History

Sno-Isle Geneaological Society book reading set for June 28

Sno-Isle Genealogical Society will presents a book reading on Sunday, June 28, at 1 p.m., by member/author Gisela Wicks on “Born into Hitler’s War.” This memoir is the story of Wicks’ childhood and teen years having to live with a spiteful stepmother, surviving the hardship of World War II, fearing the Russian fronts, fleeing from…

1890s school bell returns to Edmonds Museum Plaza

The school bell that first called children to class in the 1890s returned to the Edmonds Historical Museum Wednesday, taking its place as a centerpiece of the soon-to-be-completed Museum Plaza. The bell was installed in its new bell tower Wednesday, just in time to be seen by visitors on opening day of the Edmonds Summer…

‘Snapshots in Time’ at Edmonds Historical Museum shows same image, years apart

Ever wonder how your favorite “Edmonds kind of place” looked 25, 50 or even 100 years ago? Take a walk through “Snapshots in Time,” the latest exhibit at the Edmonds Historical Museum, and you may just find out. Created with the help of local photographer Bob Sears, the exhibit pulls together interesting photos from the…

Historic Schumacher Building to join Edmonds Register of Historic Places

The Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) as announced the newest addition to the Edmonds Register of Historic Places: the Schumacher Building at 316 Main Street, which now houses Chanterelle bistro. A plaque ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. June 2 outside of Chanterelle, with Edmonds Mayor David Earling, HPC commissioners, and local business owners…

Looking Back: Reuben Hunter and an early-day mystery

Over 70 years before there was a City of Lynnwood, and even before Alderwood Manor, a few pioneer families were living on land that is now part of Lynnwood. They were the homesteaders, and three of the most well-remembered family names were Hunter, Breed and Morrice. Without a doubt, the most interesting of these was…

Looking Back: 50 years ago — February 1965

Fifty years ago this month on Feb. 3, one of the major events taking place was the opening of Interstate 5 from Seattle to Everett. Two o’clock ceremonies at the Northeast 145th Street Interchange in Seattle included the U.S. color guard from Fort Lawton and the Queen Anne high school band. Following was an address…

Go back to school with new exhibit at the Edmonds Historical Museum

Remember the old schoolhouse desks where your seat was connected to the desk of the student behind you? How about when Edmonds High and Woodway High were two different schools? Ever attend a one-room schoolhouse? See and learn about all this and more at “Washington Schoolhouses,” the new exhibit at the Edmonds Historical Museum. Beginning…

Edmonds Museum storage is history — can you help?

The Edmonds Historical Museum and the Edmonds-South Snohomish County Historical Society need your help! Thanks to generous donations from citizens and businesses over the years, the Society has added many family treasures and community artifacts to the Museum collection. While some of these are on permanent display, most are kept in storage and brought out…

Looking Back: A joining of the past and the electronic age

For many people, microfilm and microfiche may appear too antiquated to even bother with anymore. Especially, since it may seem as if everything that is important from the past in the way of books and other written material has now been digitized and is available to all. However, if you are a historian, a writer,…

Looking Back: The 1870 federal census and yet another genealogy pitfall

A very puzzling roadblock came to light with the 1870 decennial federal census when I was gathering information while writing the book Chirouse, I could find no listing for Tulalip in Snohomish County. At this same time, I was also researching the history of the pioneering Spithill family. I ran into the identical problem in…

Looking Back: Genealogy and booby traps

In 1790 the first decennial United States federal census had its beginnings with a simple purpose—to count people. The main objective was to determine the number of representatives to Congress from each state. The framers of the Constitution did not have genealogy in mind when they called for the enumeration of residents of this new…

2015 Historic Edmonds calendars now available

The City of Edmonds Historic Preservation Commission is proud to announce the release of the 2015 Historic Edmonds Calendar. This high quality, 12-month calendar depicts important events, places, and people from Edmonds’ past and is free to the public while supplies last. The historic photographs were provided by the Edmonds Historical Museum. Calendar layout and…

Looking Back: My father Walter Deebach and WWI

While attending the very impressive Veterans Day ceremony held by Lynnwood Post 1040, Veterans of Foreign Wars, on Nov. 11, I could not help but remember my father and how much his service in the military during WWI had impacted his life. Within a few months of our move to Alderwood Manor in 1933, my…

A look back in Edmonds: Larry Strickland and terror at the Pentagon

The ending of WWI in 1918 held out the hope that it would be the war that would end all wars and lead to peace. On that note, in 1919 Armistice Day was established to be observed annually on the 11th day of November at the 11th hour; to coincide with the ending of the…

Looking Back in Edmonds: The Walking Lady — Martha Kraencke

There is no doubt that each city has its colorful characters. However, you will have to go far to find one more intriguing than Martha Kraencke, the walking lady of Edmonds. Martha was not just different; she had an aura of mystery about her. You could tell she must have been beautiful in her young…

Scene in Edmonds: Scarecrows around town

Artfully Edmonds columnist Emily Hill took her camera around Edmonds Thursday to catch a sample of the first batch of scarecrows entered in the Second Annual Edmonds Scarecrow Festival, sponsored by the Edmonds Museum. If you want to visit, the first group is located as follows: 1) Chanterelle Restaurant – 316 Main 2) City of…

Edmonds Museum names new director

The Edmonds Historical Museum and the Edmonds-South Snohomish County Historical Society has named Dr. Peter Bojakowski as the new Museum Director. He takes the helm starting Wednesday, Oct. 1. “We were fortunate to have a fantastic group of applicants,” said Emily Scott, chair of the selection committee. “It was a tough choice, but Peter’s combination…

Looking Back: Gertie Perrin’s Perrinville

When Carl Perrin returned to their comfortable home in downtown Edmonds and told his wife Gertie they had just become owners of a few acres of land a few miles northeast and they were moving. Gertie’s comeback to him was “If I am moving to the sticks, then I am starting me a town.” True…

Reminder: Edmonds Church of God to celebrate centennial anniversary Aug. 22-24

The Edmonds Church of God will be celebrating its centennial with a weekend of events Aug. 22-24. According to a church announcement, the Church of God movement — based in Anderson, Indiana — began in 1881. In the summer of 1914 at the “Tall Timbers” camp meeting in Edmonds (the campgrounds were located at the…

Happy birthday, Edmonds!

It was August 1890. For months there had been talk of incorporating Edmonds as a town, and the time finally seemed ripe to make this happen. It was the culmination of 18 years of growth and development that had seen George Brackett’s logging camp grow into a full-fledged town. An election was called for Aug….