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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 Issue 3 - From Frontier Days to River Days, A Century of Renton Festivals.pdfHometown Teams coming soon at RHM! President's Message by Colleen Lenahan, President. Collections Report by Sarah Samson, Curator. Museum Report by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director. Editor's note: Renton has been a hub for several community events and festivals throughout the years. Some have aimed to appeal to locals’ interests, and others have set to create an image of history in Renton that reflects values which families have held tightly for years. This is how Renton went from conjuring up the Old West in its first summer festival, “Frontier Days,” to creating its biggest community-wide celebration, “Renton River Days.” Because of Coronavirus restrictions, Rentonites will miss their festival this year for the first time in over 35 years, but this history is a reminder that summer is for celebrating community, however that happens. In the early 1900s King County towns and cities had a troubled relationship to western identity. In small communities of sawmill workers, shingle mill laborers, produce and dairy farmers, crime had seemingly been influenced by popularized depictions of the “cowboy” and “desperadoes.” Criminals and gang members were taking up an affinity for Old West culture in ways that were not all positive. Displays of violence included drunken brawls, fights, stabbings, shootings, and bank heists. The closer Eastside communities were to the port city of Seattle, however, the more they were already transcending that sort of “Wild West” Also In This Issue... RENTON HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Summer June 2020 Volume 51 Number 3 Continued on page 5 2 4 83 QUARTERLY FROM FRONTIER DAYS TO RENTON RIVER DAYS: A Century of Renton Festivals by Emma Austin, RenTeen 2 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM H ometown Teams examines the many roles that sports play in American society. Hometown sports are more than just games–they shape our lives. They unite us and celebrate who we are as Americans. We play on ball fields and sandlots, on courts and on ice, in parks and playgrounds, even in the street. From pick-up games to organized leagues, millions of Americans of all ages play sports. And, if we're not playing sports, we're watching them. Made possible by Humanities Washington and Museum on Main Street. From AUGUST 8 to OCTOBER 3 MARIAN SUTTON (1929 - 2020) We were sad to lose a longtime volunteer and member, Marian Sutton, on May 10th. Marian had volunteered with our Oral History initiative since 1997, putting her skills as a former court reporter to use transcribing interviews with fastidiousness and care. She is the main reason almost all of our oral histories are transcribed. Marian was also part of a team of volunteers who regularly dressed the Coulon Beach Walkers sculpture to brighten various holidays. She was THANK YOU REAGAN DUNN & 4CULTURE We are so grateful for the quick financial support provided to the Renton History Museum by King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn and 4Culture. 4Culture quickly opened a special Cultural Relief fund for heritage and arts organizations hard-hit by COVID-19. Councilmember Dunn also reached out to the Museum to find out what our needs are, and helped with an extra $2000 to keep us going. We are so appreciative the kindest of people, with a heart-warming smile. Marian's volunteer work has left a permanent mark here and we will miss her immensely! of and thankful for all our supporters, including Representative Adam Smith who invited Director Liz Stewart to inform him of our needs. SUMMER QUARTERLY, 2020 | 3 MUSEUM REPORT QUARTERLY Summer 2020 “Do all the planning, but don’t put anything on the calendar.” That’s how one small museum professional recently described their organization’s approach to the unprecedented disruptions of the Coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic in the U.S. seemed to start with a case in Snohomish County—later it was determined that asymptomatic cases were here much earlier—and spread like wildfire in spite of the best efforts of scientists, physicians, and government officials; on March 10 the state experienced a 62% week-over- week increase in cases. The Renton History Museum closed on March 7, by order of the Renton Mayor, which was ratified by Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-at-home order on March 23, and as I write this in early May we have yet to re-open; if all goes well, mid- to late June looks like our target. We canceled all our events and programs, secured our building, and began teleworking. And here we are, almost twelve weeks later, working from home to preserve, document, and educate about Renton history. It has been an extraordinary time for families across the country, sheltering in place, locked down, “Staying Home and Staying Healthy,” while we all collaborate to try to bend the curve on this virus that is especially hard on seniors and people of color. People are tapping into new wells of creativity by baking bread, making quilts, sewing masks; they are finding time to get to know one another without the distraction of devices, while they do puzzles, read, garden, or exercise in their neighborhoods. Home-schooling parents and grandparents have new sympathy for the hard work of teachers as they supervise kids with cabin fever. And, yes, when they’ve run out of energy at the end of the day, they’re streaming Disney+ or Netflix. Many people are suffering real economic or mental or spiritual pain. Renton may be no different than many other cities, but the spirit of cooperation is strong here, as all of us shut-ins try to figure out how to help local businesses stay afloat, how to keep homeless and hungry people somewhat safe, and how to buoy the medical providers who are dealing with suffering and dying patients. Meanwhile, Renton History Museum staff, volunteers, and the Board of Trustees do what we do best: connect our community to stories of hope and resilience throughout Renton’s history. Our city has suffered floods and earthquakes, the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918, the Great Depression, the tripling of our population in WWII, and the ups and downs of Boeing’s fortunes. All were profoundly disruptive to whatever our individual life plans were at the time. Today’s uncertainty is just as challenging, but as a city, we have gotten through these challenges by working together, focusing on good ideas, and being flexible enough to embrace that change. That’s what history teaches us, so with your help, we’ll keep planning for recovery. by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director Elizabeth P. Stewart Director RENTON HISTORICAL QUARTERLY Sarah Samson Graphic Design & Layout Karl Hurst City of Renton Print & Mail Services RENTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY BOARD OF TRUSTEES Colleen Lenahan, President Laura Clawson, Vice President Jessica Kelly, Treasurer Doug Brownlow, Secretary Betsy Prather, 2021 Lynne King, 2022 Rhea Kimble, 2022 Mike Lennox, 2022 Elizabeth Stewart, Board Liaison MUSEUM STAFF Elizabeth P. Stewart Museum Director Sarah Samson Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Stephanie Snyder Volunteer & Member Liason RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 MILL AVENUE S RENTON, WA 98057 P (425) 255-2330 F (425) 255-1570 HOURS: Tuesday - Saturday 10:00am - 4:00pm ADMISSION: $5 (Adult) $2 (Child) One of the creative outlets for people sheltering-in-place: recreating famous works of arts! Here's a modern interpretation of "Boy with a Basket of Fruit." Many found ways to thank essential workers: doctors, nurses, grocery workers, firefighters, police, deliverypeople, mail carriers. 4 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM Well, the world definitely looks different since the last time I wrote this letter! Our collective lives have been turned upside down by the global coronavirus pandemic. There is one word that I keep seeing everywhere to describe our current situation: unprecedented. We have never experienced anything like this in our lifetimes. It is one of those rare occasions where we are aware that we are experiencing a cultural event significant enough to be remembered by history. It is also a time characterized by a high level of uncertainty. We do not know how this situation will impact our families, our livelihoods, and our futures. Sometimes we are not even sure what the next day will hold. While we have the outline of a path forward from Governor Jay Inslee’s May 1st press conference, only time will tell whether we are doing enough to keep the spread of this deadly disease at bay. When things do begin to reopen, what will the landscape of our community look like? Which businesses, organizations, and services will survive this period of economic turndown? In times like these, we look to our cultural institutions for stability, strength, and continuity. While we have not personally experienced anything like the COVID-19 outbreak in our short lives, humanity has, and people found a path through to the other side. In Renton, we can look back to the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The Renton History Museum’s collection documents that our current struggles—though hard to bear—can and will be overcome. This is why museums are so vital to communities. Museums act as sentinels, guarding, preserving, and breathing new life into our past experiences as human beings. In a time of turbulent change, when very few things seem certain, the Renton History Museum is here to guarantee that our collective memories are safe; our past will not be forgotten and our present will be documented, so that future generations can learn and draw hope from our experiences. The Museum has not escaped the economic blow that has hit our country. The closure to the public means, so far, the loss of over $14,000 in income, a huge gap for a small museum to make up. Our staffing has been affected as well by layoffs from the City of Renton. We call on you now, if you can, to step forward and support the Museum as we battle forward through this period of closure. As Liz mentions in her letter, though the Museum is currently closed to the public, the staff and board have been working tirelessly to ensure that the Museum will remain a part of our vibrant Renton community when this is all over. Please do what you can to help us achieve this goal as well. Curator Sarah turned her kitchen table into a collections processing space. Volunteer & Member Liason Stephanie working from home. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE by Colleen Lenahan, President Colleen Lenahan President RICK MAY (1940-2020) Long-time Renton Civic Theatre Artistic Director Rick May died from complications of a stroke and COVID-19 in early April. May’s talents extended beyond directing; he was also an accomplished stage actor. He featured in many of Renton Civic Theatre’s shows in the 1990s before retiring as Artistic Director in 2001 to focus more on his acting. May had begun lending his voice talents to video games in the late 1990s and he also focused on voice acting. He received acclaim for his role as the voice of Soldier in the Team Fortress 2 video game. May was 79 years old. THANK YOU KATE! At the end of March, Public Engagement Coordinator Kate Dugdale left us for a full-time position at the National Nordic Museum as their Adult Education & Interpretation Coordinator. Kate joined our staff in autumn 2018, with a new MA in Museology from UW, and proceeded to create some innovative new programming for us, including our first Pride Flag Making Workshop, a live d20 Dames podcast, and talks by Knute Berger, Feliks Banel, and other local historians. So proud of what you accomplished here, Kate! SUMMER QUARTERLY, 2020 | 5 atmosphere, disconnected from those attitudes. Despite those nearby committing violent acts in displays of Wild West lawlessness, in Renton the story was different; locals were set on admiring the more likeable aspects of the West, by looking up to figures that were not committing crimes, but were growing beards, wearing hats, and riding horses. In the late 1930s, a local community service group, the Renton’s Lions Club, alongside others came up with an idea to host a community event that would bring out a crowd to celebrate popular western identities. Later they would celebrate “echoing the days of ’49, the thrilling times of The Spoilsmen in gold crazed Alaska, the wide-open period of the early days in Seattle, and the whole saga of the settling of the great west.”1 This became “Frontier Days,” or widely shortened and described as “Renton’s Rodeo,” that had event facilitators inviting “celebrity” rodeo and horse performers from around the states and Canada. In the planning period, several locally published articles described Renton as being solely transfixed on the preparations until its first annual event came off in 1939: “Every member of the Lions Club, sponsors of the mammoth affair, Lady Lions and the town have thought rodeo and little else.”2 It seemed that Renton was experiencing what some would call the first joy of preparing for a community festival. The city would find itself hosting an abundance of them in later years. Continued from page 1 Cover photo: Horse-drawn wagon in a parade advertising Renton Rodeo Nites, 1941 (RHM# 2002.001.4406) FROM FRONTIER DAYS TO RENTON RIVER DAYS Renton Rodeo Queen Billie Jean Hardie receiving a corsage from Mayor George Beanblossom, 1939. (RHM# 2020.009.002) Renton Rodeo Nites pin, 1941 (RHM# 2002.001.4406) 6 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM that evoked the West. One organizer prescribed, “The Taverns should put sawdust on their floors and decorate the bars in frontier fashion.” Preparations even went as far as to require business owners and townspeople themselves to take part in dressing up. “Many of the Renton merchants who attended the Commercial Club dinner stated that beginning Monday, they would dress in frontier fashion and request all of their clerks to do likewise,” reported the Renton Chronicle. “Mayor George Beanblossom stated that the city council might be persuaded to pass an ordinance requiring all male inhabitants of the city over 21 years of age to grow beards.”7 This festival allowed Rentonites to enjoy acting like the personas they had come to love through overall influence by perceptions and idealization of the Old West, but without the violence. One observer described the Rentonites’ enthusiasm: “Every man, woman and child in Renton who could get away from home turned out for the event.”8 People loved that they could not only submerge themselves into portrayals of western culture by participating in their own community. Unsurprising to most, by the mid-1940s the parade and rodeo had become a local tradition. The Lions Club was still hosting, and profits grew from the first year at $92, to the sixth year at around $5,250. Over the years Frontier Days attracted several tourists’ groups because of the popularity of the rodeo features and beard-growing contest. It had western lovers traveling from all around the Northwest to take part. It helped that they could also enjoy cowboy movies at the local theaters, which added to the event’s popularity and overall assisted the growth of more and more anticipators every year. After a long period of successes, costs began rising Renton’s First Annual Frontier Days and Rodeo started with a colorful parade and was described as one of the most gigantic affairs Renton had ever seen. The parade was led by the Veterans of Foreign Wars drum and bugle corps the Renton Eagles Band, and it included Billie Jean Hardie, the young woman who was titled “Queen of the Renton Rodeo” for the pageant in its first year after she winning the title over thirteen others.3 She and runners-up Carmel Padden and Lottie Lewis were featured in the parade and accompanied by 100 horses and riders and the Bothell Band.4 And behind them all followed wagons, carts, and the bearded male competitors. Several businesses featured floats in the parade, alongside other community organizations like the Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls. The three-day event began with the parade, followed by two days of performances staged by Mrs. Rose Wall from Ellensburg, ranging from trick ropers, talented horse, and bull riders, all in the Liberty Park stadium. Never forgetting the highly anticipated beard contest, in which a three-judge panel evaluated males’ beards on texture, length, and color, followed by a clean shave provided by local barbers. It was the epitome of “whiskery adornments,” and what some would call “a barber’s dream.”5 The displays in the parade were intentionally selected for setting the scene for an audience. “A Rodeo, the proportions of which the Renton Lions Club will bring to Renton July 13, 14, and 15, deserves a proper frontier setting, it was decided,” explained one observer. “The men should wear beards, cowhand shirts and overalls; the ladies calico dresses.”6 Businesses and taverns were also encouraged to create western atmospheres in their establishments. This meant using decor Beard growers showing off their whiskers during the first Frontier Days, 1939. (RHM# 1991.082.3258) Renton Rodeo pin, 1941. Men could purchase this pin in order to avoid growing a beard in advance of the rodeo. Men who did not purchase a pin and remained barefaced risked fines (ranging from 50 cents to $10) and imprisonment in a wooden stockade. The event was all in good fun and served as fundraiser for the rodeo. Prizes were awarded for the best facial hair in a number of categories. (RHM# 2016.017.001) SUMMER QUARTERLY, 2020 | 7 relative to sponsorships, and the Renton Rodeo had to meet its end. Without the rodeo, in the 1970s Frontier Days became the new Western Days, sponsored by Renton Western Wear, a local store for clothing and other western gear. The new festival also boasted a parade, adding a sidewalk sale and street dance. But times had changed and the turn-out was not nearly as large as years before. Western Days was no longer the only summer event in Renton, as other events were taking place throughout the summer months, including the Longacres Race Track Mile Parade and other horse racing activities. Western Days ended completely in 1985, when Mayor Barbara Shinpoch proposed that the city should work at creating one community-wide festival by uniting smaller events; this meant Western and Frontier days became topics of the past. Renton City Councilmember and former Police Chief Don Persson, one of the first committee members for Renton River Days or “the Downtown Committee,” believed that by the 1970s the event was just too small of a festival. “I used to run the Traffic Division and the Operations Division of the Police Department,” Persson recalled. “Every time they had a parade, some event, we had to close the streets, and after I did two in a row, one for Veterans and one for Renton Western Days, it was such an embarrassing parade to shut the City down for.”9 He described how he proposed an idea to Mayor Shinpoch and her assistant Mike Parness in 1985 for making an event that would tie together the whole city in a longer and larger festival. His pitch seemed to give the team a goal to pursue: “Why don’t we set one week aside when the City will support a festival of some kind so that we are not asked by twelve different groups twelve times a year and none of Continued on page 10 them are really that big of a deal? Let’s make one big family festival.” 10 Mayor Shinpoch got on board and planning for the first annual Renton River Days took off from there. The committee could see that a festival celebrating the real history of Renton would be more beneficial than other events. First, River Days celebrated a history that would not only highlight the rivers that flowed when Renton was still hardly developed, but a history that would incorporate families of all backgrounds and professions that came to Renton. Don Persson mentioned how Renton River Days served the Renton community in its first years, but also in ways that can be said about it now, “a sense of hometown. Some people think the parade and some of the stuff we do are kind of corny. Then when you talk to the majority of people and they think it’s really neat that you can have something that everybody can be involved in.” 11 He and the Downtown Committee found that it didn’t matter what event was being put on, but that the public would enjoy it because of the sense of togetherness it created: “I have seen a sense of community develop. It brought a lot of groups together that normally are out there doing their own thing, and they saw that this was a good thing.”12 That sense of community seemed to be something Renton was lacking as the city changed in the 1980s. The 1988 Renton River Days’ program book described their aim in the first years. “Efforts were made to develop a more cohesive kind of community,” the River Days committee recalled. “But an image problem was developing and several outlying areas felt disassociated from the city.” 13 The festival served as a catalyst to change Renton River Days, 2015. A large salmon puppet meets Rubber Ducky Man on the Renton Library bridge. (Photo by Museum staff) The Renton River Days Kids were designed by local artist Doug Kyes. They featured prominently in the festival branding until 1998. (RHM# 2010.002.038) 8 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM The world has been turned upside down and everyone is adjusting to a new normal. Collections work isn’t any different. Amidst the turmoil there have been silver linings. One of those is that I’ve been able to address some of the backlog in collections. Beginning in 2016 we began receiving a higher volume of collection donations. There were wonderful things being donated but we quickly fell behind processing them. This break in normal museum operations has allowed me time to try to catch back up. One of the collections I’ve now cataloged is the photographs and papers of former Renton Mayor Don W. Custer. Elected in 1964, Custer remains Renton’s youngest mayor ever; he was only 28 when he began his term. The collection includes many 1960s-1970s photographs from around the city, featuring ribbon cuttings, community events, and the construction of City buildings like the downtown library and the new City Hall at 200 Mill Ave S. These photos not only document civic life and a mayor’s term, they also fill a hole in our collection, which is quite light in the post-WWII era. Another collection that helps fill the same gap is the recently donated 325 photos from the Renton Reporter archive. Volunteer Jessica Kelly finished cataloging and scanning this collection not long before quarantine hit. It is a fantastic grouping of photos that features Rentonites from 1960-1990s. Some of its greatest hits include community leaders, local politicians, and (my personal favorite) portraits of respected elders celebrating their milestone birthdays. The Reporter photos also include numerous Renton women leaders, an area that is underrepresented in our collection. It’s often astonishing how much harder it can be to find out information about Renton in the 1960s than the 1880s. These two collections go a long way to rounding out our collection and telling Renton’s more-recent history. We look forward to using both collections in future exhibits and newsletters! Mayor Don W. Custer and Councilmember Dan Poli with the Civil Air Patrol, ca. 1965. (RHM# 2020.011.044) State Reps. June Leonard & Margarita Prentice watching election returns, 1992. (RHM# 2019.007.032) COLLECTIONS REPORT by Sarah Samson, Curator of Collections & Exhibitions Irene Grayson before her 101st birthday, 1990. (RHM# 2019.007.058) Duwamish Tribal Chairwoman Cecile Hansen in her office in Burien, 1988. (RHM# 2019.007.043) Sarah Samson Curator SUMMER QUARTERLY, 2020 | 9 MEMORIAL DONATIONS February 11, 2020 - May 15, 2020 Ruby Cartwright Carrie & Greg Bergquist Hazelle Dubois Gerald Marsh & Mary Holder-Marsh Lyle Dull Gloria Duffey Beatrice Whaley Mathewson Carrie & Greg Bergquist Ginny & Randy Krenzer Marian Sutton Anonymous MEMORIAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Anita Gaidos Oliphant Nancy & Paul Duke THE 102nd BIRTHDAY OF LOUISE GEORGE Charles & Mary Issacson GENERAL DONATIONS Lynn Bohart Glenn & Janet Bressan Dian Burrows Carolyn M. Calhoun (In honor of Longacres Race Track) Donald A. Camerini Phyllis L. Davey Linda Della Rosa Kate Dugdale Joy D. Garner Gaye Faull McClellan Elizabeth Stewart (In honor of Lynne & Mike King) GENERAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Jim & Char Baker Dorothy Finley Jennifer Davis Hayes D.C. Dugdale & Colleen McKinnon Stanley Greene Lynne & Mike King Judith Leu GENERAL DONATIONS OF $500 OR MORE Jason Parker #GIVING TUESDAY NOW DONATIONS Marsha Anderson Stefeny Anderson Pat Auten Robert Bonner Terry Buelow Shannon Carlson Jess Chen Laura Clawson Theresa Clymer Michael Dasaro Jill Dean Kate Dugdale Elaine Lewin Herold Barb Horton Bill Huls Kenn Iseli Art Jenkins Rhea Kimble Lynne King Barb Larson Larkin Denis Law Reba Lawrence Colleen Lenahan Mike Lennox Moira Maguire Melanie Ozuna J Peter RL John Pfeffer Betsy Prather Anne Rush Sara Servin Elizabeth Stewart Nick Strunc Kim Tennican Bernard Unti NEW MEMBERS Kate Dugdale MORE GLASS PLATES! We received another wonderful donation of glass plate negatives, this time featuring people and scenes from May Creek. The 34 negatives are already scanned. The donor didn't know the history behind the photos and the envelopes they came in provide few answers. We do have the names of some of their friends or relatives: Myrtle Hartill, Eugene and Emma Luck, Christian F. Petersen, and the Danko family. We are still researching, hoping to pull a thread that unravels the mystery of this great little collection. COVID-19 TAKES RENTON'S ESSENTIAL PEOPLE Shining Star Faith Ministries Church of God in Christ (COGIC) experienced a devastating loss this spring when Coronavirus took the church’s First Lady Esther Bryant-Kyles on March 28, 2020, and then her husband, Pastor Edwin J. Kyles Jr., on April 7. The Kyles founded the church on Rainier Avenue after Mr. Kyles retired from a 15-year career at The Boeing Co.; he was also a veteran of the U.S. Army. Mrs. Kyles worked for Washington State Ferries for 25 years as a kind and cheerful ticket-taker at Seattle Colman Dock. They were remembered as “creative, inspiring and resourceful” in their service to the church, and will undoubtedly be much missed by their friends and family. Coronavirus has reached down into every aspect of our organizational life, including the Renton Historical Society. Typically, by now we would be planning our Annual Members’ Meeting, a great time for us to get together to support the work of preserving history in Renton. With restrictions on public gatherings, the officers of the Historical Society’s Board of Trustees have agreed to stay in place ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING REGROUPS until the end of the summer, so we will not be asking you to gather together this month to approve new officers. The Board continues to meet monthly over Zoom to conduct the business of the Historical Society. Interested in a new service opportunity? It’s a great time to join the Renton History Museum Board of Trustees. Email Liz Stewart at estewart@rentonwa.gov for details and an application. 10 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM the way Renton approached putting on community events; by involving more people and people outside the downtown, they provided a standard for how Renton festivals should look and what they should be aspiring to do. Over 55 businesses and individuals contributed to Renton’s first Annual River Days. In the same ways businesses used Frontier and Western Days to promote and support their initiatives, Renton River Days allowed for larger scale promotion of the city. Its first annual festival commenced in the summer of 1986 within a four-day schedule. On August 6, the first day, Renton’s Annual Art Show was held at Longacres and a banquet otherwise known as “the First Roast” occurred later in the day to honor Mayor Shinpoch and others who ran the event. The days that followed were filled by festivities, like “Senior Day,” with barbecue and softball for Renton senior citizens; the Four-Mile Dash that appealed to runners and athletes; the “Nibble of Renton,” that had foodies coming out to test local restaurant cuisines; the “Fun Meet,” with games and competitions for kids at the Giannini Stadium in Liberty Park; musical entertainment for anyone who wanted to enjoy rock music from the 1960s; and even dedicated showings of a popular musical at the Carco Theatre during and after the festival.14 And after nearly 33 years of highlighting “pride in our Renton community,” Renton River Days’ purpose is still holding strong.15 In supporting local groups and featuring local talents, the city has given its festival the chance to be popular among all people in Renton. The brochure for 2019’s 34th annual Renton River Days included new additions like the Beer & Wine Garden, an “Extreme” version of Fun Zone, and the Community Mural Painting of “Life, Diversity and Joy”; the city tweaked activities to accommodate Renton interests throughout the seasons. For years Renton festivals have helped to illustrate culture, inspirations, and signs of what Renton residents have found important to celebrate. There is little doubt that Renton will continue to celebrate community for summers to come. Continued from page 7 ENDNOTES 1 “The Spoilsmen” refers to all those Gold Rushers who got to the best mining spots first, in a play on the aphorism “to the victor belongs the spoils.” It is also a play on the notion that “to the victim belongs the spoils,” or the late arrivals had nothing left but the mining waste (spoils). 2 “Huge Crowds Expected at Three-Day Affair,” Renton Chronicle, 13 Jul 1939, p.1. 3 “Huge Crowds Expected at Three-Day Affair,” Renton Chronicle, 13 Jul 1939, p.1; “Renton’s First Rodeo Underway Tonight with Bucking Broncs and Wild Steers; Ed Hougardy Named Whisker Champion,” Renton Chronicle, 13 Jul 1939, p.1. 4 “All Hail the Queen,” Renton News Record, 13 Jul 1939, p.15. 5 “Renton’s First Rodeo Underway Tonight,” Renton Chronicle, 13 Jul 1939, p.1. 6 “Beard Growing Contest to be Renton Rodeo Feature,” Renton News Record, 8 Jun 1939, p.1. 7 “Beard Growing Contest to be Renton Rodeo Feature,” Renton News Record, 8 Jun 1939, p.1. 8 “Yippie! Renton Let’er Buck; 2,500 Attend Rodeo Opening.” Renton Chronicle, n.d. (RHM vertical files) 9 Don Persson oral history, 14 Jun 2001, p.1 (#2010.037.002). 10 Don Persson oral history, p.1. 11 Don Persson oral history, p.1. 12 Don Persson oral history, p.1. 13 Renton River Days program book, Aug 1988, p.4. (RHM vertical files) 14 “Festival to Showcase Renton, its citizens,” Daily Record Chronicle, 3 Aug 1986, p. 2. 15 “Festival to Showcase Renton, its citizens,” Daily Record Chronicle, 3 Aug 1986, p. 2. Members of the United Christian Church of Renton in the Renton River Day's Parade, 2019.( Photo by Museum staff) Contestant in the Renton Municipal Arts Commission's Chalk Art contest, n.d. SUMMER QUARTERLY, 2020 | 11 D id you know that Renton has produced star NFL players? Did you know we had a girls' basketball dynasty in the 1920s? To accomany the Smithsonian exhibit Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America we've taken a deep dive into Renton sports history to unearth some of the forgotten and most fascinating stories. Come learn the amazing stories almost-Olympians, super human three-sport atheletes, and tenacious sports trailblazers. The current pandemic has taken sports away from us and we are taking the time to think about what sports mean to Renton. From AUGUST 8 to OCTOBER 3 RENTON'S SPORTING TRIUMPHS MEMBERSHIP FORM Please select a membership level: Individual $30 Student/Senior $20 Family $40 Benefactor $75 Patron $150 Business/Corporate $175 Life membership $750 Basic memberships Sustaining memberships Name: Address: Phone: Payment information Visa or MC #: Exp. date: Signature: Please make checks payable to the Renton Historical Society. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation! Your donations help us provide new exhibits and exciting programs. Donation: $ ME M B E R S H I P L E V E L S Ba s i c m e m b e r s h i p s Ty p e An n u a l C o s t Be n e f i t s In d i v i d u a l $3 0 • F r e e a d m i s s i o n t o t h e M u s e u m • F r e e q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r s • F r e e a d m i s s i o n t o t h e C u l t u r a l E v e n t s & S p e a k e r P r o g r a m s • I n v i t a t i o n s t o e x h i b i t o p e n i n g s a n d t h e a n n u a l m e e t i n g • 1 5 % d i s c o u n t a t t h e M u s e u m s h o p St u d e n t / S e n i o r $2 0 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p St u d e n t s : a n y o n e w i t h a s t u d e n t I D S e n i o r s : a g e 6 2 + Fa m i l y $4 0 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p p l u s : • F r e e a d m i s s i o n f o r t w o a d u l t s & c h i l d r e n Su s t a i n i n g m e m b e r s h i p s Be n e f a c t o r $7 5 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p p l u s : • 2 f r e e v i s i t o r p a s s e s • R H M p i n • R e c o g n i t i o n i n t h e q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r Pa t r o n $1 5 0 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p p l u s : • 5 f r e e v i s i t o r p a s s e s • R H M p i n • 1 f r e e d i g i t a l i m a g e * ( a n n u a l l y ) • I n v i t a t i o n t o a “ B e h i n d t h e S c e n e s ” e v e n t • R e c o g n i t i o n i n t h e q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r • T h a n k y o u c a r d Bu s i n e s s / C o r p o r a t e $1 7 5 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p , t h e b e n e f i t s o f a Pa t r o n m e m b e r s h i p , p l u s : • O n e t i m e 2 0 % d i s c o u n t o n r o o m r e n t a l Li f e $7 5 0 Al l t h e b e n e f i t s o f a n i n d i v i d u a l m e m b e r s h i p p l u s : • 5 f r e e v i s i t o r p a s s e s • R H M p i n • 5 f r e e d i g i t a l i m a g e s * ( l i f e t i m e ) • I n v i t a t i o n t o a “ B e h i n d t h e S c e n e s ” e v e n t • O n e t i m e 2 0 % d i s c o u n t o n r o o m r e n t a l • R e c o g n i t i o n i n t h e q u a r t e r l y n e w s l e t t e r • T h a n k y o u c a r d *C o v e r s t h e $ 1 5 u s e f e e p e r i m a g e . I t d o e s n o t c o v e r t h e r i g h t s f e e w h i c h i s c h a r g e d s e p a r a t e l y . Renton History Museum 235 Mill Avenue South Renton, WA 98057 Phone: 425.255.2330 Fax: 425.255.1570 rentonhistory.org RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 Mill Ave. S Renton, WA 98057 The Brother Rat Club promoting the first Renton Rodeo, 1939. (RHM# 1992.073.5323) IN HINDSIGHT...