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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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Charley Pack, Herron Island Pioneer
An 1889 map showing Charles E. Pack (misspelled as Peck) as the owner of a portion of Herron Island. From Plummer's Complete Atlas of the County of Pierce, Wash. … more
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Homemade Parade Rides Again July 4
It is perhaps the most fitting legacy of the 19th century utopian, … more
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Vaughn Library Hall Restoration Underway
KPHS board members Bart Wolfe, Judy Mills and Paul Michaels have been leading the restoration of the historic Vaughn Library Hall. Photo: Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP … more
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McNeil Island’s Past and Present
Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News United States Penitentiary, McNeil Island, photographic print, cyanotype. Buildings of the U.S. Penitentiary on McNeil Island, WA, circa 1890-91. Looking … more
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Herron Island: A Logger Remembers
Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News Herron Island at sunrise. Photo: Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News The early 1950s were an uncharacteristically busy time on Herron Island. Until then an … more
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A Short History of Herron Island
Joseph Pentheroudakis, KP News Rare aerial photo of Herron Island dated August-September 1951 showing a logging raft almost a third full. The raft stretches about 800 feet along the east side of … more
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Unforgotten History: The Old German Lutheran Cemetery
Lisa Bryan, KP News The Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity was built in 1890. It was burned down in 1971 as one of a string of unsolved KP arsons. Courtesy KP Historical … more
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