The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2019 Issue 4 - Here For The Duration Pt. 1, The Making of the Renton Highlands.pdfFundraiser History- Making Party on October 6. President’s Message by Colleen Lenahan, Board President. Real-Life History, story of Stephen Jereb & family. Museum Report by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Director. The Renton Highlands is one of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. Built out of sheer necessity to house thousands of war workers from out of town, the Highlands has been repurposed over and over again, as a place for people new to Renton or new to the country, first time home-buyers or renters, an affordable and welcoming place. In 2011 the City of Renton embarked on a project to breathe new life into the Sunset neighborhood at the center of the Renton Highlands. As the transformation continues, it seemed like a good time to look back at the origins of Renton’s neighborhood on the high lands. I would like to thank Mark Santos-Johnson, Department of Community and Economic Development, City of Renton, and Mark Gropper, Renton Housing Authority, for their assistance. Any errors are mine alone. In 1924 Mike Potoshnik purchased the remains of George “Strawberry” Johnson’s farm on Sunset Highway on the way to Issaquah. The plot of land was just outside the jurisdiction of Renton City Police; Potoshnik was fed up with their surveillance of his bootlegging operations and figured moving to Hillcrest might make his production more profitable.1 He spent Also In This Issue... RENTON HISTORICALSOCIETY & MUSEUM Fall September 2019 Volume 50 Number 4 Continued on page 5 2 4 83 HERE FOR THE DURATION: PART 1 The Making of the Renton Highlands QUARTERLY by Elizabeth P. Stewart 2 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 2019 CUSTER AWARDEES The Renton Historical Society gives the George and Annie Lewis Custer Award for Heritage Stewardship annually for outstanding contributions to the documentation, preservation, and education about Renton’s history. This year the Custer Award was given to the team responsible for the Boone Kirkman mural behind 811 S 3rd Street. The mural artfully depicts Renton boxer “Boom Boom” Kirkman and his bout record, using an empty wall to educate Rentonites DOUG KYES (1934-2019) Our former Board of Trustees member, artist contributor, and friend, Doug Kyes, passed away in July 2019. Doug served on the Board for many years, creating our first logo and two historic murals that hung in the Museum. Doug was a skilled and imaginative artist and a tireless advocate for the arts. He designed the mural at Henry Moses Aquatic Center, the Renton River Days kids, and many other lasting artistic landmarks A fter last year's fantastic event, the Renton Historical Society’s annual fundraiser will again showcase Renton Makers & Doers with a very special Silent Auction. Explore locals’ talents as you bid on their charming upcycled furniture and decor, specially made for our auction. One- of-a-kind gifts and home furnishings showcase Renton’s handmade tradition. Dinner, Dessert Dash, raffle, and a special guest emcee Aunt Dottie! Reserve your tickets now! The fundraiser is Tuesday, October 8, 2019 at the Renton Senior Activity Center. Tickets are $45 each. (https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4289958) On OCTOBER 8 doors open at 6:00 PM The Renton History Museuminvites you to join us for a History-Making Party about an important part of the city’s athletic history. With trustee Jessica Kelly (in red hat), the awardees are (L-R): artist Will Schlough; City of Renton staffer Jessie Kotarski; Renton arts advocate Fay Moss. Missing is former City staffer John Collum. in our city. A sense of history and respect for the land were central to his work; this painting, "The Lost Black River" (2000), exemplifies those qualities. His impact on our city is incalculable and his presence will be much missed. FALL QUARTERLY, 2019 | 3 MUSEUM REPORT QUARTERLY Fall 2019 Elizabeth P. Stewart Director Every time we do a research project at the Museum, we learn new things that we could never have anticipated. You would think we would run out of stories, but each new project uncovers numerous other research insights that sooner or later will be incorporated into exhibits, newsletter articles, or programs. This summer Public Engagement Coordinator Kate Dugdale worked with RenTeen Emma Austin on a project of Emma’s choice: Renton’s Western Days or Frontier Days. Emma spent considerable time exploring 1930s and 1940s newspapers, reading oral histories, and studying museum objects and photos. She pieced together the genesis of Renton’s first city-wide festival. Next June you will read in this quarterly the paper that Emma wrote as a result; she also developed a tabletop exhibit that we displayed during Renton River Days and at the Farmers Market. Emma’s work contributed to a larger topic we’ve been thinking about: Is Renton part of the American West? Why, or why not? The Renton Lions Club launched Western Days in 1939. It centered on a rodeo put on by Rose Wall and the Wall Rodeo Association based in Ellensburg. Even as war heated up in Europe, Renton asserted its identity as a western town. New workers relocated to Renton to take jobs in defense industries, and every July Western Days brought the newcomers and pioneers together for a couple days of parades, beard-growing contests, and trick-riding and roping. Most of those new war workers moved into the newly built Renton Highlands; this month’s newsletter article traces the Highlands’ beginnings and Part 2 in December will complete its wartime history. I have been following the transformation of the Sunset neighborhood since 2011–and you can, too, at http:// sunsetrenton.com–as part of the historical evolution of Renton’s largest planned community. The Highlands was intended to house 1000s of temporary workers briefly, not to become the forever neighborhood that it did. Renton has faced the challenges that arose from that fact, like hundreds of other war boom cities in the U.S., and the Sunset Area Transformation Plan has won awards and attention from those other cities. Who knew that Midwesterners could be seen as dangerous or threatening? But, as you will see in December, research into the Highlands’ early days revealed that Sheriff Harlan Callahan and Police Chief Vince Stewart unfairly targeted both the New Deal and Midwestern migrants as the source of Renton’s problems during the war. Resistance to change takes many forms. The Highlands stood up for its own, however, and meeting the threat to its honor made it a stronger community in the end. And this is how Western Days, WWII, the Renton Highlands, law enforcement, and the Sunset transformation tangents all connect in the story of Renton! by Elizabeth P. Stewart, Museum Director RenTeen Emma Austin with her Renton Rodeo poster exhibit during Renton River Days. 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 Denise Dhakal, 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 Kate Dugdale Public Engagement Coordinator 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) Renton Lady Lions Club advertising the Renton Rodeo in a Seattle parade, 1944. (RHM# 1984.025.1820) 4 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE We’ve had a great summer at the Renton History Museum, and a large part of that is due to you, our community! Our current exhibit, Hero’s Feast, kicked off in May and has been making a splash. This exhibit, curated by University of Washington Museology student Allison Moore, explores the popular role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D. The reveal of the name of the new dragon in Downtown Renton–“Erasmus” for Renton founder Smithers–helped make for an exciting exhibit opening on May 7. The exhibit is the Renton History Museum at its finest: taking chances, reaching new audiences, and bridging the gap between past and present. Renton River Days featured another installment of the ever-popular Renton History LIVE!, bringing in 163 visitors on July 27. Our production this year, “Learning American,” explored Pieter Prins’s Renton Naturalization School and the immigrants he helped prepare for citizenship in 1937. Prins’s grandson came to see the play and was thrilled! Thank you to everyone who came out to volunteer or visit during Renton River Days. You may have noticed a letter in your mailbox telling you about an exciting opportunity the Renton History Museum has in 2020. We have received a competitive grant from the Washington State Historical Society to organize a special exhibit as part of the statewide Votes for Women Centennial Program. Staff are calling the exhibit What Difference Do Renton Women Make?, and it will highlight the stories of little-known but important Renton women. This exhibit will build on research from 2014’s Pioneers, Professionals, and Politicians, an exhibit that I curated as a staff member and one which is very near and dear to my heart. If you have not done so already, please help contribute to making high-quality exhibits like this one a reality by donating to the Renton History Museum. As the sunny summer days transition into fall, our attention turns once again to our History-Making Party, taking place this year on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. We hope that you will join us as a guest, a donor, and/or a sponsor for this important event. We are thrilled to welcome back host Aunt Dottie to lead the festivities, and we will once again feature a delicious meal from Rain City Catering. Thank you to Old Soul Candle Company, King and Bunny’s, Rain City Catering, and Tie One On! for signing on as sponsors for this year’s event. For more information about the event, please contact Museum Director Liz Stewart or any member of the Board of Trustees. See you in the fall! by Colleen Lenahan, President UPCOMING EVENTS HALLOWEEN CRAFT PARTY October 26 11:00 am-1:00 pm Prepare for Halloween by joining us for some spooky crafts to help you celebrate the season. Art supplies will be provided, limited supplies available. FROM MEXICAN TO MEXICAN-AMERICAN: A FAMILY IMMIGRATION STORY October 30 6:00-7:00 pm UW’s Professor Carlos Gil explores Mexican immigration by spotlighting his own family’s experience in southern California, including parallels with Washington State. We hosted a very full house for the opening of Hero's Feast. Colleen Lenahan President LA CAUSA September 28 12:00-12:00 pm In the 1960s a movement changed the lives of Latin American farm workers who fought for civil rights and battled indecent working conditions. Experience this chapter of American history through the eyes of a young woman on the front lines. The cast of Renton History LIVE! during one of their performances at Renton River Days. FALL QUARTERLY, 2019 | 5 the next seventeen years adding a cabin court—the precursor to modern motels—a farmstand, then a small grocery and service station, and a tavern when Prohibition ended. For a long time Mike’s complex was the last stop outside Renton before a winding trip through chicken ranches and produce farms on the way to Issaquah and points east. Hillcrest was the start of the country. Mike sold his operation in autumn 1941, just before the attack on Pearl Harbor changed life in Renton and the rest of the country. Did he sense the changes coming northeast of town? Like many cities across the U.S., the people of Renton—Mayors, City Councilmembers, builders, employees, and residents—would experience titanic changes during WWII. Most expected that after the war life would go back to the way it had been, and many of the new housing projects were predicated on that hope. Residents wanted to believe that life could return to normal postwar. But the key wartime role of Renton’s industries— The Boeing Aircraft Co., Pacific Car & Foundry, the Kenworth Motor Co., and all the small businesses that supplied them— fueled a population explosion that changed the city forever. Rumors flew in Renton in August 1941 that the Department of the Navy had contacted Renton Mayor George W. Beanblossom to encourage him to form a housing authority. Continued from page 1 Cover photo: The Boespflug Co. used a mass framing-in method to get Renton Highlands homes up quickly. (RHM# 2000.127.8436) Mike Potoshnik's service station on Sunset Highway in Hillcrest, 1930. One of his rental cabins can be seen on the right. (RHM# 2003.023.6194) HERE FOR THE DURATION 6 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM The Navy planned to award The Boeing Aircraft Co. a major contract that would require thousands of workers. The Mayor and City Council had only to look around to see preparations well underway in Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Bremerton, and Bellingham. The Mayor formed the Renton Federal Housing Authority Board on Monday, September 8, 1941, the same day that Dr. C. L. Dixon deposited a $74,330 check for Boeing’s purchase of 60 acres for its new Renton factory.2 Construction began on the new plant as soon as the ink was dry on the Dixon sale. Puget Sound Power & Light brought new power lines to the site and the Austin Co. pulled construction workers from an aluminum plant in Longview. Boeing anticipated needing 15,000 new workers just for the Navy plane and many of them would be coming from out of town.3 (In the end, Boeing made just one of the experimental Navy XPB-1 Sea Ranger planes, before abandoning the contract in favor of B-29 Superfortress bombers for the U.S. Army Air Force.)4 The housing crunch started as early as summer 1941. “Just where they are going to live isn’t very clear,” the Renton Chronicle lamented of the new employees. “The tremendous influx of workers in the various industries here in the past few months has taken every house, apartment and cubby-hole and in the past ten days. Austin Co. employees besieging the real estate offices and The Chronicle classified desk to rent homes have turned away in despair.”5 Entrepreneurs like Timothy and Anna Morgan created housing on empty land; Morgan’s Auto Court, with fifteen cabins at 2nd and Rainier, was one of "Cabin courts" or "auto camps"–an early form of motel–sprang up to meet the need for short-term worker housing. This map shows four clustered around Rainier at 2nd and 3rd Streets. (Renton's "wagon-wheel" hospital, pictured at the bottom, was also a wartime project.) Members of the Board of the Renton Housing Authority stand on the steps of the Model Victory Home, Oct 1942. Front row right: Tom Dobson; second row center: Paul W. Houser Jr.; back row, right: architect-engineer J. H. McDowell. (RHM# 1991.096.3506) Kroll map of the lower part of the Renton Highlands. FALL QUARTERLY, 2019 | 7 several housing options available for short-term rental.6 New industrial development also displaced locals. Attilio and Emma Pistoresi were given a month to move their dairy operation off Dixon land. They sold their cows and moved in with their son Elmer in North Renton. When Rose Wall’s husband Owen joined the Army, she generously moved into an apartment, giving up their North Renton home temporarily for a family.7 The Housing Authority quickly began to comply with the federal government’s requirements to qualify the city for mobilization funding. During the Depression Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal agencies had accustomed people to the notion that the federal government could be an effective agent in tackling national problems that were bigger than one city or county or state alone could manage.8 In the run-up to the U.S.’s first involvement in war on a global scale, most city officials understood that they needed the funds and expertise that only the federal government could provide. To take advantage of it, cities had to organize appropriate agencies and collect data. The Renton Housing Authority began surveying residents about their plans for new construction and available room in their homes to house war workers, and the commissioners began to apply for infrastructure grants from the Public Works Administration for sewage disposal, water treatment, and other needs.9 By early 1942 Renton was officially a defense district and the exigencies of war began to remake the physical city. Builders could apply for priority materials and permits and Pacific Car & Foundry had received a grant of $700,000 for plant upgrades.10 The City of Renton vacated streets in North Renton adjacent to the new Boeing plant, for security reasons. “Never again in the lifetime of any of the citizens now living will the Government permit the complete freedom of citizens and others to roam upon or near our great defense institutions,” wrote E. G. Sill, head of the construction company building the new Boeing plant.11 Most importantly, the housing authority formed one central clearinghouse for new employees looking for places to live, headed by Pacific Car & Foundry personnel chief Mel Perkins. Perkins encouraged locals to “fix up” new living quarters with “simple remodeling projects.” “We haven’t struck bottom yet here in this community,” Perkins believed. “It is going to be our business to plumb new sources.”12 The biggest new source lay just northeast of the city, past the remote spot where Mike Potoshnik had settled on the Sunset Highway in the 1920s. In early March 1942 the city received word from Rep. John M. Coffee’s office that funds for 1000 new family units had been approved, with 500 of those being the “demountable,” or temporary, kind.13 By the end of the month, plans had already changed. The Renton Housing Authority planned 5000 housing units on 400 acres secured east of Hillcrest, urged on by Army and Navy officials who wanted “an immediate and radical expansion” of Renton’s plans.14 Frank Conklin, manager of the Cedar River Park Housing Project from 1944 to 1946, later gave some sense of the fears that could have put the brakes on wartime housing in Renton. “The town was twenty-four or twenty-five hundred Continued on page 10 J. C. Boespflug's "house" factory system allowed them to put Renton Highlands homes up as fast as supplies allowed. (Seattle Times, 31 May 1942.) 8 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM Although large-scale mining accidents were thankfully rare in King County, men did die in the mines here. Often new to the country and without extended families, these men’s stories quickly faded away and were forgotten. But sometimes you come across a name, begin to pull on the thread, and witness an intriguing story unravel. And sometimes you have to follow the story across multiple names. Stephen, or Stefan, Jereb emigrated from Slovenia sometime in the late 1800s. He first lived in Pennsylvania, likely working in coal mines there. Jereb became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1898. In 1901 his brother Ignaz (or Ignac) brought Steve’s wife Marie and two daughters, Mary and Frances, over from Slovenia. After their arrival in New York City, Marie disappears from the documentary records. In about around 1907 Jereb arrived in Renton alone with his daughters. He found work in the Denny-Renton Clay & Coal Co. mine. The family lived in a tiny house, about 500 sq. ft., just north of the intersection of Logan Avenue and Tobin Street. In June 1908 sixteen-year-old Mary married Martin Supancic, a coal miner from Yugoslavia. They stayed in Renton and just a year later Mary gave birth to Olga, the first of their four children. Two months after his granddaughter’s birth, disaster struck. Steve Jereb was electrocuted in the mine by stepping on a live wire; the mine inspector reported his name as “Stave Grebe.” His daughter Frances was only nine years old. Her seventeen-year-old sister had a newborn and was in a tumultuous marriage; she probably knew she was unable to take care of Frances. (Stephen was already in the U.S. when Frances was born in Slovenia in 1900, so her parentage is a bit of a mystery.) In the 1910 census Frances is living on Logan with miner David Jones and his wife Mary. Apparently her situation was tenuous; in 1915 the Renton Herald ran an article about REAL-LIFE HISTORY her guardianship. She was living with Emily Bodine, a widow. Frances’s circumstances were apparently much improved, as the Herald commented, “if you knew Francis [sic] in the old days you would not recognize the neatly dressed, round faced, smiling girl of today.” Jereb had owned the property on Logan—unusual for a newly-arrived immigrant coal miner—and his small estate was valued at $700 ($10,364 in today’s dollars). Young Mary, administrator of the estate, is listed as his only heir. This could lend credence to the possibility that Frances was not Stephen’s biological child; however, the Herald article about Frances mentions she received money from her “father’s insurance,” of which $600 remained in 1915. Frances later moved to Seattle and worked as a clerk in Rhodes Co. department store until she married John Ring in 1920. They had two sons and John operated Johnnie’s Hamburgers in Seattle. Mary left her husband sometime after 1914, reportedly to escape his abusive alcoholism, and in 1919 he filed for divorce. She later married Ciro Gregoris. The story of Stephen Jereb and his family was difficult to disentangle because “Jereb” and “Supancic” were both frequently misspelled. The Report of the State Inspector of Coal Mines lists Stephen’s name as “Stave Grebe,” and Frances is “Frances Grob” in the 1910 census. We also found the spellings Gereb, Jareb, Jerb, Grelie. There are likely more records still waiting to be discovered. Special thanks to Steve Swim who introduced us to Stephen Jereb and also generously shared his photo with us. Stephen Jereb's name misspelled as "Stave Grebe" on the Coal Miners' Honor Garden in Black Diamond. Stephen Jereb, n.d. (Photo courtesy of Steve Swim) FALL QUARTERLY, 2019 | 9 MEMORIAL DONATIONS May 4, 2019 - August 15, 2019 Chuck Gearheart Bill Anardi & Darlene Bjornstad Lt. Col. Robert Stanley Johnson Nick Vacca Florence Murray James & Joy Poff Al Rohling Nick Vacca Flora Rohling Nick Vacca Ron Schwehm Bill Anardi & Darlene Bjornstad Carmela Tobacco Jana Tobacco Frank Tobacco Jana Tobacco Olympe“Babe”Toman Richard & Louise Major Kathryn Eason (Chase) Vacca Nick Vacca GENERAL DONATIONS Janet Bertagni Mary Burdulis Jeffrey Conner Michael Dire Mary Dunphy Barbara H. George Beth Greggs Merrie Hamlin Ila Hemm Terry Higashiyama Susan Kirkpatrick Donovan J. Lynch Ted & Gerry McLendon John & Linda Middlebrooks Network for Good Barbara Nilson John & Marsha Nissen John & Joyce Peterson Manio & Ann Phillips Janene Sestak Mary Sutter Marian Sutton GENERAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Anonymous Jim & Char Baker Harry & Janet Blencoe Bill & Carol Collins Barbara J. Dengel Judy Leu Michael Hori Lynne & Mike King Gerald & Mary Ellen Marsh Barb Nilson Sandra Polley Janice Tanner McCorkle & Associates Melrose Grill MEMORIAL DONATIONS OF $100 OR MORE Barbara Anthony Renton High School Class of 1961 Reunion Committee & Lunch Bunch Lino Azzola Jack & Maria Rogers Zafira Azzola Jack & Maria Rogers Mary Azzola Beretta Jack & Maria Rogers Olga Azzola Sangalli Jack & Maria Rogers NEW MEMBERS Tori Dennis Cory Sjoberg Chris & LeAnne Struble BENEFACTOR MEMBERS John & Linda Middlebrooks Mark & Katherine Petrich PATRON MEMBERS John & Jewel Andrew Neil & Margaret Storey George & Marie Weis MATCHING DONATIONS RENTEENS 2019: RODEOS AND RIVER DAYS This summer, we were lucky to have Emma Austin as our RenTeens intern. Emma is a rising senior at Renton High School, where she is the editor of the student newspaper, The Arrow. Emma spent her summer with us researching the Renton Rodeo, which started in Renton in 1939. Emma found numerous articles and ads about the Rodeo, including this 1940s ad for Rodeo outfits from J.C. Penney. Emma presented her research in the galleries during Renton River Days— her research will also become the article for the Quarterly Newsletter next June, so keep an eye out for that! Gloria C. Cartwright Carrie & Greg Bergquist Doug Kyes Elizabeth P. Stewart Bob McCann Lee & Judy Baker Donna Kerr Nelson Orville Nelson MEMORIAL DONATIONS OF $1000 OR MORE Wes & Audrey Storey Neil & Margaret Storey GENERAL DONATIONS OF $500 OR MORE Nancy Fairman Sonja Kyes Judy Leu GENERAL DONATIONS OF $1000 OR MORE Ila Hemm Estate of George Poff IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS Wil Samson GRANT FUNDING PROVIDED BY 10 | RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM people, and we brought in ten thousand in the Highlands up there,” Conklin recalled. “At that time, it was just out of Renton – it was in the country. The resistance was just terrific – there was even accusations that Mr. [Franklin D.] Roosevelt was responsible for socialized housing and that housing should be built by individuals, by local contractors and so forth. And that public housing was socialism.”15 Nevertheless, a month later the J. C. Boespflug Construction Co. signed a contract for a development that would be named the “Renton Highlands,” because “much of it commands a view.”16 Construction began almost immediately on the hillside 1 1/2 miles outside Renton, “a section covered by thick woods, stone gullies and ponds,” as one resident remembered it.17 The Boespflug Co. had already completed numerous projects in the West, including Yesler Terrace and Highpoint, and the company had developed a system for working on large-scale building projects. In a sort of “house factory,” piles of lumber were delivered to the site, turned into stacks of frames for houses, while other carpenters put together the walls, floors, and roofs. The housing authority encouraged local men to apply for jobs as building, mechanical, and electrical inspectors.18 By mid-summer 1942 the nationwide building boom was slowing the development of the Renton Highlands. Sewer extensions were held up, as was delivery of electrical wiring and plumbing fittings. “Scarcities, priorities, delays in shipments, red tape, labor and materials shortage—all these dogged their steps since the first shovelful of dirt was moved on the hill overlooking Lake Washington,” wrote an editorialist for the Renton Chronicle. 19 Meanwhile, the Army and Navy were predicting that 25,000—not 15,000—war workers would ultimately be needed in Renton.20 Renton residents tried to cope with the pace of change. “You could see the whole community changing,” Frank Conklin remembered. “These people came from all over the Continued from page 7 ENDNOTES 1 Son Mike Potoshnik Jr. told this story in an oral history. Mike Potoshnik Jr. Oral History, 17 Apr 2003 (RHM# 2003.080.006), p.2. 2 “Housing Board Inspects Sites for Homes Here,” Chronicle, 11 Sep 1941, p.1; “Dr. C. L. Dixon Deposits Check for $74,330.00 in Boeing Deal,” Chronicle, 11 Sep 1941, p.1; “Renton Builds 2,000 Homes,” Chronicle, 15 Oct 1942, p.9. City Council directed Mayor Beanblossom to empanel the Housing Authority on Monday, September 1, and by the following week members had been selected and were planning to tour sites to submit to federal housing authorities for funding. The Navy Department told Mayor Beanblossom that a businessman, a banker, a labor leader, a realtor, and a lawyer would be the ideal mix for the housing authority; he selected Hayden Williams (owner, Williams & Swanson Chevrolet), E. K. Arnold (banker), Jack Lanich (steelworker), Tom Dobson Jr. (realtor), and Paul W. Houser Jr. (lawyer). 3 “Crews Install Power Lines,” p.1; “To Break Ground for Boeing Plant,” Chronicle, 21 Aug 1941, p.5. All newspapers are based in Renton unless otherwise indicated. 4 Chris Sloan, “A Historical Look at Boeing’s 737 Factory in Renton,” Airline Reporter, https://www.airlinereporter.com/2013/07/an-historical-look-at-boeings- 737-factory-in-renton/, accessed 14 Aug 2019. 5 “Crews Install Power Lines,” Chronicle, 21 Aug 1941, p.1. 6 “Morgans Start Construction of 15 Cabins,” Chronicle, 14 Aug 1941, p.1; Renton City Directory, 1947-1948. Others in Renton were Slumberite Auto Camp, Cabin City Court (operated by Frank Collman), and Ernesto Barei’s and Leo Rosa’s auto camp in Earlington. 7 “Must Vacate Dixon Tract by September 30,” Chronicle, 28 Aug 1941, p.1; “Owen Walls Off for Air Service,” Chronicle, 11 Feb 1943, p.1. 8 Carl Abbott, “Planning for the Home Front in Seattle and Portland, 1940 – 45,” in Roger W. Lotchin, ed., The Martial Metropolis: U.S. Cities in War and Peace (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1984), 163. 9 “Housing Board Wants Data on Local Building,” Chronicle, p.25 Sep 1941, p.1; “Housing Board Sees Projects at Bremerton,” Chronicle, 2 Oct 1941, p.1; “Group Talks with Boeing’s [sic],” Chronicle, 2 Oct 1941, p.1; “City Asks for $409,908 Grant,” Chronicle, 2 Oct 1941, n.p. 10 “Million Dollar Foundry for Car Shops,” Chronicle, 23 Oct 1941, p.1; “Renton is in Defense Area,” Chronicle, 20 Nov 1941, p.1. 11 E. G. Sill, Letter to the Honorable Mayor and City Council, 6 Jan 1941, printed in “Council Gives Boeing Plant Vacation of St.,” Chronicle, 8 Jan 1942, p.1. 12 “Perkins Named to Get Homes,” Chronicle, 5 Feb 1942, p.1. 13 “500 Permanent[,] 500 Detachable Units Planned,” Chronicle, 2 Mar 1942, p.1. 14 “Land Secured for Housing N.E. of City,” Chronicle, 26 Mar 1942, p.1. 15 Frank Conklin Oral History, 4 Nov 1984 (RHM# 1984.101.001), p.9. 16 “Work to Start Immediately,” Chronicle, 30 Apr 1942, p.1. By the time construction started, a total of 400 acres had been purchased for the development. 17 Lee Pederson, “Highlands Arose Over Night [sic] From Field of Trees, Gullies and Ponds,” News-Record, 31 Jul 1952. 18 “500 Permanent Homes Up in 90 Days,” Chronicle, 23 Apr 1942, p.1; “U.S. Project to Have More Homes Than Near-By Renton,” Seattle Times, 31 May 1942, p.1. 19 “The First House is Ready!” Chronicle, 15 Oct 1942, p.1. 20 “Add 4000 Units for Housing in Renton,” Chronicle, 16 Jul 1942, p.1; “Paul W. Houser Will Be Head of Housing Units,” Chronicle, 13 Aug 1942, p.1. 21 Frank Conklin Oral History, 4 Nov 1984 (RHM# 1984.101.001), p.9-10. 22 “The First House is Ready!” Chronicle, 15 Oct 1942, p.1. 23 “Will Show Model House at Project Saturday-Sunday,” Chronicle, 15 Oct 1942, p.1. “Mike’s corner” was probably named for Mike Potoshnik, although it was also known as “Miller’s Corner,” for farmer William H. Miller who had operated a fruit and egg stand at the corner of his property on Sunset years before. The Model Victory Home is long gone. 24 “Victory House Draws Crowd,” Chronicle, 22 Oct 1942, p.1; “First Families in Renton Units,” Seattle Times, 2 Nov 1942, p.6. country…. We had to have the people to build the planes, but the community didn’t seem to understand that…. They would go to their little service on Sunday, and here would be a whole family—somebody they’d never seen before.”21 Finally, in October 1942 the first Renton Highlands homes were ready for occupancy, accompanied by all the fanfare that city officials could muster. A “Model Victory Home” was opened to the public, furnished by Renton Hardware & Furniture Co. to be “neat, comfortable, handy and good-looking… one of the homes ‘we’re fighting for.’”22 “It is easy to find the house,” instructed The Chronicle. “Drive up Sunset Highway past Mike’s corner and it’s just beyond—right alongside the road.”23 At least 1000 people visited the Victory Home during its weekend open house; two weeks later the first six families moved into their new homes.24 In December we’ll look at the lives of the new Renton Highlands residents during the war and the sudden growth's impact on Renton. Housing Authority Executive Director Paul Houser (left) and Technical Director J. H. McDowell (right) pose on the front steps of the Model Victory Home. (Renton Chronicle, 15 Oct 1942, p.1.) FALL QUARTERLY, 2019 | 11 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 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 CVV code: Total: $ W hy do humans feel the need to decorate and embellish what they wear? Our upcoming exhibit Sparkle explores the different ways how and reasons why Rentonites have worn embellished clothing. Come see 1920s flapper dresses alongside the more sedate fashions of wartime. Think about who wore these clothes and what message they were trying to project. Sparkle draws on our own rarely- exhibited textile collection. Come be dazzled by Renton's history! From OCTOBER 22 to APRIL 8 RENTON HISTORY MUSEUM 235 Mill Ave. S Renton, WA 98057 In 1941–1942, Renton was united in finding creative ways to house the influx of new workers. (Renton Chronicle, advertisement, 26 Feb 1942, p.7.)