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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006 Issue 2 - Shades of the Wild West, Robbery on the Interurban.pdfJune 2006 Volume 37, Number 2 Continued on page 4 Shades of the Wild West:A Robbery on the InterurbanBy Florence Guitteau StoreyEdited by Tom Monahan Editor ’s Note: The following first-hand account of Florence Storey’sadventure on the Renton street carline in 1912 is one of those enter-taining stories that deserve to beretold every so often for our newermembers to enjoy. It was firstrecorded in 1964, and was subse-quently published as an article inthe Renton Historical SocietyNewsletter in November 1977.Then in 1995 a modified versionappeared in the Quarterly. It wasrecently rediscovered by the editor,who felt the story was such acompelling one that it deserved tosee the light of day one more time.Minor edits have been made, andchapter headings have been added,for the sake of readability. We’vealso included some pictures thathave not previously been used withthis story. An original, uneditedversion can be seen in themuseum’s research library.In the Hot SeatAll Renton was glad when the Seattle Renton and Southern, a private streetcar system, put five new all steel streetcarsinto service. They were handsome red cars, long and heated. There was a good ventilation system, and a position midwaydown the car with a coin box, where the conductor stood in front of wide double doors. There were two criticisms oftenmade by passengers; first, the streetcars were noisy; and second, some of the seats got too hot. A heating company hadinstalled heaters located underneath every third seat, but during the course of a trip, they became extremely warm. Therewas no way that any one knew to shut off the heat or to lower the temperature. Regular riders were aware of whichseats were the hot ones, and avoided them if possible. It was fun to watch a stranger squirm, sit on his hands, shove anewspaper under himself, or try to hold himself up above the hot wood. However, some time or another, due to a full car,one of the initiated had to make a choice between standing in the aisle, or having a good wrinkle press job done on hisdamp clothing. Three men wait on the platform at Renton Junction beside the Interurban. Masthead Photo: Sears dolphin statue before restoration. Renton Historical Quarterly 2 Renton Historical QuarterlySusie Bressan, Graphic Design & LayoutLouise George, Copy EditorDaisy Ward, Text Input & Copy EditorKarl Hurst, City of Renton Print and Mail Services Contributing AuthorsFlorence Guitteau StoreyPeter Renner Renton Historical Society Board of Trustees Bob Hunt, PresidentSandra Meyer, Vice PresidentLaura Clawson, Secretary Pro-TemPaula Tran, TreasurerKevin McQuiller, '08Robert Bonner '08Ron Stroben '08Laura Clawson, '09Doug Kyes, '09Larry Sleeth, '07Patty Law, '07Vicky Persson, '07Jerrilynn Hadley, '07Terri Briere, City Liaison Museum StaffElizabeth P. Stewart, Museum DirectorDaisy Ward, Administrative AssistantDorota Rahn, Volunteer CoordinatorTom Monahan, Research SpecialistPearl Jacobson, RegistrarLouise George, SecretaryRenton Historical Museum235 Mill Avenue SouthRenton, WA 98055-2133Phone: 425.255.2330FAX: 425.255.1570 Board Meetings: Please call the museumfor time and location. Hours:Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pmAdmission:$3 for adults$1 for childrenAlways free to members and to thegeneral public on the first Wednesdayand third Saturday of the month. By Bob Hunt, PresidentPresident's Message How much? What for?Some of you got to hear a brief presentation at the Annual Membership meetingfrom Shane Klingenstein, our Edward Jones financial advisor and endowmentfund manager. Shane reviewed different ways that you can include planning forcharitable giving into your overall personal financial plans. There are some veryinnovative techniques for optimizing the dollars you might like to set aside foryour favorite charity or non-profit (how’s THAT for a broad hint?).Our membership and the general Renton community might reasonably ask acouple of questions on the topic as it relates to the Renton Historical Society andthe Museum. One might be “Doesn’t the Society have skads of money now?”Another could be “What are you doing with the money you’ve got now and whydo you think you need more?” This latter question is one that should be posedoften by those in charge of any non-profit, as well as those who have an interestin its mission.When you’ve had a chance to read the Treasurer ’s Report that Paula Tranprepared for the Society’s Annual Report, you can see a good representation ofour current monetary assets. We have placed those assets in some conserva-tive funds that promise solid if non-spectacular returns. That translates into anannual return that is sufficient to cover our operating costs on a yearly basis andprovide some small growth. However, that growth is unlikely to be sufficient tocover normally increasing costs, much less allow for growth in our operation.Growth could include more staff, updates in our facility to enable some improve-ments to the exhibit and gift shop areas, work on some new exhibits and avariety of other things the Board, staff, and the membership think would beworthwhile to improve the museum and its value to the community.The structure under which those improvements would be planned is beingworked on right now. Some of the important pieces we THINK belong include:attracting more of the Renton community to membership and the museum,improving the way we tell Renton stories, being as effective as possible in ouroperations, and also being as effective as possible with the resources we have,including our facility. We’ll be talking to members and others in the communityto make sure we’re getting the right pieces into this plan.One of the things we will know better as this plan unfolds is how much more itwill cost us to make these plans work. We know, as I mentioned above, that wecan’t spend much more without starting to burn up that endowment, but most ofthe things we can forecast will require some level of increase. That will be trueeven with the volunteer resources that always step up and make wonderfulthings happen.So, to answer the first question above, what might look like skads of money isjust enough for us to keep doing pretty much what we have been, plus someimprovements as we scrub the operation. The answer to the second question isstill being worked on, but we can predict pretty reliably that the right kinds ofimprovements to the museum will require a larger endowment. So I’m askingyou to consider that now. Small dollars early do as much work as large dollarslater. I know that we owe you a clear plan with some numbers. We’re workingon that and I hope we’ll have something to show soon. In the meantime,consider what you would like the museum to become and how you’d like to be apart of that. 3 Renton Historical QuarterlyRenton Museum ReportBy Elizabeth P. Stewart Dear friends, I am two months into my job and this is already my second Director ’s Report!By now I’ve had a chance to meet and talk to many Volunteers and Societymembers, as well as other City staffand general movers and shakers inRenton. I have visited the MunicipalArts Commission, the Senior CenterAdvisory Committee, the Kiwanis andRotary Clubs, Renton CommunityCenter, and 4Culture. I’ve attendedthe meetings of the Association ofKing County Historical Organizationsand of course our own Annual Meet-ing. I’ve paid visits to the BlackDiamond Museum, MOHAI, andBellevue Arts Museum. I’ve attendeda Duwamish Dinner Theatre and tooka quick tour of Bellevue BotanicalGardens. Why am I spending so much time running around Renton, the Eastside, andSouth King County, and how does that benefit the museum? There are severalreasons, really. First, like any newcomer to the area, I want to try lots ofdifferent things and find out what’s going on in Renton, and how the RentonHistory Museum fits into that. Second, I want to meet everyone I can who can help us accomplish our goals,whether it’s getting third-graders to come back in 2007 for their annual springtour or thinking about a new building. One of the things that has impressed memost about Renton is the spirit of cooperation and collaboration. Most peoplehere already understand that working together we can accomplish great things,a principle that nonprofits in many other places are still struggling with. Finally, I came here knowing I would spend some time early on just listening tofolks talk about what’s important to them about Renton’s history and how themuseum can best preserve, document, and interpret that history. As we moveforward into the future, I want to make sure that the changes we make reflectthe spirit of the community, so I hope you’ll keep talking to me about why thepast is important to you. We have made a few changes since I arrived. Thanks to the City we have twonew computers, with more on the way, so that staff can be as efficient aspossible in getting our jobs done. We also have a new kitchen floor to replacethe disintegrating orange psychedelic carpet. Trustee Patty Law made sure thatthe new museum sign is complemented by some beautiful plantings. And wealso have a new tabletop exhibit that you’ll see at Neighborhood Picnics andRenton River Days. The staff is working now on a calendar of programs for thefall, and the Board and I are just beginning another round of strategic planningfor the future. Look for more exciting things coming at the Renton History Museum, and tellyour friends! 2006 AnnualMeeting The Renton Historical Society heldtheir 2006 Annual Meeting at themuseum on June 7, 2006, with plentyof time for socializing, harmonizing,some business, and a little birthdaybusiness, too. Over 60 people at-tended, including new CommunityServices Administrator TerryHigashiyama and City Council Mem-bers Denis Law, Dan Clawson, andDon Persson (with his barbecue apronon). The membership approvedMartha Zwicker and Susie Bressan asnew trustees, and heard a presentationfrom Endowment Fund administratorShane Klingenstein about innovativeways to contribute to the Museum’scontinued growth. President BobHunt celebrated his 50th birthday withus with two cakes (one for each 25years). Dorota Rahn reports in her letter theheartfelt thanks given to many of theMuseum’s volunteers for their contin-ued service. Our distinguished guestand winner of the 2006 George W.and Annie Lewis Custer HeritageCitizenship Award was Cecile Hansen,tribal leader of the Duwamish people.Cecile has been a tireless advocate forthe Duwamish for the past 25 years,an example for all of us dedicated toheritage preservation and education.She has worked for the recognition ofthe tribe and recently initiated a newfundraising drive for the plannedDuwamish longhouse. (Join her for anunforgettable Duwamish Theaterperformance at 7 p.m. on July 22 orAugust 18 at MOHAI.) The evening closed with WoodyGuthrie—also known as Carl Allen—performing Depression-era songsabout the Columbia River. Thanks toDon and Larry’s Barbecue for theirculinary skills, Denis and Patty Law,and all the other folks who made thissuch an enjoyable evening! Renton Historical Quarterly 4 Before the handsome red cars, there were “GallopingGeese” or “Galloping Gerties.”1 These streetcarsmanaged to hang together somehow. They hadbenches in front and in the rear facing each other,with seats along the isle in between. They“gallumped”, “whoop-de-dooed” and got where theywere going (given time). Some little distance beyondRainier Beach was a lumber mill owned by thePioneer family Taylor, where logs were sawed andlumber made. The streetcar always stopped there,and passengers could get off and stand around, or sitdown in an open-faced shed which could accommo-date four people. The streetcar conductor turned the trolley around, andthe engineer moved to the other end. Seattle-boundpassengers got on, and off they went. Renton andway point passengers waited in all kinds of weather,and all times of day, for the “Galloping Goose” tocome around the bend. One never new whether theywould get to Renton safely, for it was uncertainwhether the contraption would land on the tracksproperly every time that it bounced. Before and after1912, you just hoped you would survive. When thetrack turned off the road where Second and RainierAvenue is now, the “Goose” took on the supreme testof the trip. It passed along a narrow gauge track on avery thin bridge that went downhill, and then clankedalong diagonally to emerge at Burnett and Third.Whistling and Shaking Going up along Third to Main where there was a “Y” in the street, (and at which time Third Street was not paved, just theoriginal, good enough for anybody, honest earth) was one of those times in which the whistle cord was used vehemently. Ithad cost five cents to ride from downtown Seattle to Taylor’s Mill, and another five cents from there to downtownRenton. Nearly everyone shook themselves after they stepped off the “Goose.” I guess it was to prove to themselves thatthey were still all there, or to pick up whatever personal effects that had been shaken loose during the journey and haddropped off. Then you would walk home. In my case, it was about a mile to my home. It cost $1.50 to get a ride from theO.K. Livery to anywhere in North Renton. Of course, everybody welcomed the long red steel cars when they replacedthe “Goose.” There were other ways of making the trip to Seattle, however. A train came from Newcastle every morning and pickedup passengers, if any, at the Columbia and Puget Sound Depot. Boys and girls who lived around the route to Newcastleattended High School here. They arrived at 7:30 and had to make do somehow until the doors were unlocked. The fair toSeattle was around 50¢. If people had missed the Interurban, they were glad to ride on the C&PS. The Interurban stopped with a jerk and a whistle on Main Street, south of the C&PS tracks next to Wood’s Feed Store.Close by the same side of the road was Wood’s General Merchandise Store. The people who rode the Interurban werebetter fixed financially. The cars were warm, clean, strong and steady. The route from Renton involved crossingEarlington Flats on trestles to the Black River Junction. Up to a little farther beyond that point, a trolley was used. Some-where near the Tukwila Station the trolley was lowered on to the electrified third rail, which was scary. The end of theLine was in Seattle at Yesler and Occidental. Shades of the Wild West continued from page 1 Portrait of Florence Guitteau Storey two years before her adventureon the Interuban. 1 This term should not be confused with the machine used by logging companies to haul oversized logs, which was also called a “Galloping Goose.” 5 Renton Historical Quarterly Terror on the Tracks I was a passenger on the Interurbanwhen it pulled out shortly after darkone evening, in the early spring of1912. In those days, teachers receivedvouchers instead of paychecks orcash. At that particular time, no one inRenton would accept those vouchersunless the teacher paid for the service.I was getting $70 a month for the 9month school year, and I wanted all ofthat $630, because it had to cover allof my bills for the entire year, includingmy three months without pay in thesummer. So I paid a little extra fare toget to Seattle, and was able to cash inmy voucher. Renton was not in thebest standing financially at that time.The mines did not operate regularly,and there was only one other industry,the Denny-Renton brickyard, whichhad a small payroll. I cashed myvoucher at face value, bought a coupleof 5¢ magazines, spent a dime forsomething else, and had my $70 andfour nickels when I boarded theInterurban, just on time. There were two coaches, the one ahead for men, and the other was a family car. It was full, and I had to walk to the farend to find half a seat on the aisle. I knew who the man was who occupied the window side. I knew his sister, whosedaughter was one of my pupils. But we had not been introduced, so I didn’t want to speak to him, and he gave me onequick look and then stared out the window. Along the way, the Interurban stopped to take on passengers. We were very slow starting up from the next stop, but Ithought nothing of it, until I saw a woman with a pale face come down the aisle say something. No one paid her anyattention at first, but when she reached me, I heard her saying something about there being “something going on upthere.” I asked her what she meant, and I was scared stiff when she replied, “ there’s a hold-up going on up there.” I called out, “This lady says there’s a hold-up going on out there,” and the activity that took over the streetcar was amaz-ing. The other passengers engaged my attention with their attempts to hide their valuables, and it wasn’t until my seatmategot busy making transfers of his money to hiding places, that I stopped watching and decided to follow his lead. I had justenough time to hide my five and ten dollar gold coins, and button my coat at the collar, when a man came into the car atthe far end, on his knees. A fancy silk handkerchief with holes cut in it for his eyes was over his face and tied at the backof his head. A long barreled gun was in his right hand, and as he stood up, he pointed it at us. It looked long enough tocome across the car at me. He said, “This is a hold-up! Do as you are told and no one will be hurt, but if you don’t, I’llshoot, because I mean business!” Shades of the Wild West continued on page 6 Unidentified man waiting for the Interurban to arrive at the the Black River Stationplatform. Renton Historical Quarterly 6 Shades of the Wild West continued from page 5 Pass the Hat He reached out with his other hand and took a large hat off of a man’s head. Then he slid it along the floor, toward thefeet of another young man. He ordered the man to pick up the hat, and begin at the door near where he stood. He said,“Put all that you have in the hat.” At that end of the coach, there were facing seats that accommodated three or fourpeople on either side. A young lady began to cry. She told the bandit that she had just been paid for a weeks’ work, andcould not give him any of it. He gave in to her plea, and sent the young man further down the aisle to collect more loot.The passengers close to him lost more than those nearer the middle, and we who were farthest down the aisle benefitedthe most. I threw my four nickels into the hat with all the force I could, so it would sound like I had put in a lot moremoney. The man in the seat next to me told me later that he had thrown in 15¢. The young fellow completed his task, andthe thief held out his hand and took the hat, stuffing the loot into the large pockets of his overcoat. Then came the hardest part for the outlaws. We had to be kept under control while they arranged their escape. The banditin our car had to wait for a signal from the forward car that the take had been made. Later , we were told that there weretwo robbers working the cars, and another one on the outside platform. More money was collected from victims out therethan in our coach. Our man’s job was to keep us all quiet. After about five minutes of silence, however, some men andwomen on the car began to say things to him. As time passed, they got bolder. When the passengers saw that the robberwas beginning to get nervous at his losing control of the situation, they began to say things that were both bold and mean.Then I was forced to lean forward a bit. Our hands had been up for some time, and my arms were tired, with the blood inthem making them feel heavy. I became worried. A stout, well-dressed woman sat directly ahead of us, and was one of the loudest and most vulgar of the hecklers. I recallthat she had moved with great speed as she had removed her earrings, necklace, and rings during the short period be-tween the pale woman’s warnings and the bandit’s arrival. I now felt her behavior was putting the other people at risk. Ileaned forward and said to her, “please, please stop! I can’t afford to loose any more money if your shouting brings theother bandit from the forward car!” Luckily, she stopped her heckling. A few minutes later, we heard a gun go off outside.That was the signal our man was waiting to hear, and he began to back out carefully.The Great Escape There was a quiet interval after he disappeared, still facing us, then came a lot of gunfire. The coach gave an alarminglurch and a jerk, and we began to go down the track like all possessed. In a short time, however, the power went off, andwe stopped. The lights had gone off too. I was afraid that the bandits had been disappointed with the money our robberhad taken, and were coming back on the trolley to get more. But in a moment, we started moving again, and we allsuffered from the let-down and shock of what had just happened. I began shaking. My seatmate put his hand on my wristand said, “ You’ve been alright so far, so keep control of yourself.” It was good advice. Every time the motorman stoppedto let off passengers, I was afraid that the bandits would get back in the coach. Of course, we finally reached Rentonsafely and without any further incident. Then without reasoning, I was afraid to go home in the dark. It was the winter ofthe big flood of 1912, and the bridge across the Cedar River was a wide plank walk with no side rails. I made it across,scared stiff, and happily felt solid ground under my feet. I hurried along the wobbly plank road home. My sisters werethere with a guest, but my mother was away on a visit. We four girls had an exciting time as I retold my story. After that,I remembered where I had hidden my seventy dollars, and was relieved to find that it was all where I had put it. Later, it was learned that the hold-up men had been captured. Two of them were caught, and the one that escaped wastaken into custody a week or so later. Some time later, the Interurban service was discontinued, and later, the Columbiaand Puget Sound quit picking up its passengers. The management changed, the franchise was sold, and the new peoplemade changes. They raised the fares, and the people didn’t like it. The red streetcars disappeared, the tracks wereremoved, and big buses on tires came into use. 7 Renton Historical QuarterlyFlipper Returns!By Peter Renner and Elizabeth P. Stewart In the week after the new Renton Shopping Center opened on March 1, 1960 atThird and Rainier Avenues, 10,000 goldfish were given away to children visitingthe new Sears store (in spite of a freak snowstorm on the second business day).Continuing this aquatic theme, many Renton residents fondly remember theconcrete Turtle and Dolphin statues that were fixtures in front of Sears. In the1980s when Sears left the shopping center—now Fred Meyers Plaza—thesestatues were donated to the City of Renton. Children still enjoy climbing all overthe Turtle, now relocated to the North Highlands Library.But the poor Dolphin was considered too hazardous for children to climb on.Steel rebar pokedthrough the crackedconcrete, continuingto rust and threaten-ing Flipper ’s life. Atthe suggestion of theMunicipal ArtsCommission, andChair MikeO’Halloran inparticular, Flipperwas rescued fromhis unhappy exist-ence. The FacilitiesDivision’s CaseyPearson made theDolphin his specialproject, making surehe got a thoroughcleaning, restoration,and priming toprevent further damage. Contributions toContributions toContributions toContributions toContributions to MezzanineMezzanineMezzanineMezzanineMezzanineDennis & Kathleen StremickRichard HoytJames & Mary WilliamsBoeing Matching Gift Program(Glenn H. Anderson)Olga LewisPatricia LackieCynthia MackMerna LascoNancy KelloggUSBancorp Foundation MatchingGift (Vicky Persson) $100 AND OVERDorlene BressanRuth Veenhuizen In-KindIn-KindIn-KindIn-KindIn-Kind ContributorsContributorsContributorsContributorsContributorsCat’s Eye GroupWebsite servicesCat’s Eye GroupAnnual ReportPritchard DesignExhibit designRenton PrinteryExhibit productionDon & Larry's BarbecueAnnual MeetingDenis and Patty LawAnnual Meeting Contributions toContributions toContributions toContributions toContributions to the General Fthe General Fthe General Fthe General Fthe General FundundundundundRobert & Rosemary EvansLydia NelsonNoah Katko Meanwhile, City Parks, Recreation, and Facilities staff collaborated to findFlipper a new home inside the Henry Moses Aquatic Center, where he canagain frolic among the children (although he’s no longer strong enough to giverides). After being placed in his new home, Erin Cooper, a lifeguard at GeneCoulon Beach Park, carefully painted him using the techniques she acquiredwhile completing her Master of Fine Arts Degree at Pepperdine University.In addition to those mentioned above, Flipper thanks Jerry Rerecich, KrisStimpson, Dave Perkins, Greg Stroh, Dennis Conte, Sam Kamphaus, DennisMurdoch, Terry Flatley, Steve Brown, and Leslie Betlach for their contributionsto his rescue. Long live Flipper! Facility Tech Dennis Murdoch guides Flipper to its newhome at Henry Moses Aquatic Center. Renton Historical Quarterly 8 Gift Shop NewsGift Shop NewsGift Shop NewsGift Shop NewsGift Shop NewsWe are excited to announce ourgift shop can now be accessed onthe Renton History Museum’swebsite atwww.rentonhistory.orgYou can view our books and giftsonline and submit an order formover the internet. We are offeringa FREE “Renton Little Histories”by Paul Rowe and Jack R. Evanswith any order placed over theinternet. Also, a 10% discount isgiven to Society members. Checkout our Pacific Northwestchildren’s books and some greatgift items—Centennial Afghans,Renton History Museumsweatshirts, baseball caps andmore. We thank Bob Dunn ofCat’s Eye Group for designingour new gift shop on the web.Take a look—you’ll like it! Dear Members of the Renton Historical Society and Volunteers of the Mu-seum, The Volunteer and EducationDepartment was very busyduring the second quarter ofthis year. We had severaleducational programs at themuseum in the spring. A veryinteresting and educationalpresentation by Barry Heremon April 11, titled Arts of theRaven Coast, ended theSpring 2006 Historical Presen-tation Series.The Family Day Programstarted on Saturday, April 8with A Visit with AuntHarriet presented by Karoland James Brown. The nextspeaker, Roger Fernandes,presented Star Babies andWhistling Grandmothers:Mythic Stories of the PugetSalish Tribes. Vivian andPhilip Williams talked aboutFiddle Tunes of the Lewis and Clark Era and played instruments of thattime. The program Back to the Fur Trade was presented by Karen Haas atthe beginning of June.Speakers were hired through the Washington Humanities Inquiring MindsProgram, which meant the quality of programs was very high. They were veryeducational and fun for adults and children as well. Adults even attended theFamily Program without children! It was a great achievement for our museumto gather these highly regarded professionals excelling in their work. Some ofthem re-enacted historical figures, some sang and told stories, and others didslide presentations. In general, there were a variety of subjects and ways ofpresenting them so we could satisfy every type of audience.If you missed the speakers in the spring, we invite you to take part in the HistoricalPresentation Series during several afternoons in the fall. In addition, the FamilyProgram will take place on the second Saturday of each month starting in October.A schedule with details will be distributed in early September.Our museum participated in a reciprocal admission program during NationalVolunteer Week from April 23 to April 29. Volunteers of our museum could visitfree of charge at participating museums. In exchange volunteers of otherparticipating museums could visit our museum free of charge during that week. Volunteer ReportBy Dorota Rahn, Volunteer and Education Coordinator Karol and James Brown present "A Visit with AuntHarriet" at the museum. Volunteer Report continued on page 9 9 Renton Historical Quarterly Ten volunteers visited the Ezra Meeker Mansion in Puyallupin May. They were given a tour by Ken Keighley, thegreat-grandson of Ezra Meeker ’s brother. Additionally,Audrey Neuendorf, the curator, gave a tour of the Mansionholdings. This royal treatment was organized by Ray Eganwho is on the Board of the Ezra Meeker Historical Society.Those who attended the first historical presentation at ourmuseum this year should remember his brilliant re-enact-ment of Father Luigi Rossi.For the first time in over 20 years, the third grade annualfield trip, including a tour of our museum, was cancelled bythe Renton School District due to insufficient staffing. Wemissed hosting the third-graders, but the School Districtpromises that the field trip will be reestablished next year.Several schools did come to the museum for guided tours.First and second grade students from Orca Elementary inSeattle visited our museum in April. Eighty-five 3rd gradestudents from Renton Park Elementary were given specialpermission to visit our museum in June due to the relation-ship we had established with their teachers in developingthe third grade curriculum in 2005. First-graders from SaintAnthony School in Renton were given a tour of the museumin June as well. Special thanks to our docents Frank Sutter,Carol Hawkins, Nancy Fairman, Ila Hemm, and LorraineSwisher for their outstanding effort in making the toursinteresting and fun for the children. Volunteers of the 2005/2006-year were recognized at the Renton Historical Society Annual Meeting on June 11th. Thefollowing volunteers were recognized with Award Certificates: Sandra Burkey was awarded Volunteer of the Year Award for her commitment, flexibility, and constant support of themuseum operations. She moved to Renton in December of 2004 and immediately joined our museum as a volunteer. Sheis a very reliable person. In an emergency Sandy will come to the museum on a very short notice and help the museumstaff. She never questions her assignments and she has a very modest demeanor. She proves that one doesn’t have to beborn in the place to become a strong supporter of a local history museum.Laura Crawford and Robert Foote received Special Awards for their dedication in reorganizing the museum office,research room, supply room, and kitchen, improving working conditions. Laura was additionally recognized for her con-tinuous support of collection management operations.Gloria Nichols was recognized for her dedication in greeting visitors at the museum on a regular basis and for her effortsas a tour guide. Norm Abrahamson was granted Special Award for tirelessly repairing and improving the museum facili-ties. Pearl Jacobson received Special Award for commitment and persistence in helping the museum staff with thecollections. Louise George was recognized for commitment and persistence in helping the museum staff with secretarialduties. Bea Mathewson was granted Special Award for commitment and persistence in helping the museum staff withbanking deposits.Nancy Fairman, Shirley Phinney, Ila Hemm, Margaret Feaster, and Sarah Jane Hisey were acknowledged with SpecialAwards for commitment, dedication, and continuous support of volunteer activities while serving many years on theVolunteering Committee. In addition, all members of the Committee were recognized as devoted docents.In general all volunteers showed a great deal of commitment during the eight months without a Museum Director. It was adifficult time for the museum staff and the volunteers were supportve with their service all the way through. Thank you toall of you! You are great! Below: Ray Egan as Father Luigi Rossi, and W. Victor Wortley,who translated and annotated the book "Louis Ross, Six YearsOn the West Coast of America 1856-1862." Renton Historical Quarterly 10 Please Choose Membership Category & AnyDonation You Wish To Make: ppppp Student/Teacher Individual($12)________ ppppp Senior Individual ($12)________ ppppp Individual ($20)________ ppppp Senior Couple ($20)________ ppppp Family ($30)________ ppppp Patron Benefactor ($100)________ ppppp Business ($100)________ ppppp Corporate ($100)________ ppppp Life ($500) One Time Only ________(partially tax deductible) p General Fund Donation ________ p Endowment Fund Donation ________In Memory of:Total enclosed:_____________ Join the Renton Historical Society Today! Name:__________________________________________________________Membership Level:________________________________________________Business Name:__________________________________________________Address:________________________________________________________City:State:__________________________Zip:____________+ 4 (______) Please make checks payable to the Renton Historical Society.VISA/MASTERCARD #__________________________Ex.Date:_________Your Signature:_______________________________________________ p Please share your e-mail address with us:__________________________ p Please send me a volunteer application form. (32/1)Mail To:Membership Secretary, Renton Historical Society235 Mill Avenue South, Renton, Washington 98055-2133 Obituaries MembershipRenewals for 2006Notices were sent out in Novem-ber. Those not paid now areconsidered past due.2006 Membership RatesStudent/Teacher/Senior $12Senior Citizen Couple $20Single$20Family$30Patron Benefactor $100Life Membership $500*One time fee. Lifetime Member-ships will be transferred to the liv-ing spouse. New MembersNew MembersNew MembersNew MembersNew MembersVirginia PattersonRobert BonnerMarilyn Groven CampbellRichard & Martha ZwickerJason & Kasmin Scott New BenefactorNew BenefactorNew BenefactorNew BenefactorNew Benefactor MembersMembersMembersMembersMembersMary Delaurenti Chamblin New Life MembersNew Life MembersNew Life MembersNew Life MembersNew Life MembersRobert & Roberta LogueDonald & Ruth Bonzon MarMarMarMarMarchchchchchRobert C. CoreyWilliam J. Hiser AprilAprilAprilAprilAprilMarjorie J. (Ballard) RichterMurril G. SevenRose V. OylerMaryAnne {Hackman} ZimmerDianne A. (McEwan) PaepkeAnn M. PhillipsCecilia PartlowBetty (Morris) FalkJack NewellWilla M. PagelWilliam D. Monahan MayMayMayMayMayR. W. “Bobby” SmithStephen J. KolcseyJames H. HendersonLouise (Harriott) GoeJohn D. StewartJamie SharaBeverly Arnt EvertsIrene BrainardMartha S. AhoMichael A. CapellaroRuby V. ReadyFrank D. Graves 11 Renton Historical Quarterly RentoniansRememberedZ denotes former Society Life Member% denotes former Society member Memorial ContributionMemorial ContributionMemorial ContributionMemorial ContributionMemorial Contribution$100 and over In memorIn memorIn memorIn memorIn memor y of Ry of Ry of Ry of Ry of Renton High School Alumnienton High School Alumnienton High School Alumnienton High School Alumnienton High School AlumniRenton High School Old Timers Alumni Association Jamie DanielleJamie DanielleJamie DanielleJamie DanielleJamie Danielle MonaghanMonaghanMonaghanMonaghanMonaghanP.J. & Mi-Linda Monaghan Jack NewellJack NewellJack NewellJack NewellJack NewellLouis & Pamela Barei; MarioTonda; Victor Tonda Cecilia PCecilia PCecilia PCecilia PCecilia PartlowartlowartlowartlowartlowLouise George RRRRRenton High Schoolenton High Schoolenton High Schoolenton High Schoolenton High School Deceased ClassDeceased ClassDeceased ClassDeceased ClassDeceased Class Members of 1948 Members of 1948 Members of 1948 Members of 1948 Members of 1948Living members of RHS Class of1948 Marjorie RichterMarjorie RichterMarjorie RichterMarjorie RichterMarjorie RichterLouise George; Carrie & GregBergquist; Daisy Ward; Beth & MikePotoshnik; Mike Rockey; MadelineDonckers; Mr. & Mrs. GeorgeGambini; Steve & Lynn Anderson;Chrissie Grubesic; Evelyn Johnson % Z Ernie TErnie TErnie TErnie TErnie TondaondaondaondaondaMike & Sue Moeller MarMarMarMarMar y Lopany Lopany Lopany Lopany Lopan Petersen WPetersen WPetersen WPetersen WPetersen WolfeolfeolfeolfeolfeKaralee Rae MarMarMarMarMar y Anne Hackmany Anne Hackmany Anne Hackmany Anne Hackmany Anne Hackman ZimmerZimmerZimmerZimmerZimmerCarrie & Greg Bergquist; Dan &Gloria Cartwright; Susie, Mac &Dave Jahnke; Ken Beckwith %% VVVVVirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook BusatoHazelle DuBois Mike CapellarMike CapellarMike CapellarMike CapellarMike CapellaroooooLouise Bertozzi Dale ChurDale ChurDale ChurDale ChurDale ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco Gene ChurGene ChurGene ChurGene ChurGene ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco Lena ChurLena ChurLena ChurLena ChurLena ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco Agnes ClarkAgnes ClarkAgnes ClarkAgnes ClarkAgnes ClarkMike & Sue Moeller RRRRRon Clarkon Clarkon Clarkon Clarkon ClarkMike & Sue Moeller Bob CorBob CorBob CorBob CorBob CoreyeyeyeyeyDolores Hendricks Elizabeth Swales DuBoisElizabeth Swales DuBoisElizabeth Swales DuBoisElizabeth Swales DuBoisElizabeth Swales DuBoisHazelle DuBois Beverly Arnt EvartsBeverly Arnt EvartsBeverly Arnt EvartsBeverly Arnt EvartsBeverly Arnt EvartsBeth & Mike Potoshnik WWWWWilliam “Bill” Glocknerilliam “Bill” Glocknerilliam “Bill” Glocknerilliam “Bill” Glocknerilliam “Bill” GlocknerDan & Gloria Cartwright Leo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoMerna Lasco Hal MoellerHal MoellerHal MoellerHal MoellerHal MoellerMike & Sue Moeller WWWWWilliam D. Monahanilliam D. Monahanilliam D. Monahanilliam D. Monahanilliam D. MonahanSteve & Lynn Anderson; Anonymous;Elizabeth Stewart; The Rose TurnerService Guild ZZZ Z Z Z In MemorIn MemorIn MemorIn MemorIn Memor y ofy ofy ofy ofy of Marjorie (Marge)Marjorie (Marge)Marjorie (Marge)Marjorie (Marge)Marjorie (Marge) RichterRichterRichterRichterRichterMarge passed away April 9, 2006,at the age of 80. She was a volun-teer in many organizations and waschosen Renton’s Volunteer of theYear in 2003. She had been amember of the Renton HistoricalSociety Board of Trustees for thepast several years. On March 16,2006, the Board presented her aplaque in recognition of her supportand voted to name: Marge RichterMarge RichterMarge RichterMarge RichterMarge Richter FFFFFirst Ever Boarirst Ever Boarirst Ever Boarirst Ever Boarirst Ever Boarddddd Member EmeritusMember EmeritusMember EmeritusMember EmeritusMember EmeritusThis position was given her “inperpetuity as a small token ofappreciation for her dependableand effective efforts for theRenton History Museum.”Marge will be greatly missed by themany community groups shesupported and was active in. Renton Historical Quarterly 12 Renton History Museum235 Mill Avenue SouthRenton, WA 98055 Nonprofit OrgUS Postage PaidRenton, WAPermit No. 105 Centennial Snapshot “Can you hear me now?” This pic shows Renton miners enjoying a playful moment, using a donkey’s tail as a telephone. If anyonecan identify the men (or the donkey) in the picture, please contact the museum staff.