Looking Back

When the U.S. stock market collapsed on what is known as Black Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1929, it ushered in almost 10 years of the most severe and long-lasting depression ever…

After receiving the latest issue of the Historic Edmonds Calendar as published by the Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission, I found that the 2023 calendar equaled the excellent standards we have…

The 1930s was known not only as the decade of the Great Depression and the ending of prohibition, it was also a time of high-profile kidnapping-for-ransom of children with well-to-do…

You can read Part 1 of this series here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here. Soon after Lewis Cressey arrived in South Snohomish County, his name became a familiar one….

You can read Part 1 of this series here and Part 2 here. After a vigorous campaign by Lynnwood’s Commercial Club, on June 16, 1948, the Federal Post Office Department…

You can read Part 1 of this series here. Historically, Lynnwood had its beginnings in 1888 when the land ownership at what is now Lynnwood at the Crossroads consisted of…

Before – a treasured photo For me, old books hold a special place in my heart. A few years ago, as a volunteer at Humble House, Sno-Isle Genealogical Society’s library…

Recently an article in an Edmonds historical publication reported on a disastrous fire in November of 1938—a fire which destroyed Charles Cressey’s Garage and Service Station. However, the article erroneously…

Through the years, Edmonds Memorial Cemetery and Columbarium has become known as A Place of Tradition; and one of its most respected traditions has been the annual Memorial Day Observance…

Each year, before Memorial Day, my objective is to feature one local service member whose name is engraved on the Edmonds School District’s Veterans’ Memorial Monument, or one who is…

In 1911, during a discussion regarding journalism and publicity, Arthur Brisbane, a respected New York newspaper editor, made this observation.  “Use a picture.  It’s worth a thousand words.” While writing…

History remembers the celebrated – genealogy remembers them all Readers of my Looking Back columns may have noticed that I often go beyond history to include genealogy research in my…

As a child in the 1930s, I remember that several communities in Snohomish County had their own signs to welcome visitors. However, during that time, the signs were mainly in…

“There was an old abandoned cemetery on the hill east of Ninth Ave., in the vicinity of Walnut Street.  It was overgrown with briars, salal, and small evergreens.  The few…

The people who came to Edmonds when it was still a developing small town, came from various places and backgrounds.  Some had very little money and others were lucky to…

Twenty years ago, when American Airlines Flight No. 77 was hijacked by five terrorists and deliberately flown into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters in Washington, D.C., one…

During the early 1930s, as our nation struggled to survive the Great Depression, a new sport burst upon the scene, and oval tracks for midget car racing began appearing throughout…

When the little village of Edmonds incorporated as a fourth-class town in August of 1890, even though there had been some hard times, the residents must have been filled with…

Nothing appears to symbolize the true meaning of Memorial Day in our country more than the beautiful and poignant poem In Flanders Fields. This poem was written 106 years ago…

Part 2 of two parts. You can read Part 1 here. In 1910 – on the way to the waterfront mills in Edmonds Nothing depicts the early days of the…

Part 1 of two parts Before Lynnwood – a peaceful land of giant trees When the loggers and the homesteaders came to the area we know today as Lynnwood, except…

The latest issue of the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Magazine reminded me that on Monday, March 29, our country will pay honor to the veterans of the Vietnam War,…

Sometimes writing articles about history can be frustrating, controversial, and even boring. Right in the middle of putting together an article about a large lumber company, its long-time log agent,…

Some changes in my own life inspired me to look at the history of shopping from a different perspective, and to realize that through the years, even though new technology…

Recently, a reader commenting on my April 9, 2019 article, “Looking Back: South Snohomish County place names from the past,” asked how Shell Creek got its name? In my reply to…