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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2008 Issue 2 - Extra! Extra! The Story of Renton's Early NewspapersMay 2008 Volume 39, Number 2 Extra! Extra! continued on page 4 Extra! Extra!Extra! Extra!Extra! Extra!Extra! Extra!Extra! Extra!The storThe storThe storThe storThe story of Renton’s early of Renton’s early of Renton’s early of Renton’s early of Renton’s early newspy newspy newspy newspy newspapersapersapersapersapers By Donald N. Crew Edited and expanded by Tom Monahan The main text for this article was originally researched and written by local journalist Donald N. Crew, who passed away in 1995. His incredibly thorough seventy-page essay titled, “Renton Newspapers 1898-1978,” ended up in the clipping files of the Renton History Museum, and gives fascinating details about our city’s many attempts at newspaper publishing. Mr. Crew’s original essay has been edited down to size and expanded with completely new material–Editor. Renton newspaper delivery boys working for The Star, which would eventually become the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. They are shown in front of Dick Woods’ feed store at the old Interurban depot, circa 1906. (RHM #41.0834) MASTHEAD PHOTO: Unidentified children reading what appears to be the comics section of the newspaper. (RHM #1997.080.12558) Renton Historical Quarterly 2 Renton Historical Quarterly Susie Bressan, Graphic Design & Layout Louise George, Copy Editor Daisy Ward, Text Input & Copy Editor Karl Hurst, City of Renton Print and Mail Services Renton Historical Society Board of Trustees Bob Hunt, President Sandra Meyer, Vice President Elizabeth P. Stewart, Secretary Paula Tran, Treasurer Kevin McQuiller, '08 Ron Stroben '08 Susie Bressan '09 Laura Clawson, '09 Martha Zwicker, '09 Robin Baches '10 Larry Sleeth, '10 Terri Briere, City Liaison Museum Staff Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director Daisy Ward, Administrative Assistant Dorota Rahn, Volunteer Coordinator Tom Monahan, Research Specialist Sarah Iles, Collection Manager Pearl Jacobson, Registrar Louise George, Secretary Renton History Museum 235 Mill Avenue South Renton, WA 98057 Phone: 425.255.2330 FAX: 425.255.1570 Board Meetings: Please call the museum for time and location. Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm Admission:$3 for adults $1 for children Always free to members and to the general public on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of the month. By Bob Hunt, President President's Message De-accessioned – An Artifact Moving On Some of you attended our Annual Meeting two years ago when I was unexpect- edly ambushed by an event not on the written agenda. Some of the staff and board members, in conspiracy with my wife, took advantage of the coincidence of my 50th birthday falling on the same day as the meeting to roll out a black cake and black flowers. During the distraction from the planned meeting Liz introduced me as a new artifact. I’ve been with the Society now for the better part of eight years and this is the end of my second term as your President. Per the By-laws it is time for some- one else to fill this position. We put that condition into the By-laws long before I ever joined up, and it has some solid reasoning behind it. Many non-profits have been sorely hampered in achieving their mission through having a President who stayed too long. The damage can be caused by entropy and burn-out, or by consolidation of personal power and undue control over the actions of the whole organization. Before this rule was put in place we were fortunate not to have experienced either, though the Society did enjoy a very long run with Ernie Tonda. I suspect that by the time he took his leave he was quite looking forward to some time off. I’ve made some commitments to the Society that I will continue. The Master Plan Team is due to support that effort into early 2009 and I will be a member of that team. We have been working a project that may provide some improved artifact storage and workspace, and I have a role to play in concluding that effort. I will also support your new President as he or she gets their legs under them to step into this role. And, of course, I’ll always be a booster and believer in the Renton Historical Society and its mission. You’ll note that I have left no hint as to the identity of my replacement. It is also written in the By-laws that the new President is elected by a simple majority of the members present at the Annual Membership Meeting. As far as I can determine, all of the Presidents who have served the Society have assumed that role through a process that selects the candidate who least objects to serving. You’d think the glamour of the job would have them banging on the doors, wouldn’t you? Interestingly, because of the changes that have accumulated over the last nine or ten years, we find that we are not quite such an obscure part of the community as we once were. There is a lot of interest in what the Society does and who its next President will be. You’ll have to show up for the meeting to see how the next chapter begins. Something important lingers from a couple paragraphs back. I will always be a booster for the Society. It will change, the Board will make choices different from those I might have selected, the style will be different, new people will come on, and some current people will move on. I believe in the mission, the purpose that brings those people to this effort. The Renton Historical Society is the only agency with the responsibility for the preservation of the stories of Renton, and it has demonstrated outstanding integrity in caring for that trust. That mission is worthy of support, even if the folks who come after me find different ways to meet it. It is the responsibility of the Board to assure that the Society does not lose sight of that mission, and the combined responsibility of the membership to help the Board always remember that. So, in the sense that I have tried to support that mission during my tenure as President, I have been working for you. I’m proud to have been of service and hope that my efforts have not been unsatisfactory. Bob Hunt Your Past President Not gone, just taken from display and put back in storage. 3 Renton Historical Quarterly Renton Museum Report By Elizabeth P. Stewart This spring Sarah Iles and I were lucky enough to attend the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Museums (AAM) in Denver, CO. The AAM Annual Meeting is always an opportunity to network with museum colleagues from around the country, to hear what challenges and trends they are facing at their museums, and to exchange notes about what’s working and what’s not. Sarah won one of only two scholarships provided by the Curators’ Committee of the AAM; this was her first time at the conference and she reported that she found it very encouraging that many other museums face the same collection challenges that we face. She attended sessions on offsite storage standards and collection conundrums, and took behind-the-scenes tours of collections at the Molly Brown Museum and the Kirkland Museum of Fine and Decora- tive Art in Denver. I also came home with many new insights to apply here at our Museum. The conference was infused with an unusual spirit of experimentation. As museums face the reality that the next generation of potential museum-goers looks at the world in a very different way, museum professionals are increasingly discussing how to capture their imaginations (and even “capture” them physically away from their iPods, text messages, computer gaming, and on-line socializing). Several presenters—including Steven Johnson, the author of Everything Bad is Good for You—described the ways in which the next technologically-savvy generation has different needs and interests than the museum visitors we’ve been serving. Author Clay Shirky has pointed out that post-World War II productivity and labor-saving devices created an unprecedented leisure time surplus in our relatively wealthy country. If today’s sixty- and seventy-year-olds spent that surplus on community organizations, and forty- and fifty-year-olds spent it on television-watching, teenagers and twenty-somethings are spending their time surplus playing highly complex on-line games, writing blogs, and contributing to Wikipedia. Oriented toward action, problem-solving, and on-line collaboration and communication with like-minded strangers, this generation’s time surplus has also become a cognitive surplus, a reserve of surplus brainpower. This group may not find the traditional museum model—looking at objects and reading text—appealing enough to spend their time here. How do museums reach out to those folks without letting go of our mission to educate and inform about Renton’s heritage? I don’t have answers yet to these questions, but the AAM conference underlined that there are exciting opportuni- ties to make museums more relevant to their communities, by thinking more about how to become that “third space”—not home and not work—where people want to contribute their time and talents. If we can accomplish this, we will mobilize the next generation to continue the work of preserving our history and using it to enrich all our lives. To learn more about these ideas, see Clay Shirky, “Gin, Television, and Social Surplus,” at http://www.shirky.com/herecomeseverybody/2008/04/looking-for- the-mouse.html; Shirky’s book, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Orga- nizing Without Organizations and Steven Johnson’s book, Everything Bad is Good for You. Renton Historical Quarterly 4 Extra! Extra! continued from page 1 NewspNewspNewspNewspNewspaper Graaper Graaper Graaper Graaper Graveyveyveyveyveyardardardardard Renton was a tough town on newspapers. One disgruntled 1909 editor called it a “newspaper graveyard.” The journalistic path over the first seven decades of the 20th century en route to a single daily newspaper to serve the city is littered with newspaper tombstones. The mortality rate was particularly high in the first twenty years. At least ten papers were interred. The newspaper gravediggers gave the deep six to at least twelve more newspapers, newspaper names, and a magazine before 1980. Only two papers survived into the 1970’s, but only after merging into one in 1962. For whatever reason, Renton was the late bloomer in print media in South King County’s Green River Valley, encompass- ing Auburn and Kent as well. It was, by all odds, to be the most volatile. The roll of publishers and editors who broke their picks on Renton’s rocky journalistic soil is a dirge of frustration. Both Kent and Auburn got their first newspapers in 1889. In each case, those weekly papers became the root of the newspaper that survived until modern times as the dominant daily. The root Renton newspaper that survived the longest was not even put to press until 1919. The lengthy list of Renton’s newspapers offered here may be complete, but likely isn’t. The death rate was exceeded only by the birth rate and that by only two papers which became one. Newspapers of which at least some records exist are: THE RENTON SENTINEL, RENTON REPORTER, KING COUNTY WEEKLY, RENTON RECORDER, RENTON WEEKLY NEWS, THE RENTON JOURNAL, THE OBSERVER, THE RENTON TRIBUNE, THE RENTON HERALD, THE RENTON BULLETIN, KING COUNTY COURIER, RENTON DISTRICT CHRONICLE, THE RENTON CHRONICLE, THE RENTON EAGLE, THE RENTON NEWS RECORD, THE RENTON STIMULATOR, RENTON CITY ADVOCATE, RENTON ENTERPRISE, THE NEW RENTON ENTERPRISE, VALLEY TIMES, THE GREATER RENTON NEWS, THE JET CITY NEWS, WOMEN’S VIEWS & NEWS, RENTON REPORTER, THE RENTON TRI- BUNE, and DAILY RECORD CHRONICLE.i Industry came early to Renton, at least relative to its valley neighbors of Kent and Auburn. But in organizing formal government, Renton was third of the three. As a practical matter, incorporated town governments need newspapers. Governments need a place where they can publish and make known the laws that they have promulgated for the common good. The newspaper didn’t require government largess to exist, but getting paid for printing these required legal notices surely did help. In Renton’s earliest days as a coal mining town, the loggers and miners made do (at least until 1898) without a Renton published newspaper. Likely after a long day of digging coal or bucking logs, the villager had more interest in rest than reading. Besides, some of the areas first rail lines connected the village of Renton to Seattle, and Seattle already boasted several daily newspapers. For those interested in the news, copies could be fetched by train. Local newspaperman Charles Winegar (5th from left) poses with other community leaders in front of Ford Dealership on Bronson Way during a parade, 1931. (RHM #1980.076.1087) 5 Renton Historical Quarterly View of W.S. Milhuff ’s newsstand at the Seattle Interurban Comfort Station on 3rd& Main. Mr. Milhuff is in front reading a newspaper. (RHM #1987.026.2243) PIONEER PPIONEER PPIONEER PPIONEER PPIONEER PAPERAPERAPERAPERAPER The first newspaper known to have been published in Renton was The Renton Sentinel, established in 1898.ii It was a four-page standard-size, six-column newspaper that said it was “Published every Friday in the interest of Renton and eastern King County.” The Sentinel was founded three years before Renton officially became a town. It died, as well, before that civic milestone was achieved. Publishers of The Sentinel were Frank S. Sinclair and Nellie D. Sinclair, quite possibly husband and wife.iii The Sinclairs composed and printed the first and fourth pages of The Renton Sentinel. They printed those to back up pages two and three which they purchased already printed from the North Pacific Newspaper Union, an organization which specialized in “ready-print.” Subscription rates to The Sentinel were $1 a year, in advance, but if the subscriber elected a deferred-payment plan, it would cost him $1.25 a year. The Sentinel had a fair run of local advertising in the January 13, 1899 edition—23 display ads, four of them urging readers to subscribe or to advertise in the paper. Display ads occupied about half of the front page. The rest of the front page was given over to local news, and several articles clipped from other daily papers and reprinted. Local news of the town was encapsulated in paragraphs, and no headlines were used on the Renton news. There were no editorials labeled as such. One-paragraph editorials were inserted in the news columns without identification—doubtless because the editor’s views were news too. Renton Historical Quarterly 6 Extra! Extra! continued from page 5 WWWWWar of Wordsar of Wordsar of Wordsar of Wordsar of Words Through the first decade of the twentieth century, the journalistic ground which had been planted by the Sentinel in Renton began to bear fruit. Between 1900 and 1909, a parade of papers opened, flourished for a year or two, and then just as quickly, closed up shop. This included the first Renton paper to be labeled the Renton Reporter. All of these papers existed as stand-alone companies with little or no competition until 1909. The first serious attempt to break Renton’s news monopoly came when Mr. P. W. Ulmer (who went by the name Walt) began to print The Renton Journal every Friday, in direct competition with The Renton Weekly News. After a short bitter rivalry, the Renton Weekly News came to an end around July of 1911. Mr. Ulmer’s victory was short lived however, as another new paper, the Observer, jumped in to fill the void as the rival newspaper in town. The Observer ’s editor, a man by the name of Calvin Rutheford, came out swinging with an editorial that took a direct swipe at Ulmer and his paper, as well as those others that came before, writing: “We understand that Renton has in the past been a newspaper graveyard. We are told that the people here have been ‘hornswaggled’ so much by alleged newspapers that their patience is well-nigh exhausted. We believe that the most petty-larceny graft in the world is that worked by a certain class of men who call themselves editors, and publish so-called newspapers, which are merely leaches [sic] on the life of the community.” Ulmer was incensed by what he took as a personal attack on him, and after reprinting part of Rutheford’s comments in his paper, he added his own editorial counter-punch, writing “Before the above item got cold, this would-be Editor Rutheford took a tie pass out of town, for if he had not made a getaway, the deputy sheriff would have had him languishing in the city jail for doing the identical things mentioned in the above article.”iv The editorial duel between Ulmer and Rutheford was taken to an even higher (or perhaps, lower) level, when Rutheford alleged that Ulmer ’s paper wasn’t even printed in Renton, after he discovered that Ulmer’s original plant was located at Green Lake in Seattle, and then was subsequently moved to Renton. When Rutheford published an editorial labeling Ulmer a “Carpetbagger”v Ulmer responded in the next issue of the Renton Journal writing: “If any individual with the disposition of a prowling polecat and the antecedents as doubtful as any stray mongrel, tells you that the Renton Journal is not published in Renton, he tells you a deliberate lie…. Because I am held in restraint by the postal laws, I am letting this scoundrel off with these few words. He is undoubtedly a horse thief in the first place, and unquestionably a fugitive from some chain gang.” FFFFFair & Balancedair & Balancedair & Balancedair & Balancedair & Balanced Editors who blast each other in print are not the only aspect of our newspaper history that a modern reader might find a bit unusual. Someone picking up a copy of the Renton Chronicle during the 1930’s would see a very different style of reporting than we are used to. Although certain cable television news channels of today are often accused of being biased toward a particular political point of view, the Chronicle during this period was so open about its political slant, that it would put modern commentators to shame. Dan McGovern, the Chronicle’s editor at the time, was an ardent supporter of the Democratic Party in general, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal programs in particular. His main political rival was the Seattle Times, whose editor was politically conservative and who wrote negative editorials about FDR and the Demo- cratic Party. Before long, McGovern felt the need to re- spond, and wrote some scathing editorials of his own. Commenting on a Seattle Times article that opposed the new sales tax, McGovern wrote, “The Times is nothing more or less than a common, or garden [sic] variety of liar. If I were not opposed to even the milder forms of profanity, I should say that the Times was an unregenerate liar, and that Ananias in his palmiest days, would have hung his head in shame, had the Times entered his precincts. The Times, of course, is just trying to make the sales tax look bad because the bill was passed by a Democratic Legislature.”vi Newspaper editor Dan McGovern, founder of the Renton Town Talk newspaper, circa 1945. (RHM #1998.064.4766) 7 Renton Historical Quarterly Again in another article, McGovern made no attempt to hide his political leanings when he wrote, “I note with pleasure the appointment of Chas. J. Kamm as clerk of the board of county commissioners. He is an old-time Democrat, an aggressive party worker, and a capable office executive. The appointment is in line with many other excellent selections made by Mr. Milliken. He will soon have complete personnel [sic] of Democrats in his office—and better service to the taxpayer than ever before.”vii The partisanship was not limited to the editorial section either. The overwhelming majority of headlines in the Renton Chronicle during this period sing the praises of every bill that President Roosevelt and the Democratic legislature put through. Those political opinions that ran contrary to the pro-New Deal line were rarely given more than a passing mention, and only to illustrate something negative about them. By contrast, the feuds between contemporary television “journalists” are mild, compared to the straight-talking days of Renton’s earlier newspapers. Just The FJust The FJust The FJust The FJust The Factsactsactsactsacts The publishing scene in Renton has changed pretty dramatically since the days of Ulmer, Rutheford, and McGovern. While strong opinions are still freely expressed in the pages of The Renton Reporter, it is much easier to tell where the editorials end and the objective news begin. Journal- ists today have a much greater dedica- tion to the idea that news articles should stick to reporting the “Who, What, When, Where, and Why” of a given story, and leave the opinions to their own clearly marked section. Today, the Renton Reporter focuses on the many interesting stories and events which affect our community, as well as the traditional sections dedi- cated to classified ads, obituaries, sports, etc. The Reporter is published by King County Publications Ltd., based in Kent, as are twelve other papers, published under the Reporter moniker in cities like Kent, Bellevue, Auburn, Issaquah, and Sammamish, just to name a few. Nine of the twelve Reporter newspapers, including the Renton Reporter, are delivered free of charge to the communities which they serve.viii With the advent of 24 hour-a-day cable television news channels, and the invention of the internet, the percentage of the population that gets their news primarily from print media has declined in recent years. Many smaller news outlets have been swallowed up by larger organizations. However, there still exists a core group of people who will always prefer to get their news by picking up a newspaper and getting ink on their fingers. What does the future hold for the newspaper industry in Renton? If our historical record is any indication, we will still have a bustling market for local print media for many years to come. iAt widely separated times, there were two Renton papers with the name Reporter and Tribune. ii There appears to be no precise record of which newspaper was Renton’s first. Some of the known early newspapers of Renton have all but vanished from the meager records available. It is quite possible that there were newspapers published during the 1890’s of which no record or reference of any kind exists today. And then again, there may not have been. iii Sinclair’s given name may not be Frank. The available newspaper copy is hopelessly blurred at the part of the masthead where the publisher’s names appear. From what can be made out, “Frank” is a reasonable guess. The name could also be “Lynn,” “Byron,” or any other reasonable combination of four or five letters. iv A “tie pass” is a slang term coined around 1910 connoting a fictitious permit from a railroad president to walk along the railroad tracks, the kind of pass a tramp would need. Eric Partridge, ed., A Dictionary of the Underworld, British and American (New York: Bonanza Books, 1949, 1961), 724. vAccording to the American College Encyclopedic Dictionary, a “Carpetbagger” is a person who takes up residence in a place with no more property than he could fit in a carpetbag, to seek special financial advantages for himself. viRenton Chronicle, 2 May 1935, p.1. The name “Ananias” is a biblical reference to a liar. In Acts V, Ananias and his wife Sapphira were struck dead for misrepresenting the profit from a piece of land they had sold in order to donate the proceeds to the early church. William Rose Benet, ed., The Reader ’s Encyclopedia (New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1955), 33. viiRenton Chronicle, 4 April 1935, p.1. viiiFound on the Renton Reporter website, http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/south_king/ren/, accessed 9 May 2008. The Harold Building at the corner of Third and Main Streets, home to the Town Talk newspaper, 1962. (RHM #1970.001.7113) Renton Historical Quarterly 8 Volunteer Report and Education Report By Dorota Rahn, Volunteer and Education Coordinator A lot is happening in the Volunteer and Education departments this spring. First, we celebrated our volunteers with the Valentine’s Day Luncheon. Their input in our work is extremely valuable; they help with every possible assignment the museum staff can think of. I welcome all members to the Annual Meeting on June 4 to meet our volunteers and hear about their valuable contribution. There were a few changes in the Renton History Museum volunteer group. Bea Mathewson retired from her volunteer duties after 30 years of service. In the past, she was the President of the Renton Histori- cal Society. Recently she was managing bank deposits and running a coffee and donut stand during Renton River Days. Bill Loken and Aileen Chambers also retired from volunteering. Bill served for more than six years as a tour guide and greeter, but has decided to live in California most of the year. Aileen served as a Saturday greeter, but now has different plans which will leave her no time for volunteering. Thanks to all three of you, for your unprecedented support of the museum operations! As some volunteers are leaving, new ones are joining. Rashard Brown started volunteering in February, indexing the publication, City of Renton Officials 1901- 1978. Carol Rutherford was accepted as a new volunteer in March. She will be working as a Saturday greeter and docent, and is also interested in collections. Devina Balagopal just recently joined our volunteer force and helps with office duties as well as with registering obituaries on the computer. Welcome aboard!!! In March, I attended the Volunteer Administrators Network (VAN) conference in Seattle. VAN is a member-led association serving volunteer development profession- als in the greater Puget Sound area. The conference was a great opportunity to learn about the latest trends in volunteerism, including the arrival of new generations of volunteers, baby boomers and generation “Y”. Both groups require different approaches to attract and retain them as volunteers. Volunteer managers in different organizations, including our museum, have to prepare to welcome those two genera- tions, who are definitely interested in volunteering, but have their own expectations of what and how they want to accomplish it. Our education program is also adapting to some unexpected changes. Two years ago the Renton School District cancelled their annual 3rd grade trips, a thirty-year tradition, due to the lack of funds. In response to the disappointment of teachers and students, RHM staff decided to create an outreach program to bring history to the schools. Our first step is to teach students about the region’s economic and social life before the arrival of white settlers, a project titled The Life of the Coast Salish Native Americans of Central Puget Sound/Duwamish. This project will result in a 3rd grade curriculum consisting of a History Trunk with replicas of Coast Salish objects, a PowerPoint presentation, and hands-on activities for students, all of which meet the state’s requirements for classroom-based assessments. In the meantime, I am offering presentations about The Life of the Coast Salish Native Americans of Central Puget Sound/Duwamish and Coal Mining in the Northwest in the 19th and early 20th Centuries. So far, 3rd grade students at Talbot Hill Elementary, 8th grade students at Nelsen Middle School, and 5th grade students at the French Immersion School of Washington have taken advantage of these. The demand for presentations is great and we need outreach presenters to help cover all the interested schools. Training will start in the fall. We are counting on our current tour guides, and welcome anybody else who is interested in teaching young people about history. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact me at 425.255.2330. 9 Renton Historical Quarterly Planned Giving Series Part 5: Gifts of Stocks, Annuities, and TrustsBy Sandra Meyer, Endowment Chair In the last newsletter we provided a planned giving article describing how to donate real estate to non-profits. In this article we cover two other available giving methods, gifts of stocks, annuities, and trusts. The following information is a modi- fied version of information prepared by Planned Giving Services in Seattle. Gifts of Closely Held Stock and Other Business Interests Many individuals are unable to make major charitable gifts with cash or publicly-traded securities, but some could do so with shares in a closely held company—S corporations, partnerships, or limited liability companies (LLCs)—or with other business interests. Indeed, family business owners and other entrepreneurs have often been among the largest contributors to capital cam- paigns. While these gifts have great potential, they are complicated, and some entail financial risk, so should be discussed with your financial advisor. In addition, these gifts will be carefully screened by the Renton Historical Society’s Endow- ment Committee, to assess their legal and business ramifications. Charitable Gift Annuity A gift annuity is a contract under which a nonprofit, agrees to pay a fixed sum of money for a period measured by one or two lifetimes, in return for a transfer of cash or other property. The person who receives payments is called the “annuitant” or “beneficiary.” The contributed property becomes part of the nonprofit’s assets, and the payments are a general obligation of the nonprofit. The annuity is backed by all the nonprofit’s assets, not just by the property contributed. The donor can also set up a deferred gift annuity, in which pay- ments do not go into effect until a year or more after the donation. In this way, the donor can contribute to the nonprofit’s assets, while still ensuring some income for his or her beneficiaries. There are also tax benefits for the donor. Charitable Remainder Trust A charitable remainder trust is an irrevocable trust established by the trustor(s) (sometimes referred to as “the donor(s)”), either during life or at death, which pays a specified amount to one or more beneficiaries, at least one of which is not a charity, for the life of the beneficiaries or for a term not exceeding twenty years. At the termination of the trust, the trust remainder is paid to one or more charitable organizations. The specified amount paid to beneficiaries is either a dollar amount or a fixed percentage of the trust assets. The tax benefits of a charitable remainder trust include: avoidance of capital gains tax when appreciated property is used to establish the trust; charitable deduction for the present value of the remainder interest; gift or estate tax deduction. This type of donation requires close interaction with the designated nonprofit, to ensure that the nonprofit is prepared to offer trustee services. As always, if you have any questions regarding the specifics of the infor- mation provided above, contact your financial advisor or the Renton Historical Society’s investment representative, Shane Klingenstein, toll-free at 1.888.891.8832. Renton Historical Quarterly 10 From the Collections Department… By Sarah Iles, Collection Manager The project of cataloging and photographing the Museum’s jewelry collection recently came to a close. This particular project’s completion was quite satisfying for me. I began this process back in early 2004 as an intern, but lack of a digital camera and more time prohibited me from finishing it as a student. A time gap between projects early this year finally allowed me to pick up the project again. I photographed the jewelry, marked it with new numbers, and correctlyhoused them. A few of the pieces from the collection stand out, not because they are expensive or rare, but because they have a strong connection to Renton’s history. One such piece is the Ada Thorne’s wedding band. Ada was the only daughter of early Renton settler Erasmus Smithers. She married Robert L. Thorne in the summer of 1878 in the Smithers’ home in Renton. The ring is a simple gold band, probably very similar to many bands from that time period. What makes this ring special, however, is the engraving on the inside of the band. It is engraved in script reading “Addie July 10, 78,” her wedding date. Ada Thorne, ca. 1878 and her wedding band (RHM# 1994.082.3060 & 1993.102.001). Detail of the necklace and Annie’s portrait (RHM# 2000.127.0429 & 2000.127.8753). Another special piece in our collection is a Victorian-style necklace from the Custer-Lewis Collection, found in the jewelry box of Annie Custer. The delicate single strand necklace is made of simulated pearls and clear faceted beads. In a ca. 1958 portrait, she is wearing the necklace. Annie’s jewelry box provided the museum with a wide variety of jewelry in style and in age. Her items were in such good condition and had such a strong Renton connection, they now represent close to half of the Museum’s entire jewelry collection. One of our pieces of jewelry is even made of human hair! Mourning, or memorial, jewelry was popular during the 19th and early 20th Century. This type of jewelry often incorpo- rated the hair of a deceased family member into the design. The jewelry was worn during the period of mourning, which could last up to almost a year, depending on how closely related they were to the deceased. Our collection has one piece of mourning jewelry with hair. The piece is a brooch that was donated by Marie Arps Miner, a sister of Johanna Arps Storey, a longtime teacher in Renton. The brooch appears to date from the late 1800s and the woman pictured in it may have been one of the Arps’ grandmothers from Holland. The hair is woven in a netting-like weave and is used as the border for the brooch. Right: Mourning brooch from the Arps family (RHM# 1980.999.0151). 11 Renton Historical Quarterly WANTED: Young Stowaway! Researcher Ed Davies is looking for more information about a Renton boy, Gordon Mullen, who may have been the first stowaway on an American com- mercial airliner. According to Mr. Davies, Gordon’s adventure began Tuesday, April 2, 1940, when the twelve-year-old hid in the baggage compartment of a Northwest Airlines Douglas DC-3 airliner that was departing from Boeing Field, bound for Fargo, ND and Chicago. Cold and airsick on the turbulent flight, he was discovered in the aft blanket compartment by flight attendant Eunice Olsea over Billings, Montana. When the plane arrived in Fargo, Gordon was placed in the custody of the local police, who called his parents and arranged for his return flight to Seattle. He was met in Seattle by his mother, Nellie (Mrs. Clarence) Schuhard; there is no record of what happened to him afterward. If you have any further information about and/or photos of Gordon, his mother, or his escapade, please contact us at 425.255.2330 or info@rentonhistory.org Our Interns Recently the Museum has had numerous interns assisting us with exhibits and collections, many of whom are students in the UW Museology program. These internships are a win-win situation—they provide students with valuable skills and experience in a real world setting, while helping staff complete important projects. Interns have helped with the design and installation of the new coal mine exhibit, When Coal Was King; inventorying the Custer Collection; and researching our upcoming exhibit on Renton foodways. Right: Benny Eisman designed and installed the new When Coal Was King exhibit as part of his thesis project for the UW Museology program. Right: Eric Haddenham, a recent graduate of Willamette University, has worked at the Museum for three summers, doing research and scanning photos. Below: Jen Myers is a current UW Museology graduate student who helped Sarah inventory Century to Century objects in winter 2008 and is currently researching our planned food exhibit. Renton Historical Quarterly 12 Save the Date - Class of '58 The Renton High School Class of 1958 is holding its 50th Reunion at the Spirit of Washington Renton Event Center on October 25. Call now to register for mailings! Don & Averil (Alexander) Gummere 425.255.5023 or email a.gummere@comcast.net. News of Note... Contribution in honor of Louise Bertozzi's 90th Birthday Louise George General Donations Under $100 Susie Bressan Ralph Dockham Alduina Kauzlarich Fran KlepachHarvey Sandahl George Starcevich Louise StarkelDennis & Kathleen Stremick William & Patricia Borek Ada Lou Wheeler $100 and over Tom and Bobi Gray Fundraising Contribution $100 and over Alex and Norma CuginiSam's Club Foundation In-Kind Contributions Ila Hemm- Book for the gift shop "Whale Tales" by Peter Fromm Matching Fund Contributions The Boeing Company Gift Matching(Bill Collins; Lloyd Hoshide) 13 Renton Historical Quarterly New Memberships Ron Nelson & Mary Lou Gustine Nelson Joan Frank Karen Boswell Carol Rutherford family Alvin MayLindy & Marlys Aliment Betty Seligman Margaret Menzel GambillRosetta Scavella Another Friendly Reminder! Your continued support of the Renton History Museum is appreciated. Anyone who has not yet paid 2008 dues will have their names removed from the membership and will lose membership privileges. Please Choose Membership Category & Any Donation 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 Society 235 Mill Avenue South, Renton, Washington 98057-2133 Renton Historical Quarterly 14 Obituaries Z denotes former Society Life Member % denotes former Society member Februar y Laura Jean Bendix Gwen Betts Vivian Boyington Alma Daisy (Kuhn) Felt James L. Frese Ralph W. Grim Howard A. Hanson Robert A. Henr y Phyllis M. Kiene Robert L. Landbloom Michael F. Overbeck Patricia L. Ross Sally M. Salavea James VanWinkle March Mary R. Baxter Joseph S. Bushong Eileen Button Ella Conklin Floyd Conradi, Jr. Jessie DeRossett Milton G. Fiene A. J. Gauthier Alice May Gallagher Mar y E. Griffin Gordy Guinn Eileen Herr Kirk Kauzlarich Sylvia Lackie Har ry Lankester Milton Lee John F. Losey, Sr. Judith McIntyre Gar y M. Parker Audra Mae Rusk Donald J. Stewart Si T. Tonkin Lloyd C. Wiberg Bertha J. White % April-May 15 John W. Adams Sally Adams C. Lester Alexander Katherine Burns Rose Marie Crotty Neddie Rose Farrington Glenn Gaskell Theodore Hill Ethel M. Keirn Charles “Cash” Lundberg Joyce Leas McIver Robert J. Minkler Gordon Neilson Ellen Marie Phillips Cher yl Pickering Jolene Ploegman Judith Price John W. Ruth Ronald G. Sissel, Sr. Z % %Z Memorials $100 & Over Ann Belmondo Jim & Bill Belmondo Mario Belmondo Jim & Bill Belmondo Douglas Buck Margaret Menzel Gambill Randy Rockhill Gene & Linda Aitken 15 Renton Historical Quarterly RentoniansRemembered John (Jack) W. Adams Vernon & Judith Ludtke; Paul & Nancy Duke; The Rose Turner Ser- vice Guild; Edith & Walt Hinebauch; Ardice McCraney Richard Allen Gerald & Carole Edlund Ken Baker Connie Kerr Baker Jackie Banning Bangert Jack & Lois Gannon Rena Crosariol Beck Clarence & Anita Burkett; Renton High School class 1940 Marie Belmondo Lee & Joanne Gregory, David Belmondo & grandchildren Agnes Clark Sue & Mike Moeller Ronnie Clark Sue & Mike Moeller Florence Damon Culp Frances Sanders Subic Eda Delaurenti Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies’Auxiliary #1722 Rose Donovan Wendell & Cleo Forgaard Neddie Rose (Dragin) Farrington Beth & Mike Potoshnik Daisy Felt Beth & Mike Potoshnik Robert A. Henr y Beth & Mike Potoshnik; RentonHigh School Class 1940 Theodore Hill Elizabeth & Mike Potoshnik Kirk Kauzlarich Sue & Mike Moeller Thomas Ker r Connie Kerr Baker Dale Lamb Wendell & Cleo Forgaard Har r y L ankester Bruce & Sarah Jane Hisey; Joe & Loretta Starkovich; Gayle Jones;Beth & Mike Potoshnik William K. Longwell Marilyn Tharp Clise; Vernon &Jonelle Petermeyer Charles (Cash) Lundberg Gerry & Carole Edlund; Beth & Mike Potoshnik; Sue & Mike Moeller; Mary Jo & Ray Conwell; Marilyn &John Longthorne; Loretta & Dave Kline; Shirley & Jim Palmer; Duane Allen Wayne Madsen Lee & Joanne Gregory Joyce Leas McIver Jean Tonda; Louise George; June & Homer Dolen; Mario Tonda;Victor Tonda Don Merritt John & Margaret Cline Robert J. Minkler Annie White; Elizabeth & MikePotoshnik; Gene & Helen Ives; Richard &Corinne Lucotch; Jim & Donna Woodworth Hal Moeller Sue & Mike Moeller Gordon Neilson John & Eleanor Bertagni; Beth & Mike Potoshnik; Richard & LouiseMajor; Jean Tonda; Ron & Sharon Clymer; Rosemary McCaffrey; Ri- chard & Corinne Lucotch; Janet &Bill Belmondo; Robert & Gilda Youngquist; Wendell & Cleo Forgaard; Sue & Mike Moeller Cher yl Pickering Annie White Randy Rockhill Jerry & Barbara Shellan; Steve & Lynn Anderson Del Till Renton Historical Society BoardTrustees Lloyd Wiberg Frances & George Subic; RentonHigh School Class 1940 Julie VanWinkle Terrie Sutton; Jackie Adams Renton History Museum 235 Mill Avenue South Renton, WA 98057 Nonprofit Org US Postage PaidRenton, WA Permit No. 105 Renton swimmers line up on a warm summer day to get into the Henry Moses Swimming Pool at Liberty Park, circa 1970. (RHM #1997.076.4588) In Hindsight...