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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 Issue 4 - Memories by Dail Butler Laughery.pdfBirth, Life & Death
on exhibit Dec. 8th
at RHM.
President’s Report
by Stefanie McIrvin,
Board President.
Public Engagement
Report by Mark
Mulder.
Museum Report
by Elizabeth P.
Stewart, Director.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Dail Butler Laughery moved to Renton as a very young girl
after her mother’s death in 1903. She spent her childhood in
Renton and remained here until 1918, living with her paternal
grandparents, James W. and Hattie W. Butler, while her
father earned a living. In addition to her brother Cecil, Dail’s
extended family included aunts Melba, Fae, and Alma and
uncles James and Glenn; in the 1910 census, most of them were
living together in a house on Park Avenue. Dail married Cecil
Laughery in 1921, and would become a published poet and
National Poetry Contest winner. Though Dail was here for only
15 years, it was at a critical time in the city’s history immediately
following Renton’s 1901 incorporation as a fourth-class city.
Mrs. Laughery felt a strong connection to the area and produced
many writings about memories of her youthful days here. The
following are excerpts from her reminiscences, which are housed
at the Renton History Museum.
DAIL BUTLER LAUGHERY
I was born in Spokane County to Nellie Campbell Butler and
Adrian Lloyd Butler, their third child, on February 28th, 1900.
Also In This Issue...
RENTON HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM
Winter
December 2015
Volume 46
Number 4
Continued on page 5
2 4 83
MEMORIES
QUARTERLY
by Dail Butler Laughery
2 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
BIRTH, LIFE & DEATH
D octors followed the westward expansion across America. Renton’s first
doctor, Dr. Abijah Beach, arrived in 1883. As Renton quickly grew he was
followed by many hardworking men and women who took care of the masses.
Birth, Life & Death illustrates the story of Renton’s rich medical history including
Dr. Adolph Bronson, Nurse Olive Guitteau, Dr. Charles Dixon, Dr. Hugh Adams,
Nurse Gertrude Adams and more. It features numerous historic photographs and
antique medical tools and uniforms, many on display for the first time!
From
DECEMBER
8
To
MAY
21
HOLIDAY GIFTS
AVAILABLE AT MUSEUM
Birth
&Death
Life
NEW STATE HISTORIC
SITE IN RENTON
As always, the Museum
has gift memberships
available for purchase
during this holiday
season. Additionally, we
have new merchandise in
our gift shop. We know
you’ve been waiting for
a new museum t-shirt
and there are now t-shirts
available! We have
adult sizes S-XXL and
children’s sizes S-XL.
The kid’s shirts have the
new logo emblazoned
across the front, and the
adult shirts have the main
logo on the back and our
new initials on the front.
We also have ceramic
mugs for sale, as well as
postcards and note cards
with Renton scenes, the
only selection in town.
In October the F. W.
Woolworth’s building at
Third and Williams was
listed on the Washington
State Register of Historic
Places, and its nomination
was forwarded on to
the National Register.
Constructed in 1954, the
Woolworth’s was specially
built to be the first all self-
service department store in
the state. The building was
designed in the International
Style, a common mid-20th
century architecture that
relied on simplified forms
and plenty of glass. Along
with the J. C. Penney’s,
Woolworth’s served as
an anchor for a vibrant
downtown until it closed
in the mid-1970s. Renton
Western Wear occupied the
building from 1989-2013.
WINTER QUARTERLY, 2015 | 3
MUSEUM REPORT
QUARTERLY
Winter 2015
Change is SO difficult. In the past twelve months we
have lost four Museum supporters, members, and
volunteers who have been near and dear to all of us.
Each one fulfilled an important role in the life of the Museum,
and each is irreplaceable. Councilmember Terri Briere and her
husband Bill were always ready with advice and construction
assistance when a facility project came up. We’re thinking
of them as we prepare to renovate our lobby and offices in
early 2016. Until her death in January, longtime Board of
Trustees member Susie Bressan served skillfully as Chair of
our fundraiser, wrangling auction items and event volunteers
to create fun and profitable events. She was very much on
our minds as we tried a new History-Making Party at The Red
House on October 4.
And now Don Custer, former Renton Mayor and long-
term Museum volunteer, has also passed. Ten years ago Don
spearheaded a team of volunteers who revised the popular
Morda Slauson book, Renton, From Coal to Jets, and more
recently he was a key volunteer on the Friends of Renton High
School’s Wall of Honor initiative. We’ll be thinking of Don
every time we need an answer to a Renton history question and
he’s not around to help us. (See page 11 for more on Don.)
Each of these men and women is precious and
irreplaceable, and yet our mission to preserve and educate
about Renton’s history has to be bigger than any one of us.
Change goes on all around us—just look at the upheaval in
the Museum’s neighborhood right now, as the Lofts at Second
and Main spring up and the Pacific Glass building comes
down. But the Renton History Museum’s mission and vision
inspire us to find a way to look to the future as we preserve
the disappearing past.
When he became Mayor in 1964, Don Custer had
a vision of a city with a strong community core—a library,
City Hall, Community Center, and theatre—clustered around
the Cedar River. His vision inspired others to help make that
happen, and fifty years later, we are the beneficiaries of that
willingness to embrace change, no matter how scary.
And now, even as we mourn their loss, we must find
a way to continue the vision that these four leaders had, of a
Museum housed in a state-of-the-art historic building, one that
is a steward of the past with a sustainable plan for the future,
unafraid of trying new experiments that will keep us relevant
to future generations. We will never forget those who gave so
much of their time, energy, and spirit; we hope we can honor
their memory by improving on what they started.
by Elizabeth P. Stewart,
Museum Director
City Councilmember Terri Briere.
RENTON HISTORICAL
QUARTERLY
Sarah Samson
Graphic Design & Layout
Karl Hurst
City of Renton Print &
Mail Services
RENTON HISTORICAL
SOCIETY BOARD
OF TRUSTEES
Stefanie McIrvin, President
Kim Sweet, Vice President
Laura Clawson, Treasurer
Elizabeth P. Stewart, Secretary
Alice Stenstrom, 2016
Lisa Wivag, 2016
Vicki Jo Utterstrom, 2017
Betsy Prather, 2018
Vinod Waghamare, 2018
MUSEUM STAFF
Elizabeth P. Stewart
Museum Director
Sarah Samson
Collection Manager
Mark Mulder
Public Engagement
Coordinator
Laurie Lent
Office Aide
RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
235 MILL AVENUE S
RENTON, WA 98057
P (425) 255-2330
F (425) 255-1570
HOURS:
Tuesday - Saturday
10:00am - 4:00pm
ADMISSION:
$3 (Adult)
$1 (Child)
Renton Historical Society
Board Member Susie Bressan.
Former Mayor Don Custer
emceeing our 2012 Dinner Auction.
4 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
Autumn is fundraising time for Renton nonprofits.
This year the Renton Historical Society put a slightly
different spin on our usual Dinner Auction by teaming
up with Renton restauranteur Gene Sens. Gene very generously
offered us the use of The Red House on a Sunday afternoon in
October, and we jumped at the chance for a partnership with this
much-loved Renton institution!
We got a perfectly sunny day for our event, and almost
160 people bought tickets to enjoy tastings of wine, beer, cider,
cheese, and meats, as well as a delicious Red House buffet. Gene
had the chance to unveil many of the design changes he made this
summer to the second floor of the restaurant, particularly the historic
photos that remind diners of Old Renton. Many of our guests stayed
out on the deck to listen to guitarist Angelo Pizarro and combo Jazz
Horn. We sold hundreds of raffle tickets, the proceeds of which
helped get us halfway to our fundraising goal for 2015.
Our proceeds were more modest than at other events,
but the History-Making Party helped us hit many of our other
goals. Thanks in part to Gene and Red House clientele, we were
able to introduce the Renton Historical Society and the Renton
History Museum to many new people. Because it was a different
kind of event for us, folks who didn’t know anything about the
Museum decided to give us a try for the first time; we’re hoping
they’ll come back for more! We were also delighted to begin
building a partnership with a Downtown Renton business-owner,
because we’re always open to working with our Downtown
friends. And we even picked up a few new members and some
potential Board members. All in all, the event was a success,
and we’ll be hosting another History-Making Party again
sometime in 2016.
Speaking of Board members, we’ll be accepting
applications through the end of the year for a group of new
trustees to start in January. We’ve got some exciting projects
coming up in 2016, including the renovation of our Museum
lobby, the development of a new strategic plan, and membership
building events, so it’s a great time to join the Renton Historical
Society Board. We are looking for enthusiastic community
members with skills in event planning, fundraising, marketing,
strategic planning, public speaking, and especially bookkeeping
and/or accounting. If you’re looking for a fun volunteer
opportunity that will build your leadership skills and help you
learn about your community, this is the place for you! Contact
Liz Stewart by email at estewart@rentonwa.gov or by phone at
425.255.2330, and we’ll get you signed up.
Thanks for your support, and we’ll look forward to seeing more
of you in 2016!
by Stefanie McIrvin, President
UPCOMING
EVENTS
FREE SATURDAY TOURS
Every 3rd Saturday
11:00 am-12:00 pm
Our knowledgeable docents
lead free tours every 3rd
Saturday of the month.
MOVIE SCREENING:
PROMISED LAND
June 11
4:00-6:30 pm
A documentary, Promised Land
tells the story of the Duwamish
and Chinook nations fight
for sovereignty and federal
recognition with the world.
Guests of the History-Making Party
enjoying Jazz Horn on the patio.
Stefanie McIrvin
President
EXHIBIT OPENING FOR
BIRTH, LIFE & DEATH
December 10
5:30-7:30 pm
Join us to celebrate the
opening of our new exhibit
Birth, Life & Death! Light
refreshments will be served.
Birth
&Death
Life
Former Museum staffer Colleen
Lenahan and Justin Hansen
celebrating their raffle win.
WINTER QUARTERLY, 2015 | 5
My mother had had inflammatory rheumatism when she was 14
years old and she developed what was then called leakage of the
heart for which she had to take digitalis. She had a girl working
for her, and when the girl saw the word POISON on the label of
the bottle, she threw Mother’s medicine down the outside toilet.
Mother must have been too weak to protest, as digitalis, which
had been used for heart treatment for over a thousand years, was
the only medicine which could keep Mother alive. She died on
January 5, 1903 just before my third birthday. Needless to say, I
have missed her all my life.
WHEN IS MY BIRTHDAY?
As I grew older, I noticed that everyone had a birthday, so
I asked Grandmother Butler when my birthday was. Father
said February 20th, an aunt said it was February 22nd and
Grandmother said it was February 28th. Since no one seemed to
know for sure, I remember saying, “Then I’ll take February 26th,
so I can celebrate my birthday, too.” About 40 years ago, I made
a trip to Spokane and went to the old Court House to look up the
record. I found that a baby girl was born to Adrian and Nellie
Butler on February 28, 1900. Of course I told the auditor or
clerk to put my name on their record as I had been that baby. The
Continued from page 1
Cover photo:
Bookkeeping gate at Pacific
Car & Foundry, 1918. L-R:
unknown, Violet Hayes, Hazel
Naud, unknown, and Dail
Butler. (RHM# 1992.100.9963)
MEMORIES
James W. and Hattie Butler home, 211 Park Ave. N., 1918. This was the fourth house built in North Renton and was
Dail Butler’s childhood home. (RHM# 1973.013.4555)
6 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
next year I tried to change from February 26th to 28th, but habit
is strong. Some remembered the 26th, and some the 28th of the
month, so ever since I have celebrated all three days and enjoy
every birthday as it comes.
DIPTHERIA
When I was between five and six years of age, I had a very severe
case of diptheria. Grandfather believed himself to be a “Magnetic
Healer” and tried to cure my closing throat, but of course, to no
avail. Grandmother finally called Aunt Fae and she came right
down from their home on Riverton Heights.Since she had nurses’
training, it didn’t take her long to figure out an excuse to send
Grandfather uptown. As soon as he went out the door, she called
Dr. Bronson to come quickly, which he did and he administered
some antitoxin. I well remember when he put the needle in my
back to administer the medication. Bless him, he came back
several times and gave me medicine and shots to relieve my
aching throat. Then Aunt Fae would have me open my mouth and
she would spray my throat with Listerine. Each time Dr. Bronson
came, he would take me on his knee and hug me and give me
pennies, nickels or a dime. He was such a fine understanding
man, that I have always been most grateful to him. After I was
married and my husband and I were living in North Renton, I was
privileged to have him with me to deliver my lovely baby girl.1
FIRE AT PACIFIC CAR & FOUNDRY
Since my father, Adrian Lloyd Butler, was one of the early
volunteer firemen of Renton, we were all very conscious of any Cecil and Dail Butler, 1911. (RHM# 1973.013.4556)
Aftermath of the fire at Seattle Car Works (later Pacific Car & Foundry), 1908.
(RHM# 1973.013.4554)
WINTER QUARTERLY, 2015 | 7
fire in the valley. It took six men to roll out the big old hose on
the red carts, but that was their best and only way to fight fire in
the early days of Renton. When the fire bells rang, everyone ran
to see where the fire was located.2
One hot day in the summer of 1908 or ‘09, the fire bells
rang out all over town, meaning there was a big fire somewhere.
We could see the hose carts rushing over the bridge on Cedar
River into North Renton so Grandmother called my Aunt Melba
[Butler] at the telephone switchboard in South Renton, only to
learn that the fire was north of us and over eight blocks. We all ran
the eight blocks to see huge columns of grey smoke, where the
Pacific Car and Foundry was located.
Of course, we children were all barefooted, and I recall
the warm dust of Park Avenue and as we turned to the trail leading
north and east of Bennett’s Corner, how cool the green grass was
as we skipped over it in our hurry.3
Grandmother, and my aunts, Alma and Fae, raced along
with us, and such a fire as it was! The red, yellow, orange and blue
flames raced along the timbers of the buildings, and then turned to
dark billowing, forbidding grey clouds of smoke as it reached the
upper air and spread out all over the valley. The flaming timbers
were falling and the copper wires gleamed where the insulation
had burned off. It was truly an awesome sight. Several of the hose
companies were struggling to put out the fire, but most of the
buildings were burned to the ground before they could get the fire
under control. It looked like all of North Renton had come to help
the firefighters control the flames, but the fire had had too great a
head start and all they could do was to “let ‘er burn.”
It was a terrific loss to the young Pacific Car and
Foundry Company. They rebuilt and in later years made
hundreds of box cars. I worked there in 1917 and 1918, and I
remember writing an invoice for 2000 box cars for the Northern
Pacific R.R.
HIGH SCHOOL DAYS
When I was 15 and in my sophomore year at old Renton High
School, I had Miss [Estella] Kirschke for my English teacher.
She spoke such beautiful English that I learned a lot under her
direction. One assignment she gave us was to choose a sentence
or partial sentence and make up a story about it. I chose the one
that I knew no one else would choose…. Of all the stories turned
in that year, mine made the High School annual. I called it, “When
Freeze Out Failed.”4 That is the only Annual I ever had from high
school. It was very precious to me, and I put it in the bottom of my
cedar chest when I left Renton. When I got around to send[ing] for
my cedar chest, I never found my Annual. Someone had picked
the lock and took my Annual. I was heartbroken.
When I was 16, just half way through my junior year in
Renton High [in 1918], Grandmother was told that I wasn’t going
to pass anyway, so she took me out of school and put me to work
for $12 a month helping a neighbor who was ill. Needless to say,
I cried when I had to turn my books in, and I cried all the way
home. I wanted so much to graduate with my class. I have been
trying all my life to make up for that last year and a half that I
missed so long ago.
Continued on page 10
Friendship Club, ca. 1924. Includes members of the Renton High School classes of
1918 and 1919. Dail Butler Laughery is top row, right, holding her daughter Nellie.
(RHM# 1992.100.3567)
8 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
Hello! In the few weeks since I
began work at the museum I
have already had the pleasure
of meeting many of the people who
make the Renton History Museum
such an amazing resource for this city.
From daily visitors and school groups,
to volunteers and city employees, I
have been continually impressed by
the community that exists around this
museum. I would like to take this
opportunity to introduce myself to those of you who I may
not have had the opportunity to meet.
My name is Mark Mulder and I am the new Public
Engagement Coordinator for the Renton History Museum.
Born and raised in Michigan, I moved to Washington in
2008 when my wife took a teaching position in Tacoma.
I finished a history degree at Pacific Lutheran University
where I focused my studies on early 20th-century
history, specifically World War I, World War II, and the
Holocaust. While attending PLU I began working at the
Holocaust Center of Humanity in Seattle (formerly the
Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center)
in the Education Department. My responsibilities quickly
expanded to collection management, working with interns
and volunteers, and helping with fundraisers.
My experience working at the Holocaust Center
led me to the University of Washington, where I earned an
PUBLIC
ENGAGEMENT
REPORT
by Mark Mulder,
Public Engagement Coordinator
M.A. in Museology in 2014. After graduation I took a job
as the Vice President of Retail for Schilling Cider, which
was a fun position in many ways, but made me miss the
museum world. This summer I left that job and began the
process that led me here.
Currently, my wife Julie is a teacher at Lakeridge
Elementary in the Renton School District, and we have
recently relocated to Renton from Seattle. As if a new job
and a move weren’t enough, we are expecting our first
child at the end of December!
I am a huge soccer fan, I read a lot of fantasy and
science fiction, and I love the outdoors. I really enjoy going
on adventures and traveling, and the Pacific Northwest has
become one of my favorite places in the world. I have had
the privilege to study, travel, and live around the globe, and
the PNW has more to offer than perhaps anywhere I have
ever been. I also have two sassy dogs.
As the Public Engagement Coordinator, I consider
it my responsibility to make sure the Renton History
Museum is a useful, fun, and informative place for you and
our community. If you are interested in volunteering, or if
you simply want to talk to me about the museum, please
don’t hesitate to reach out!
Mark and his wife Julie, a Renton School District teacher.
Mark Mulder
Public Engagement
Coordinator
Mark working at the Holocaust Center of Humanity in Seattle.
Mark’s two dogs, Emmet and Walter.
WINTER QUARTERLY, 2015 | 9
MEMORIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
August 13, 2015 - November 15, 2015
Wayne H. Armstrong
Al & Shirley Armstrong
Don & Pearl Burrows
Ed & Mary Jean Cooks
Sarah Jane Hisey & Howard
Nelson
Ted & Gerry McLendon
Robert & Gilda Youngquist
Bill Belmondo
Marlys Aliment
Anonymous
Al & Shirley Armstrong
Ed & Mary Jean Cooks
Sarah Jane Hisey & Howard
Nelson
Shirley Phinney
Rachel Thomas
George Bill
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Donna Rae (Balzarini)
Burton
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Betty Sipila
Mario & Victor Tonda
Walter Cockrill
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Donald Ward Custer
Cheryl Adamscheck
Carol Howard Aguayo
Louie & Pam Barei
Greg & Carrie Bergquist
Carolyn & Will Calhoun
Don & Carmel Camerini
Sharon & Ron Clymer
Darold & Gloria Cooter
Bill & Eleanor Dixon
Vicki Dallosto & Rob Elliott
Angelina Della Rossa
Linda Della Rossa
Robert & Karen Edwards
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Attilio & Jean Franceschina
Wanda Franceschina
Richard & Judith Lucotch
and Bernice Nichols
Joe & Martha Mackenzie
Beatrice Mathewson
Nancy Monahan
Shirley Phinney
Jim & Joy Poff
Laureen Ross & Earl
Higginbotham
Sarah & Wil Samson
Mark & Barbara Santos-Johnson
Jana Tobacco
Mario & Victor Tonda
Rosemary Wehrman
Robert & Gilda Youngquist
Gary Gotti
Greg & Carrie Bergquist
Jim Hurner, Sr.
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Jean “Hill” Johnson
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Donald L. Marbet
Greg & Carrie Bergquist
Karen Medgard Sidebotham
Shirley Phinney, Tim Phinney,
Debbie Hagen
Louis R. Traverso
Richard & Judith Lucotch
Mario & Victor Tonda
Jim Vangel
Wendell & Cleo Forgaard
Dollie “Flaherty ” White
Sharon & Ron Clymer
MEMORIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
OF $100 OR MORE
Lindy Aliment
Eda & Teresa Pozzobon
William Belmondo
Craig Hiserman & Freddie
Foulke
Donald Ward Custer
Norman & Carol Abrahamson
Ben & Geri Bush
Karren Emmons
Don & Judy Gunderson
Gerald & Mary Marsh
Arline McCready
Dr. Blayne Perleth
Eda & Teresa Pozzobon
Milton Fiamengo
Ted & Gerry McLendon
MEMORIAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
OF $500 OR MORE
Donald Ward Custer
H. A. & Janet Blencoe
Lydia & Steve Delmore
GENERAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
Marjorie Avolio
Janet Belmondo
Joan Clark
Jeffrey Conner
Margaret Feaster
Don & Judy Gunderson
Dan & Elizabeth Hemenway
Sarah Jane Hisey
Arthur Jarvis
Claudette Lorimor
Beatrice Mathewson
King Parker
Shirley Phinney
Mary Sutter
Kim & Greg Sweet
Michael & Pamela Teal
Martha Wine
Marlene Winter
GENERAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
OF $100 OR MORE
Jim & Char Baker
Glenn Garrett
Dan & Elizabeth Hemenway
Bob & Phyllis Hunt
Denis & Patty Law
Marian Schultz
GENERAL
CONTRIBUTIONS
OF $500 OR MORE
Kim & Greg Sweet
MATCHING GIFT
CONTRIBUTION
Cheryl Adamscheck
Boeing Matching Gift Program
Glenn Garrett
Boeing Matching Gift Program
Bob Hunt
Boeing Matching Gift Program
IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS
Stefanie & Ryan McIrvin
NEW MEMBERS
Jill & Jerry Devenport
Lyly Fisher
Dee Thierry
Ed Torkelson & Kathy Kearney
Vinod Waghamare
BENEFACTOR
MEMBERS
Shirley Lindberg
GIFT MEMBERSHIP
DONORS
Judy Leu
7TH GRADERS VISIT MUSEUM
In October and November
the Museum hosted 423
7th graders from Dimmitt,
McKnight, and Nelsen
Middle Schools. As part of
their Family and Consumer
Science class, students visited
with Mayor Law, the Fire and
Police Departments, King
County Library System, 1st
Financial NW Bank, and the
Renton Senior Activity Center.
Volunteer Shirley Phinney
& her great-grandson.
10 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM
GRANDMOTHER ELECTED COUNCILWOMAN
On January 7, 1919, Grandmother was installed for a one year term as
Councilman for the City of Renton. To my knowledge, she had been
elected to be the first Councilwoman in the State of Washington.5
We had spent the day in Seattle, and when we returned
home, much to her surprise, she had been elected Councilman.
She always said, “Here I go to spend a day in Seattle, a perfectly
happy and respected woman, and when I got home I found
myself elected as Councilman!”
HENRY MOSES
I first saw Henry Moses in 1912 as he stepped through the wire
fence that separated his family’s land from the high school
property. I had been elected Captain of the girls’ team and I
always had two Lieutenants[,] and the boys who had been
elected went with us to learn new games and new marches under
Professor Leper, who came out from Seattle every Friday to
teach the school’s many children.
One time when my husband and I stopped to see Henry
and his wife, Chrissie, he said he first saw me in 1911 when we
moved to the Hardie Place about a city block down the Black
River from his place. Anyway, we became friends for a lifetime
and both Henry and Chrissie wrote me many letters…
Everyone in Renton liked Henry as a boy, as a man and
a friend. He was such a good honest person. He was so well-
liked at school that they named their football and basketball
teams the Renton Indians which the school still uses.
He took part in any sport that was played in the old
Renton High gym. He also played the drums in the high school
band. He was an expert swimmer and no one could manipulate
his old dug out canoe as well. He would float down the Black
River with the swift current, while standing up in his canoe,
which I thought was a wonderful feat in itself. He had many
friends, but one of his best friends was Dave Pugh all through
school and until Dave died.6 I liked to walk the trails around the
mountains on either side of Renton, and many times I would see
them along the same trail.
A few years ago when my husband and I stopped to see
Henry and Chrissie, Henry asked Chrissie to get something in
the bedroom that they had been saving for me. It was a beautiful
Indian basket made by Henry’s aunt, Chief Seattle’s niece.7 His
aunt had entered the basket in the San Francisco Fair in 1915
and it had won second place of all baskets entered. So we are
very thankful and proud that Henry and Chrissie both wanted us
to have it. I wrote a poem, My Indian Basket, to thank them for
their precious gift. Needless to say, we treasure it very highly
and appreciate it so very much. It is really a work of art she
created, while weaving the common reeds that were found along
the shores and marshes of Lake Washington.
In 1968, the old Renton High School pupils had a
special evening in honor of Henry Moses. There were around
three hundred there, and we all enjoyed seeing him. He gave
a talk, saying that, “All of us here in this room tonight are
the pioneers of Renton.” How right he was, but how few of
us realized the fact! There we were, all ready to celebrate his
special evening and he realized more than any of us, how
fleeting is our time on earth.
Continued from page 7
ENDNOTES
1 Dail Butler married Cecil Laughery on October 22, 1921 and her first child, Cecil,
was born a year later. Her first daughter, Nellie Marie, was born in 1924. Dail had
three other children, all sons: Bill, Richard, and Jack.
2 The historical record is silent on this fire, although our collection includes one
photo of its aftermath. It was the lack of an organized response to a horrific fire in
Renton in 1899 that stimulated the drive to become a city; the Renton Volunteer
Fire Department was started soon after that. Joe Wood took over as Chief in
1906 and served until his death in 1932. In 1907 the Seattle Car Manufacturing
Co. (later Pacific Car & Foundry) selected a North Renton site for an expansion,
and that same summer, as construction progressed in Renton, the Seattle factory
burned to the ground.
3 Bill Bennett operated a grocery store at the corner of Third Street North and Park
Avenue, just a couple blocks from the then-Seattle Car & Foundry Co.
4 The Museum’s collection includes the 1917 Renton High School annual. There is
no class list for the sophomores, but Dail’s story appears in the sophomore section
of the annual.
5 Dail’s grandmother Hattie M. Butler was in fact the first female City
Councilmember in the state of Washington. “First Woman Councilman Dies,”
Renton Chronicle, 19 October 1939, p.1.
6 Later in life David J. Pugh served as Renton City Councilmember from 1945 to
1947 and was Streets Commissioner at the time of his death. “Death Takes David
J. Pugh of Renton,” Renton Chronicle, ca. 10 October 1956, n.p.
7 Henry Moses’s aunt was Lucy Keokuk.
Renton City Councilmember Hattie Butler, ca. 1920s.
(RHM# 1981.102.1519)
Basket made by Henry Moses’s aunt Lucy Keokuk, ca. 1915.
(RHM# 1984.026.001)
WINTER QUARTERLY, 2015 | 11
On October 29 the City of Renton and the Renton Historical
Society lost an irreplaceable leader: former Mayor Donald
Ward Custer. Born in Renton on November 5, 1935,
Mayor Custer was the first of Dorothy Thompson and Donald N.
Custer’s three sons. He grew up in Renton, running the streets in
overalls with his friends. He graduated from Renton High School
in 1953. His entry in the 1953 Illahee annual was the longest of
any senior; he was involved in academic clubs, drama, choir,
Torch Club, track, and on and on. Don began his political career
by running for—and losing—student body president.
After high school Don attended the University of
Washington and graduated with a degree in Marketing. In
1962 he secured a seat on Renton’s City Council. He served
for two years before running for Mayor and winning. At 28 he
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Renton History Museum
235 Mill Avenue South
Renton, WA 98057
Phone: 425.255.2330
Fax: 425.255.1570
rentonhistory.org
FORMER MAYOR DON CUSTER PASSES
Former Mayor Custer with former Mayor Charles Delaurenti,
Mayor Barbara Shinpoch, and former Mayor Avery Garrett, 1982.
(RHM# 2007.035.075)
was—and remains—Renton’s youngest Mayor. His mayoral
service was marked by major City real estate acquisitions
and development, including the City Hall at 200 Mill and the
current downtown library. Don served one term as Mayor;
he later sat on the Renton Municipal Arts and Renton Parks
Commissions. In his later years he was a faithful volunteer
with Friends of Renton High School and the Renton
Historical Society, and a proud instructor at Green River
Community College.
Don was a Renton history expert and enthusiast,
who was always willing to help the Museum by sharing his
passion. His wealth of knowledge and his sense of humor will
be very much missed, here and in the rest of the City.
Don (L) and his brothers Alec and Bert Custer, ca. 1941.
(RHM# 2000.127.8409)
Renton Historical Society
235 Mill Avenue South
Renton, WA 98057
Renton Fire Station #1 with holiday decorations, 1948. (RHM# 1981.071.1529)
IN HINDSIGHT...