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With the installation of the 38-foot wooden tower pole complete, exterior painting will begin as the weather warms.
Historic Vaughn Library Hall Restoration Forges Ahead for the Love of History
The Key Peninsula Historical Society was awarded a $35,000 Pierce County Historic Preservation grant Jan. 31 after being ranked No. 1 on the county project list for its ongoing restoration of the … more
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Undated photo of the west shore of Glen Cove with the historic hotel on the left. Orchards extended up the hill behind the house.
The Bay in the Woods: The Story of Glencove
The site of YMCA Camp Seymour and of the Olde Glencove Hotel, the sheltered bay has a long history. more
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Ed Ricketts in the bull kelp at Point Wilson, 1930.
About Ed Ricketts: A Cannery Row Character on the KP (Maybe)
Historian Michael Kenneth Hemp moved to Wauna from Monterey, California, in 2017 to follow the trail of Ed Ricketts. more
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Asahel Curtis photo of the Purdy Bridge soon after it was completed in 1937.
The Fourth Purdy Bridge: A Design for the Ages
The first bridge over Henderson Bay between Purdy and the Wauna sandspit was built in 1892. Seemingly star-crossed almost from the outset, the structure required frequent repairs and had to be … more
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The boatside view of Lakebay Marina without any docks.
A New Day for Lakebay Marina
Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz visited Lakebay Marina June 4 in part to celebrate the partnership to save the iconic facility and to see for herself what the Department of … more
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1936 photo of the third Purdy Bridge.
Of Roads and Bridges: The Third Purdy Bridge
It was 1919, and the age of the automobile was in full swing. The nation’s rural roads and bridges, until then built for and used primarily by farmers, were … more
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A 2014 photo of the Purdy Bridge at sunset.
The Purdy Bridge: The Early Years
The sleek arc of the Purdy Bridge rises in a graceful sweep over the narrow channel between Henderson Bay and Burley Lagoon. An iconic part of the landscape since it was built in 1936, the concrete … more
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New signage with corrected spelling.
Tiedeman Road Name Corrected
If you live on or drive by Tiedman Road, you may have noticed that the spelling on the road signs was recently changed to Tiedeman. Pierce County updated the signs the week of April 18 to reflect the … more
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Don Olson was one of the first volunteer firefighters when District 16 was organized in 1952 and served until the 1970s. He was the volunteer chief from 1955-57.
The Blue House on the Highway
Key Center can be a busy place, and unless one is an old-timer or paying close attention it’s easy to miss the blue house on the west side of the road, on a slope between Sunnycrest Nursery and … more
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Deck the Halls: When the KP Grew Holly
The Key Peninsula once worked hard every December to deck the halls of America with boughs of holly. For a brief decade in the 1930s, one of the most promising crops in the South Puget Sound area was holly. more
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Mount Rainier or T’qo’bəd sometimes wears a “hat,” which meant to Native people that a weather change could be expected.
The Source of All Waters
Who among us has not been awestruck by the mystery and majesty of the mountain that seems to disappear and reappear at her discretion? That mountain, called Mount Rainier since 1792, when Captain … more
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Honoring the First Residents
A new historical plaque in honor of the Native People of Filucy Bay was unveiled at the Longbranch Marina in a dedication ceremony May 26. Well-known archeologist and anthropologist Lynn Larson, a … more
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Skokomish cedar and reed basket, circa 1900, with wolves and dogs. The wolves have their tails down and the dogs have their tails up. This type of pliable basket was used for clothing or other soft items rather than food. In this region, remains of domesticated dogs date as far back as 1,000 BCE. Museum of History and Industry, 1957.1239.6
Cedar, the Life Giver
Although cedar shaped one of the world’s great cultures, the mighty and straight-grained Western red cedar that can live hundreds of years, is rarely, if ever, seen on the Key Peninsula in the size that it can reach. more
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A combined steamer-rail line would connect Seattle to Olympia via Colby on the Kitsap Peninsula and Vaughn.
From Seattle to Olympia via Vaughn: E. G. Edrington’s Dream
The summer of 1895 was a busy and exciting time for Edmund G. Edrington of Vaughn. All the parts of an idea he had been working on for a couple of years seemed to be coming together; it was time to form a company, raise the capital and make it happen. more
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The Home Band circa 1907
Early Days of the Key Peninsula
When George Vancouver explored Washington’s inland waterways in May of 1792, he quickly came under the spell of “the serenity of the climate, the innumerable pleasing landscapes, and the … more
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A Votes for Women pennant was carried by Dr. Cora Smith Eaton, a member of the Mountaineers Club to the summit of Mt. Rainier, fastened to the staff of the Alaskan-Yukon Pacific exposition flag. The flags were planted in the highest snows on top of Columbia Crest, a white dome that rises above the mountain's crater.
Women Who Dared: A Celebration of Suffrage History and Local Pioneer Women
The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th amendment, a change to the Constitution of the United States recognizing and proclaiming the right to vote for women. It is … more
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McMicken Island marine state park is a favorite destination for area boaters.
The Story of McMicken Island
McMicken Island, a few hundred feet from Harstine Island to the west of the Key Peninsula, is a favorite destination for area boaters and kayakers. One of about 40 marine state parks in Washington, … more
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The Everlasting U.S. Census
In the 1880 census Charles Pack, the first settler on Herron Island, was recorded as living on Ketron Island. Ketron is a small island on the opposite side of the Sound, across from Steilacoom. … more
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Pacific Region Archives in Seattle to Close
The community of Northwest archivists, historians, genealogists and writers as well as many ordinary citizens were shocked at … more
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The Night Key Center Burned
Fifty years ago, in the early morning hours of Feb. 4, 1970, a fire of unprecedented proportions burned through several businesses in Key Center, leaving only ashes and charred rubble in its wake. more
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