kitsap
County. The large mills in the north of the Peninsula and on Bainbridge Island either closed down or curtailed their operations drastically. Port Madison, the County seat, no longer a center of business
became almost a ghost town. A county-wide election in 1893 determined that the County seat should be removed from Port Madison
and established in what was then Kitsap County’s only incorporated
town, Sidney.
One of the history book’s delightful anecdotes about surviving in the rough,
new territory:
Two ladies heard of a family with illness on the south side of the bay,
so they rowed across to their home. Their oars often banged against
floating lumber from the sawmills. Ashore, they beached their boat
but forgot about the changing tides. After a day’s work caring for the
sick family, they found their boat had floated off. Undaunted, they
picked a likely looking wide and heavy plank, kneeled on it, tucking
up their long skirts. With small boards fished out of the bay, they
paddled their plank home. Supper was only a little late.
… and much more! Stop by the museum and take a look. We think you’ll be
hooked on history.
Help, Please!
We would like help contacting some people who pre-purchased copies of
Kitsap County: A History but have not collected it yet. We cannot find them
at the addresses or telephone numbers previously given to us. If you have any
information about how to contact any of these people or members of their
family, please call us at 360-479-6226. You may leave a message.
Steve Gerdes, Kathryn Quade, Warren Van Zee, Charles,
son of deceased Lavena Mares, Karen Miller, Donald Smith
Summer 2013
In 1947, R. B. Campbell, who lived
on Marine Drive, wrote to the Bremerton Sun, suggesting the need for a local
museum. Others agreed, and in 1948 a
dedicated committee of local citizens
held the first meeting of what was to
become the Kitsap County Historical
Society. The date was January 16, chosen for its historical significance — on
that same date in 1857, Kitsap became
a county.
The first museum opened in 1949
in two rooms made available by the
county commissioners in the courthouse in Port Orchard. The association met quarterly and began placing
markers at historical sites about the
county. (At that time, the association
considered making Bainbridge Island
an historic district, as there were so
many notable sites located there.) Dues
were $1 per membership.
After eighteen years in the courthouse, KCHS moved in 1969 to a
former telephone company building
on Fourth Street. Donations from the
community made renovation of the
building possible.
Eventually a generous bequest from
one of the early members, Rosamond
Johnson (whose beautifully crafted
furniture and artwork are on display
in the mezzanine gallery of the current museum), enabled the purchase
in 1976 of the Silverdale State Bank
building in Old Town Silverdale,
which the museum called home until
the purchase and move in 1995 to its
present location in the former Seattle
First Bank Building on Fourth Street
in Bremerton. A corps of volunteers
transformed that cavernous space into
an attractive, suitable space for exhibits, research, and the safekeeping of
artifacts.
Still today, 65 years after its founding, the Kitsap County Historical Society thrives because of the dedication of
the community whose history it strives
to safeguard, share and celebrate.
Thank you to our devoted members, donors, and volunteers!
Speaker Series
The Kitsap Museum is delighted to feature Mary Lou
Slaughter, an internationally recognized basket weaver,
who will share her expertise of Northwest basketry the
evening of Thursday, June 20. A descendant of Chief
Seattle, Mary Lou Slaughter has inspired a renewed pride
in the unique traditions and creations of the Duwamish.
She will explain basketry materials and uses and will
show examples of her work.
Save the date July 18 to learn the fascinating stories
of many maritime features of Washington State. Local
historian Richard Blumenthal is the author of MARITIME PLACE NAMES Inland Washington Waters. His
carefully researched text includes every named island, bay, point, inlet, pass, harbor, channel, strait, canal, passage, peninsula, sound, shoal and rock identified
on current nautical charts. His book generally
identifies the individual who named the place,
when, why and for whom and describes the early
settlement history of each place.
On August 8, our historic local Point No
Point Lighthouse will be the topic when Chad
Kaiser, project manager for the restoration of
the lighthouse, will describe the work on the
lighthouse and the keeper’s workshop so far and
the ongoing efforts to restore the light station.
Point No Point Lighthouse has been in continuous operation since 1879. Connolly Insurance in
Silverdale sponsors the talk.
The Speaker Series programs begin at
7 p.m. Please come early and join us for a wine
and cheese reception at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for museum members, $20
for non-members. Reservations are encouraged. Call the museum at
360-479-6226.
Photo: U.S. Lighthouse Society
65 Years of History
Page 5
Volunteer Profile
Since
graduating
from Olympic
College, Garrison HainesTemons has
been generously donating his time at
the museum
once a week.
Garrison
explains, “I first began volunteering at
the Kitsap Historical Society in March
2011 at the recommendation of my job
coach at Peninsula Services. Since day
one, I felt like I was part of a secondary family. All of my supervisors and
coworkers have been very friendly to
me and always come up with helpful
projects for me to do. “
Garrison first did data entry —
essential record-keeping at a museum
— for Mosquito Fleet ships, but has
willingly taken on a variety of tasks,
such as making digital copies of documents or organizing storage areas.
“These tasks may not seem like much
on the surface, but everyone in the
museum was grateful when they were
completed,” says Garrison.
Garrison hopes to become a professional writer, preferably fiction, but
is open to writing newspaper articles,
grant requests, product reviews, and
other projects. His job coach suggested
the volunteer work to enhance his
resume. Garrison recommends volunteering at the Kitsap Historical Society.
“It’s a laidback place with a friendly
staff and plenty to do. And while you’re
at it, take a stroll around the museum
and look at the neat artifacts!”
THE KITSAP HISTORIAN
Come to the Fair!
Photo: Gary Beanland
Page 6
A popular attraction at the Kitsap County Fair & Stampede in August, the
Kitsap Historical Society’s Rural Heritage Barn is a treasure trove of gadgets,
implements and machinery, often handmade and always inventive, used by early
residents of the county to make a life in the Northwest.
Pictured in the barn are two large turn-of-the-century artifacts. On the left
is a “belly-dump wagon,” an early version of a dump truck, pulled by horses and
used by the county for roadwork. The wagon had two doors in the bed that the
driver opened to dump the load. On the right is a steam engine that would be
pulled to a site and used to drive the shaft of various machines, such as a thresher
or rock crusher.
Bring the family and come to the fair! This year’s fair is August 21-25.
KCHS Thanks Our Supporting Sponsors:
David Connolly Insurance
Agency
Silverdale WA
DeMers Investigations
Dick Vlist Moters
Echo Artworks and
Friendly Bead Shop
Annamarie Lavieri and Al Gunther
Dick Eskridge
Bonnie and Sig Chrey
Nina Hallett
Carolyn McClurkan
Donna Moreland
Summer 2013
Page 7
Dee Molenaar, renowned mountaineer
and artist, regales a delighted audience
at the Kitsap Museum with anecdotes
about his participation in the attempted
ascent of K-2 in 1953. There were gasps
as Dee described the rope, secured by
one climber, that held himself and five
other climbers who had slid precipitously
down the mountain as being stretched
to the diameter of a thin lead pencil. Dee
presented a slide show explaining the
geology of Washington and Puget Sound
as part of the KCHS Speakers Series.
Thank You!
KCHS is grateful to …
• Rich Gales for donating graphic
artwork for event flyers.
• Claudia Hunt for donation of a
computer for front desk
• Gary Beanland for facilitating the
lighting upgrade in the artifact storage area and executive director office
• Kitsap Community Foundation for
grant support of the nurses exhibit.
• Ron Potter for keeping the KCHS
web site up to date
• Donna Moreland for posting KCHS
information on Facebook
• Bob Christensen for graphic design
work for the Antique Show.
• Jim Trainer for donating a sapling from a Kitsap County heritage
copper beech tree to be raffled as a
fundraiser for KCHS.
Photo: Susan Daniel
Photo: Ron Potter
Eat Your Way Goes to School
“Schoolmarm” Marvel Hunt describes for the May Eat Your Way through Kitsap History tour group what a typical school day was like for the teacher and her
students at the Clear Creek School in the early 1900s. Marvel and her husband
Randy Hunt, along with other dedicated Clear Creek Community Club members, transformed the usually empty hall into an evocative rendition of the early
schoolroom.
Artist Sandra Ramsey worked magic when she painted lifelike representations
of children on partitions separating the schoolroom from the girls’ cloakroom
and the library. The partitions were erected just for the event, using historic
photos and plates on the floor indicating where they had stood. Sandra also
drew chalk faces of children on “blackboards” around the room. A stuffed “doll”
teacher sat at the desk in the front of the room.
Sandra lives next door to the community club in a little house she transformed into a charming, cozy cottage, and which she invited the group to walk
through. The house was built as a schoolteacher’s house in order to entice teachers to hire on at the school.
Two gentlemen, Dave Gillette and Eric Egley, who attended the school in first
grade, came to the event and shared their stories about the school.
Don’t miss the next courses on the Eat Your Way menu. See the calendar on
page 8 or check the KCHS website: kitsaphistory.org.
Appraiser Jerry Garner shares
his expertise with a patron at
the Kitsap Antique Show held
Mother's Day weekend at the
President's Hall at the Kitsap
County Fairgrounds. Produced
jointly by the Kitsap Historical
Society and the Puget Sound
Genealogical Society, the
Antique Show was sponsored
by Kitsap Credit Union, Kitsap
Regional Libraries, and Sound
Publishing. Kitsap County Historical Society
Museum & Store
Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
280 Fourth Street
Bremerton, WA 98337
Bremerton, WA
Phone: 360.479.6226
www.kitsaphistory.org
Permit #42
The Kitsap County Historical Society & Museum
presents the 3rd Annual
Save the Date!
Kitsap Heritage Family Banquet
Recognizing five Kitsap Families for
their longevity in Kitsap County and
for their contribution to the community
• Dinner
Friday, September 20, 2013
• Recognition ceremony
Kiana Lodge at
Agate Passage
• Dessert auction
6:00-9:00 pm
For information: Please call (360) 479-6226
www.kitsaphistory.org
June
Coming Soon!
Announcement of 2013 honorees
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
20 KCHS Speaker Series: Mary Lou Slaughter “Northwest Basketry” 7 pm
27 Eat Your Way through Kitsap History: Ron Gillespie’s Garden &
Anna Smith Garden 11 am
July
5 First Friday – KCHS 65th Birthday Celebration – Ice Cream Social 6 pm
18 KCHS Speaker Series: Richard Blumenthal “MARITIME PLACE NAMES
Inland Washington Waters” 7 pm
25 Eat Your Way through Kitsap History: Automobile Memorabilia and
Historic Port Orchard homes 10:30 am
June 20th
August
2 First Friday – Meet Your Museum – Docent tours of the Kitsap
Museum 6 pm
8 KCHS Speaker Series: “Point No Point Lighthouse Restoration” 7 pm
10 Eat Your Way through Kitsap History: Japanese American Exclusion
Memorial 10:30 am
21-25 KCHS Rural Heritage Barn, Kitsap County Fair and Stampede
September
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20 Kitsap Heritage Family Banquet Kiana Lodge 6 pm
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REMEMBER
LEARN