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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 Issue 5 - On Stage, On Screen, & Behind The Scenes Pt. 1.pdfThank you SARAH SAMSON! Board Report by Dan Clawson, President. Collections Report by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director. Museum Report by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director. There’s no business like show business—at least that’s what the iconic 1946 Irving Berlin song would have us believe. From the vaudeville circuit to the Broadway stage to the silver screen, the entertainment industry has captured the American imagination for generations, fueling countless dreams of stardom. It may be a long way to New York or Hollywood from Renton, but that hasn’t stopped some of Renton’s aspiring entertainers from pursuing their passions on stage, on screen, and behind the scenes. This two-part series recounts exciting tales of Rentonites who have worked in the world of show business. We’ll bring you Part 2 in our March 2023 issue. STAGE LIGHTS, SERMONS, AND SCRIPTS Harold Bassage was born in Seattle in 1906. He graduated from Broadway High School in Seattle and went on to the University of Washington to study English and journalism.1 As a student at the University, his love of performing was already evident. He appeared onstage in UW’s 1924 spring play, The Dover Road, as well as on the air in a radio play for KFOA in the winter of 1925.2 By 1928 he was directing plays and co-directing operettas at Renton High School, where he worked as a teacher and also served as the advisor for the school paper.3 More than 500 people attended the production Also In This Issue... RENTON HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Winter December 2022 Volume 53 Number 5 Continued on page 5 2 4 83 QUARTERLY by Stephanie Snyder ON STAGE, ON SCREEN, AND BEHIND THE SCENES, Part 1 2 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM THANK YOU SARAH SAMSON! After 16 ½ years, the Museum’s Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, Sarah Samson, has moved on to a new role at University of Washington’s Museology Program as Assistant Director of Operations. Sarah started at the Renton History Museum as an intern, finishing her M.A. thesis in our collection, and she came on full-time in August 2006, as our first full-time Curator. She also became an excellent exhibit researcher, writer, and designer, the stronger half of our exhibit team. We will miss her, but her many contributions— see p. 8 of this newsletter— have set us up for a bright future. VOLUNTEERS WANTED The Renton History Museum is in search of volunteers in many roles: Saturday greeters, Board members, Education volunteers, and Oral History Team volunteers. If you are interested in helping Rentonites get more out of local history, we have opportunities for you that meet your schedule and interests. Volunteers get regular training and work with staff members in ways that help build your resume and skills. Leadership opportunities are available for Board members. Email rentonhistorymuseum@ rentonwa.gov for details. C oming in 2023… Are you ready to come back together with other Renton people to sharpen up your discussion skills and get a little face-to-face social time? There has never been a better time for history museums to be places where our communities find common, and more civil, ground, as we exercise our small-d democratic muscles of listening, talking, understanding, and sharing. with respect and goodwill. What lessons does history have for us about how to create a just and strong democracy? Watch our web site and Facebook page for more details. COMING SOON! 20 2 3 Sarah Samson FALL QUARTERLY, 2022 | 3 MUSEUM REPORT QUARTERLY WINTER 2023 F or the Renton History Museum, as with many small museums, the pandemic has had slow-rolling effects that (I hope) peaked late this summer. I could pretend that museum operations continue as usual, but I’d like to set an example of transparency and resiliency by being candid about some of our challenges as an organization. I hope this gives you permission in your life and organization to say, “we need to readjust to the new realities we find ourselves facing.” Over the past year, the Renton Historical Society Board of Directors, City staff, and museum staff have struggled to re-envision the terms under which we work together to bring you an excellent museum, with engaging changing and permanent exhibits, programs, publications, the highest standard of collections care, and partnerships with other local organizations. The museum has been working to uncover and share more diverse stories that are inclusive of our community, historically and today. Our aim is to be responsive to the needs and interests of our community, the City of Renton, Renton Historical Society donors and members, and grant-funders. The process has been difficult at times, coming on the heels of a time of strained resources and higher demands. Many of those involved found it more than they bargained for. By the end of the summer, two of our staff decided to resign to pursue other opportunities, including Curator of Collections and Exhibition Sarah Samson, who had been a key staff member for over 16 years. Several of our board members resigned. With three board members remaining and 1½ staff members (including myself), we are very much in rebuilding mode. The loss of our Curator and Public Engagement Coordinator meant that many of the exhibits and programs we had planned have had to be postponed until we can regroup. We are hopeful about rescheduling Sap in Their Veins for 2023 and the Black History Month exhibit that we had planned; in the meantime, With This Ring continues to draw interest, as well as our permanent exhibits. For now, our focus has to be on getting our internal house in order to move forward together to offer Renton residents and visitors the high-quality history programming you deserve. We are grateful for the support of the City of Renton and the Renton Historical Society and our many donors, members, and grant-funders. We are determined to come through this better and stronger than ever. by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director Elizabeth P. Stewart Director RENTON HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Pritchard Design Graphic Design & Layout Karl Hurst City of Renton Print & Mail Services RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Dan Clawson, President Don Hunsaker III, Treasurer Robert Wilson, Secretary Elizabeth P. Stewart, Board Liaison MUSEUM STAFF Elizabeth P. Stewart Museum Director Stephanie Snyder Volunteer & Member Liaison RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 MILL AVENUE S RENTON, WA 98057 P (425) 255-2330 F (425) 255-1570 E rentonhistorymuseum rentonwa.gov HOURS: Tuesday - Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm ADMISSION: $5 (Adult) $2 (Child) Members always FREE Thanks to Renton Downtown Partnership for launching four Downtown Renton Walking Tours from the Museum in August and September! 4 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM RHS acknowledges we RHS acknowledges we are on the unceded are on the unceded traditional land of traditional land of the Duwamish people. the Duwamish people. A people forced to A people forced to relocate, but who have relocate, but who have persevered.persevered. The Museum views the history of Renton to include since time immemorial to today and is committed to exploring that through its partnerships, exhibits and programs. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I am truly honored to have been chosen as the Renton Historical Society Board of Directors’ President, and to serve with new Secretary Robert Wilson and returning Treasurer Don Hunsaker. We are grateful to Mike Lennox, Amy Elizabeth Gorton, Maryann Di Pasquale, Jessica Kelly, Colleen Lenahansen, Rhea Kimble, and Daryl DeLaurenti for their many valuable contributions as Directors. And we send our best wishes with Sarah Samson, who has recently taken a position as the Assistant Director of Operations at the University of Washington Museology Graduate Program. Sarah has helped establish Renton History Museum’s reputation as one of the most respected small museums in our region. The Finance Committee is meeting with Museum Director Elizabeth Stewart to develop a 2023 Museum budget that will include a Curator and a Public Engagement Coordinator to recruit and train volunteers and to develop engaging programming for adults and kids and a stronger online presence. In collaboration with the City, we have retained a professional museum consultant to help craft a new Museum Management Agreement. We will be exploring ways to expand the Museum’s hours to make it more accessible to working families. Museum Office Aide Stephanie Snyder has stepped up to recruit and train volunteers and some Saturday hours are now being scheduled. In 2023 we anticipate our first in- person fundraising event since COVID. Councilmember Valerie O’Halloran has already offered a Helga Jacques print of Lande Feed as an auction item! Our annual membership and fundraising drive is set for December. Please consider giving what you can – no gift is too small. The Renton Historical Society is looking for new Board members who reflect the rich diversity of Greater Renton and have a passion for public service. Those who have never served on a board as well as those with experience can find a place among other caring and committed colleagues in a supportive environment where we all learn together and develop our leadership skills, while making friends and having fun. If you or someone you know might be interested in serving on the Board, they can contact us at RentonHistoricalSociety@gmail.com to learn more. Best holiday wishes to one and all from the Renton Historical Society Board of Directors. by Dan Clawson, President Dan Clawson President FALL QUARTERLY, 2022 | 5 of The Goose Hangs High, a family-centric drama that Bassage directed in 1928. The Renton High yearbook noted that “Much credit is due Mr. Bassage, director of the play, for his good work and the cooperation of the cast.”4 In 1929 Bassage returned to directing on the RHS stage. In the fall, he teamed up with two colleagues to direct the school’s “Vodvil,” which consisted of seventh through twelfth graders who sang, danced, and played instruments. This performance was “the first show of its kind…given by the school for many years,” thanks to the Great Depression, and it was “voted a huge success by everyone who attended.” Proceeds from the show paid for new lighting equipment for the school, which was used during the performance.5 Mr. Bassage’s students also performed a mystery called Seven Keys to Baldpate. During the play’s production, student actors were sworn to secrecy about the play’s ending, and a guessing contest involving hundreds of keys was held in December as publicity for the play. “The interest of the audience was sustained throughout the entire performance,” RHS Principal Ernest W. Campbell observed. “The stage effects were well worked out. It was a most enjoyable performance.”6 After his time at Renton High School, Harold headed east to pursue his theater career. He earned a Master’s degree from Harvard and taught drama at Lafayette and Bard Colleges. He spent six years during the 1930s as a member of the University Players, an “innovative theatre group.” Originally made up of men and women from four East Coast universities, the University Players primarily put on summer stock productions. During this time Bassage met and worked Continued from page 1 Cover photo: Eileen O' Harra (seated) auditioning for the Miss King County contest, n.d. (#1990.023.3024) On Stage, On Screen Renton High's 1928 ‘Vodvil' variety show was directed by Mr. Bassage and two of his colleagues. It consisted of about 15 acts, including a singing quintet, dancing, short plays, and orchestral interludes. (#41.0373) 1928 was Harold Bassage's second year as a teacher. (1928 Renton High School Yearbook.) 6 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM Harold’s experiences in theatre continued to serve him after he joined the clergy. While he worked in churches in Missouri, England, and Connecticut, he wrote and directed six liturgical plays, including one about the life of St. Paul which was performed at the 117th Episcopal Convention in St. Louis.16 In 1990, at age 85, Rev. Bassage published a one-act murder mystery farce called Who Shot Willie?. In an interview for the Hartford Courant, he spoke about his accomplishments and reflected on his careers as a teacher, director, and priest. “There’s one common denominator,” Bassage said. “You’re dealing with people sitting in rows.”17 SHE SINGS AND DANCES—AND HOW! Born in Renton in 1920, Eileen O’Harra was singing and dancing professionally while still attending Henry Ford Elementary School. A student of premier Seattle dancer Margaret Tapping’s in classes held in Renton’s Odd Fellows Hall on 3rd Ave, one of Eileen’s first gigs was performing her own rendition of Bill Robinson’s famous “stair dance” for the Renton Kiwanis Club Vaudeville. At age nine, she signed with such high-profile performers as Ethel Barrymore, Henry Fonda, and James Stewart. He also stage managed a Broadway show, Carry Nation.7 Perhaps one of Bassage’s most notable roles was in the 1932 Broadway play Goodbye Again, a romantic comedy about a writer trying to rekindle an old flame. Onstage, Bassage played the role of a waiter. Offstage, he served as the play’s stage manager.8 The play was well-received by critics. Writing for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Arthur Pollock called the show “a comedy smartly insane and balm for the bored theatergoer,” noting that there were “fine performances…by every member of the cast.” Rowland Field of the Times Union wrote, “It is an altogether pleasing company that makes ‘Goodbye Again’ one of the comedy gems of the season.”9 The show ran for 216 performances and was made into a film starring Joan Blondell and Warren William in 1933.10 Bassage continued to work behind the scenes in local and student productions throughout the 1930s and into the early 1940s. He spent several seasons with the Bard Theatre in Poughkeepsie, New York, where he directed shows such as See Naples and Die.11 Even off Broadway, Bassage still got to work with the occasional star—in 1936, for example, he directed a production of The Shining Hour in Stockbridge, MA featuring Hollywood actress Josephine Hutchinson.12 In 1937 Harold became the director of the St. Louis Little Theatre, where an office was specially built for him on the balcony. For his first show there, he auditioned 150 performers at once.13 In 1940 Harold Bassage married Anne Oliver of St. Louis. Anne’s stepfather was a minister who inspired Harold to want to become a minister himself. He entered Union Seminary in 1944 and became an Episcopal priest.14 Later he also credited the changing times with his decision to switch careers: “Then the war came along, and the world was looking kind of serious, so I decided I could be a little more useful.”15 The 1928 senior play The Goose Hangs High was directed by Harold Bassage. (1928 Renton High School Yearbook.) Eileen O'Harra tap dancing in 1934. She spent many years studying dance with Margaret Tapping in Seattle. (#1990.023.3019) FALL QUARTERLY, 2022 | 7 with a nationwide professional vaudeville troupe, Fanchon & Marco, and toured the local Fox Paramount circuit.18 The Fanchon & Marco troupe traveled the country, putting on lavish stage shows in movie theaters before the feature film. Eileen’s mother Hazel O’Harra carefully preserved newspaper clippings of her daughter’s career, and her colorful performances. Eileen’s name appeared in ads in Seattle newspapers alongside such characters as Spencer and Gibson, the “world’s fastest Australian whip act,” and the KOMO radio personality “Uncle Hank from Ciderville,” a musical country bumpkin. In one instance, Eileen was featured in a show that also hosted a “Million Dollar Legs” contest in addition to its acts. This was apparently done to promote a film by the same name—with hosiery provided by M. M. Morris.19 One ad proudly proclaimed of O’Harra: “She sings and dances—and how!”, while a short summary of the Fox circuit acts in another paper described her as “a dainty Miss from the Emerald Isle” (despite the fact that she was actually born and raised in Washington). Eileen was more than just a novelty act, however. Those around her took note of her ability. One entertainment columnist wrote: “Eileen isn’t merely ‘cute.’ She has talent. And yesterday’s crowds were eager in their liking for her singing of ‘High, High Up in the Hills’ and ‘My Bluebird is Back Again.’” Eileen’s singing also made it to the airwaves; she was a regular on the KOL Radio Bugs’ Frolic.20 In 1932 Eileen was chosen by the staff of the Renton Chronicle to present then-presidential candidate Franklin Delano Roosevelt with a bouquet during his first campaign visit to Seattle. The photo of twelve-year-old Eileen and FDR shaking hands made the front page of the Chronicle, and Eileen received a thank you note from Eleanor Roosevelt a month later.21 Due to her young age, Eileen’s career was carefully overseen by adults. In 1935 a letter of permission from a King County Superior Court judge allowed her to perform regularly for two weeks at the Paramount Theater. Hazel O’Harra helped manage her daughter’s career by contacting booking agents in Seattle and ordering sheet music arrangements for Eileen’s performances from companies as far away as New York.22 As a teenager, Eileen continued studying with the Margaret Tapping studio and performing in public. In 1935 she sang and danced at the Wooden Shoe nightclub in Seattle’s New Washington Hotel for three weeks. She also sang for the Young Men’s Business Club of Seattle, where she got the autograph of bandleader Guy Lombardo, who performed there on the same day. In 1938, approaching adulthood, she appeared at The Oasis, where she was billed as a “Beautiful Song and Dance Star.” Her scrapbook also documents gigs at banquets and events for local civic organizations.23 As a student at Renton High School, Eileen showcased her skills along with plenty of school spirit. She was a song leader, played clarinet in the band, and sang in the chorus. She lent her talents to school events, earning parts in one-act plays such as Clever Caddy and The Boy Comes Home. She also sang for the junior class’s formal ball in 1938. After graduating from RHS, Eileen attended the University of Washington, where she performed with the college dance band to help her pay for her tuition and sang Continued on page 9 Eileen with the Jackie Souders Orchestra at the Spanish Ballroom in Seattle's Olympic Hotel, ca. 1938-1939. (#1990.023.3017) Eileen O'Harra at Renton's Grand Theater, ca. 1927 - 1928. (#1990.023.3042) 8 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM O rdinarily this would be a space where Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Sarah Samson would explore a collections-related topic. Sarah has gone on to new challenges at the University of Washington, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to recap the incredible progress the Renton History Museum made in the areas of collections and exhibits under Sarah’s leadership. We are a better museum than we were when she arrived here. Sarah’s first love was always collections, ensuring they were properly catalogued and stored, researching them, and making sure we could find any particular object, document, or photograph when we needed it. In her 16+ years, she oversaw a major collections move, a complete collection inventory, the revision of our collections policy, and the digitization of several major photographic collections. To accomplish these projects, Sarah mentored countless interns and volunteers to accomplish these projects. She understood these initiatives as key to knowing our collection inside and out, and ensuring that every object and photo got the best possible care. As just one example, in 2015 – 2016 we received a rare collection of glass plate negatives of Renton businesses and residences taken by a local photographer in 1909. Sarah developed a grant proposal to 4Culture to have these fragile images scanned and preserved by a Portland photographic specialist. She carefully shepherded these glass plates back and forth; the result was a set of high-resolution digital images that became the basis for a 2016 exhibition titled Frozen in Time that also used maps and research to recreate Renton as it was 1909. Sarah’s skill at conceptualizing, creating, and designing exhibits around our collections really shone in her work with Renton High School students on four collaborative exhibits. Working with Renton High teachers, she designed a logical way that students could curate their own exhibits, connecting their experiences to those of COLLECTIONS REPORT by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director Sarah Samson Frozen in Time Example Rentonites in the past. The result was a chance for teens to learn about history and their place in it, as well as an opportunity for visitors to connect with teens. Thanks to her vision, her dedication, and her willingness to go the extra mile, Sarah helped create a stronger, more inspiring museum for Renton. FALL QUARTERLY, 2022 | 9 ENDNOTES 1 “Extensive Change Made in Faculty,” Renton High News, September 27, 1927. 2 “UW Spring Play to Be Given Friday,” Seattle Star, May 15, 1924; “Chinese Drama: Innovation Promised Fans on KFOA Radio Broadcast,” Seattle Star, December 2, 1925. 3 Renton High School, Duwamish Annual (Renton, WA: Renton High School, 1928, 1929), n.p.. 4 Ibid; “More Than 500 People Present at Senior Play,” Renton High News, May 8, 1928. 5 Renton High School, Duwamish Annual (Renton, Washington: 1929), n.p. 6 “Senior Cast Vows Oath of Secrecy,” Renton High News, November 20, 1928; “Show To Be Next Week,” Renton High News, December 4, 1928; “’Seven Keys’ Takes in $107, Renton High News; Deecember 18, 1928 page 1. 7 “Bassage,” Hartford Courant, July 30, 1992; Rick Green, “Priest, 85, Re- enters Theater of His Youth,” Hartford Courant, December 12, 1990; ‘See Naples, Die’ Set Tomorrow, Poughkeepsie Eagle News, October 27, 1936. 8 “‘Goodbye Again’ Will Open Tonight—Stage Gossip,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 28, 1932; Arthur Pollock, “Broadway First-Nighters View ‘Goodbye Again’,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, December 29, 1932; Green, “Priest, 85, Re-enters Theater.” 9 Pollock, “Broadway First-Nighters View ‘Goodbye Again’”; Rowland Field, “Goodbye Again is Presented at the Masque Theatre,” Brooklyn Times Union, December 29, 1932. 10 “Goodbye Again,” Internet Broadway Database, https://www.ibdb.com/ broadway-production/goodbye-again-11701, accessed November 2, 2022.; Michael Curtiz, Director, Goodbye Again. First National Pictures, 1933. 11 “‘See Naples, Die’ Set Tomorrow,” Poughkeepsie Eagle News, October 27, 1936. 12 “Josephine Hutchinson Visiting Star Festival Week in ‘The Shining Hour:’ Actress returns to Stockbridge After Eight Years,” Berkshire Eagle, August 8, 1936. 13 “New Director of Little Theater: Harold Bassage Takes Charge of Playhouse with View ‘It’s Past Mere Amateur Theatre,’ St. Louis Post-Dispatcher, September 9, 1937. with the popular Jackie Souders Orchestra. Eileen stayed active in her community as an adult, working as a veterinary assistant at her husband Archibald Button’s clinic and serving in officer positions for the local chapter of the National Emblem Club.24 FROM STAIRS TO STUNTSOf all the Renton High graduates to go into show biz, perhaps none have had a career as storied as actor, writer, director, and stuntman Gary Kent. Born in Walla Walla, Gary performed his first stunt when he rode his tricycle down the cellar stairs as a child and broke his arm.25 As a student at RHS, Gary continued honing his talents as a daredevil. In his own words: There was a bridge when I was in high school that went across Cedar River, and there was just, like, a pipe railing on both sides that went across the bridge people could hold onto, and during the winter that would freeze over, and it became a big thing—all the time, summer or winter—who had the guts to walk across that bridge on the pipe. And of course, several people did it, but I did it when it was frozen over.”26 His entry in the 1951 Renton High Yearbook points to the varied career he would launch. Gary was an officer on the student Board of Control, a frequent actor in school plays, baseball and football player, member of the track team, sports editor for the school paper, and member of several clubs.27 He went on to attend the University of Washington, where he was a member of Alpha Sigma Phi. “I don’t know why I left,” Kent said, reflecting on his school days. “I wanted to see the world, I guess.”28 And see the world he did. The 1960s and 1970s were a revolutionary and experimental era for independent films and B-movies, and Gary Kent was at the forefront of the movement. His first onscreen appearances were Ride in the Whirlwind (1965) and The Shooting (1966), in which he acted as a stunt double for Jack Nicholson. Kent learned on the job—for his first stunt, he fell off a horse without using pads or taking any other precautions. By the time he was working on his next job on the set of Daniel Boone, however, he was learning the trade from professional stunt actors.29 Gary launched a career over 100 movies long, building a close-knit network of fellow stunt performers and B-movie visionaries, including Don Johnson, Don Coscarelli, Bud Cardos, Richard Rush, and Chuck Bail. Just a few of the memorable moments of Gary’s career include a run-in with Charles Manson and his “family” at Spahn Ranch, stunt doubling for the real Hell’s Angels biker gang in Richard Rush’s Hell’s Angels on Wheels (1967) and creating a special effects sequence by rigging up flaming Christmas ornaments in Rush’s hippie culture film, Psych-Out (1968). At times, Kent had to improvise an entire film with no script, playing the parts of ruthless villains in The Thrill Killers (1964) and Body Fever (1971) for director Ray Dennis Steckler—films for which he earned, in his own words, “a baloney sandwich and fifty bucks.” At times Kent even found parts in films for his family members; his children joined him in playing shooting victims in Peter Bogdanovich and Polly Plant’s Targets (1968), and he and his partner Tomi Barrett appeared together in the slasher film The Forest (1983). Kent also branched out into writing and directing, and his 1986 independent drama Rainy Day Friends won an International Stunt Association award for Best Special Stunt in a Motion Picture.30 Although he is now in his 80s, Kent continues to work in stunts for independent films in Austin, Texas. His advice for a long, happy life is this: “Find something you love, and then do it until you die.”31 Before he fell off horses, smashed through glass walls, and played deplorable villains in B-movies, Gary Kent was in the 1951 Renton High School play Another Language. (1951 Renton High Yearbook.) Continued on page 10 10 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM MEMORIAL DONATIONS May 21, 2022 - August 10, 2022 Bill Anardi Richard Allen Louis Barei Lisa Bardarson Don Camerini Darlene Bjornstad Donovan Lynch Wyman Dobson Richard Allen Dwight Felton Al & Shirley Armstrong Virginia “Ginny” Gullingrud Darlene Bjornstad Jerry Kent Al & Shirley Armstrong Ron Robertson Richard Allen Judi Johnson Schuchard Ron & Sharon Clymer John Suzick Al & Shirley Armstrong Sandy Maletta Westover Ron & Sharon Clymer MEMORIAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Rolland Dewing Deloris Dewing Willie Hampton Stanley Fitzpatrick Bill Anardi Stanley Fitzpatrick GENERAL DONATIONS OF $500 OR MORE Judith Leu GENERAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Cynthia Burns Dan & Liz Hemenway Charles Isaacson In honor of Louise George Janice Tanner BENEFACTOR MEMBERS Richard Allen PATRON MEMBERS Robert Wilson GIFT MEMBERSHIP DONORS Diana Postlewait GENERAL DONATIONS Joan M. Mamanakis IN-KIND DONATIONS McCorkle & Associates Pritchard Design Louis Barei Stanley Fitzpatrick MEMORIAL DONATIONS OF $500 OR MORE Margaret Feaster Nancy Lowery Judy Storey Nelson & Dianna Sanders Storey Neil & Margaret Storey Photography from Sap In Their Veins ENDNOTES continued from page 9 14 “Bassage,” Hartford Courant, July 30, 1992. 15 Green, “Priest, 85, Re-enters Theater.” 16 “Bassage,” Hartford Courant, July 30, 1992; “Moberlyans Will Attend Episcopal Church Convention,” Moberly Monitor-Index, April 26, 1956. 17 Green, “Priest, 85, Re-enters Theater.” 18 Eileen O’Harra Button, “Kaleidoscope of Memories,” autobiographical memoir handwritten on notepaper, date unknown, Renton Historical Society Family Files; “Renton’s Claim to Fame,” Renton Historical Museum Quarterly (February 1990). 19 Eileen O’Harra, newspaper advertisement clippings from scrapbook, original papers and authors unknown,1929-1938, Renton Historical Society Family Files. 20 Ibid; Renton Historical Society, “Renton’s Claim to Fame”: Everhardt Armstrong, “Saucy Foolery Gives ‘Kick’ to ‘Private Lives,” newspaper unknown, December 12, 1931. 21 “’And I Hope You’re Elected,’ Said Eileen,” Renton Chronicle, September 22, 1932. Letter from Eleanor Roosevelt to Eileen O’Harra, October 6, 1932. 22 Letter from Judge Everett Smith on behalf of Eileen O’Harra, November 11, 1931; Letter from Alfred G. Keighley to Hazel O’Harra, August 10th, 1935; Letter from Santly Bros. Music Service Dept. to Eileen O’Harra, July 18th, 1933, all collection of the Renton History Museum. 23 “Ted Shawn and His Dancers to Play at Moore on Saturday,” Seattle Daily Times, April 14, 1937; Letter from Ray W. Clark on behalf of Eileen O’Harra, August 16, 1935; Advertisement for The Oasis, Seattle Star, March 11, 1938; Autographed copy of The Tattler, Vol. XXX No. 15, April 11, 1935; O’Harra Scrapbook. 24 Renton High News Yearbook, (Renton, Washington: 1936), p.12; “One-Act Play Casts,” Renton High News, November 20, 1936; “500 Guests, Parents Expected to Attend Juniors’ Formal Ball,” Renton High News, March 18, 1938; O’Harra, “Kaleidoscope of Memories.” “Emblem Club,” The Tacoma News Tribune, February 22, 1956; “Emblem Club Installs,” Bellingham Herald, April 13, 1956; U.S. Federal Census for Renton, 1950. 25 Joe O’Connell, director, Danger God, Nickel Pickle Films, 2018. 26 Ibid. 27 Renton High School, Illahee Annual (Renton, Washington, 1951), p.17. 28 O’Connell, Danger God. 29 O’Connell, Danger God; Gary Kent, Shadows & Light: Journeys with Outlaws in Revolutionary Hollywood. (Austin: Dalton Publishing, 2009), p 13-32. 30 O’Connell, Danger God; Kent, Shadows & Light, p.393. 31 “Gary Kent,” The Internet Movie Database, https://www.imdb.com/name/ nm0448743/, accessed November 19, 2022.; O’Connell, Danger God. FALL QUARTERLY, 2022 | 11 H ave you checked out the “Historical Tree Tour of Downtown Renton” yet? This year we assisted the City of Renton’s Arborist, Ian Gray, with creating the tour. Ian identified 14 culturally significant trees, from the tulip tree in Tonkin Park to our own Deodar Cedar next to the Renton Veterans’ Memorial, and we provided research and historic photos. As the city developed, Renton lost trees at a fast pace; Dr. Adolph Bronson’s Christmas tree is gone, as is the elm tree at Fourth and Wells that Mayor Abijah Beach’s wife Rachel brought with her from Council Grove, Kansas in 1875. Now the City better understands the benefits of trees and the City’s Urban Forestry Division has won awards from Tree City USA since 2007. Connect to the tour here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4844ea0fddc446c7a32 019b42528bcc3. HISTORICAL TREE TOUR OF RENTON RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 Mill Ave. S Renton, WA 98057 Train on Main Ave. S. in the snow, 1916. Renton Hill is on the left. (#2012.022.003)