HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004 Issue 2 - Rhag Cymru at DynaJune 2004 Volume 35, Number 2
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Raiders of the Lost BookiesOn the night of October 14, the Acting Police Chief, James Chadwick, led a raid on the tavern. Acting on rumors thatbookies had been taking bets on horse races inside, Chadwick, Floyd Lawrence the Acting Mayor, and two other unnamedofficers made the bust. Upon charging into the back room of the tavern, they surprised several men in possession ofparaphernalia linked with bookmaking. Six unidentified men were taken into custody according to reports in the RentonChronicle. While the ultimate fate of the six alleged bookies remains unclear from available records, the fate of ActingChief Chadwick is well documented. He was summarily dismissed from the Renton Police Department shortly after theRaid.1
Rhag Cymru at DynaRhag Cymru at DynaRhag Cymru at DynaRhag Cymru at DynaRhag Cymru at Dyna
From Wales to Here: The life of Mary Ann Edwards LewisBy Steve A. Anderson truck farms of the Green River Valleyall lay in splendid succession beforeher. The sounds of the chickensworking through the shrubs below,brought back faded memories of anearlier time, a time she had viewedthrough the eyes of a four-year-oldchild in Abergwili, Wales.2The Welsh town of Mary AnnEdwards’s birth was nestled in therural farmlands of the Tywi RiverValley.3 There, dairy farms enhanced anatural setting that was, according tolocal folklore, the final resting placefor King Arthur ’s wizard, Merlin theMagician.4 Mary Ann was born toWilliam and Ann Edwards in July1853,5 and probably learned of Merlin’sfantastic adventures and King Arthurfrom a very early age.6 She likelygrew accustomed to the sounds,smells and sights of agriculture aswell. Her father William had inheritedthe mannerisms and skills of a farmerfrom his father,7 who had leased landand employed people to work it. Sincetheir 145-acre farm was the eighthlargest in the parish, the Edwardsfamily had an elevated social statuswithin the valley.8
Masthead image: The Lewis familygathers before a garden full of flowers c.1918 on Earlington Hill. Mary AnnLewis, with her white hair, is seated onthe far right and is looking down.The Lewis family home was located at 3303 Beacon Avenue South, which at the time ofthis image in 1922, was not yet part of Renton. Left to right: David T., Kathryn Lewis(granddaughter), Mary Ann and two guests - the Davis'
ForewordIn November 2000, Charles Lewis Custer left a substantial estate to theRenton Historical Society. Among other things, this estate consisted of numer-ous artifacts and photographs relating to ancestors of the Custer and Lewisfamilies. In accomplishing our mission to provide local history experiences to thegeneral public, we now present a part of that ancestry, the life history ofCharles’ grandmother, Mary Ann (Edwards) Lewis.-SAAAbergwiliWith daffodils blossoming below her, seventy three-year-old Mary Ann Lewissoaked up the rare sunshine from the porch of her large Earlington home. It wasApril of 1927; the final spring of Mary Ann’s long and productive life. Yet onthat day, with the sun pouring down, the vista seemed to promise many moreyears of life and prosperity. As her garden was already planted and the family’schickens were enjoying an early morning romp through the yard, Mary Anngazed in wonder at the beauty of that day. The blue sky, Mt. Rainier and the
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Renton Historical QuarterlySteve A. Anderson, Managing EditorSusie Bressan, Graphic Design & LayoutLouise George, Copy EditorDaisy Ward, Text Input & Copy EditorDeborah Willard & Karl HurstCity of Renton Print and Mail Services
Contributing AuthorsSteve Anderson
Renton Historical SocietyBoard of Trustees Bob Hunt, PresidentBill Gaw, Vice PresidentDerek Almo, SecretaryJennifer Sharp, Treasurer
Marge Richter '05Sally Rochelle '05Kevin McQuiller, '05Dan Emmons, '05Larry Sleeth, '06Dan Foley, '06Doug Kyes, '06Laura Clawson, '06Vicky Persson, '07Patty Law, '07Ken Becker, EndowmentTerri Briere, City LIaison
Museum StaffSteve A. Anderson, Director/Museum SuperivsorDaisy Ward, Administrative AssistantStan Greene, Archivist/RecordsLaura Crawford, Collections ManagaerDorota Rahn, Volunteer CoordinatorTom Monahan, Museum Assistant/ResearchPearl Jacobson, RegistrarLouise George, SecretaryDick Hawkins, Grounds/Maintenance
Ernie Tonda, Director EmeritusEthel Telban, Librarian EmeritusRose Mary Greene, Curator EmeritusRenton Historical Museum235 Mill Avenue SouthRenton, WA 98055-2133Phone: 425.255.2330FAX: 425.255.1570Email: saanderson@ci.renton.wa.us
The Renton Historical Society Board meets on the fourth Wednesday of every monthfrom 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., at either the Renton Community Center or the RentonHistorical Museum. Please call the museum for meeting locations on the followingdates: July 28th, August 25 and September 22.Public hours for the Renton Historical Museum are Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am to4:00pm and by appointment for archival and photographic research purposes Wednesdaythrough Fridays, 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Admission: $3 per adult, $1 per child (ages 8 - 16) andRenton Historical Society members are always free. Free days: first Wednesday and thirdSaturday of the month.
Hi, There!Some of you made it to the annual meeting and picnic, and we missed someothers. The business parts we tried to keep short and sweet, mostly focused onthose chores specifically assigned to the annual meeting. One of them was theend of her second term as president for Barbara Horton and the start of myfirst.Let me introduce myself. I’ve been working with the board since January of2002, first with the Custer Committee and then with the Museum Committee. Iam a Systems Engineer at Boeing, which means I’m supposed to think about thewhole of an effort rather than just the details. Those of you at the picnic mighthave met my wife Phyllis. We have two grown children, Chris who is marriedand living in Kent, and Jennifer, who is in the Army as a medic. Thankfully theonly shots going on where she is in Oklahoma are the ones she is giving newrecruits. We’re members of the Methodist Church (myself since my folksmoved here in ’61, my wife since we were married in ’78). We live in theHighlands, not too far from McKnight and Highlands Elementary.The picnic itself was remarkably nice considering the nasty change in theweather over the course of the day. The food was plentiful and very good, TedMcLendon reigned as barbecue operator extraordinaire, Steve Anderson gave awonderful talk on the matriarch of the Lewis family (see his story elsewhere inthe quarterly), and the rain came down in torrents just as he started. Fortunatelywe had a covered area that seemed to be sufficient for the group.Some of the other board business included the re-election of Vicky Persson toa new term on the board, the addition of Don Emmons to his first term and theelection of the rest of the Executive Board to repeat terms (Bill Gaw as VP andJennifer Sharp as Treasurer for one year terms and Derek Almo as Secretaryfor a two year term to re-establish a staggered E-Board). We saw off TedMcLendon and Allan Unbedacht (Allan couldn’t attend) as departing Boardmembers. We will miss them.Barb Horton has left us with a cleaner operation, better documentation andan all-but-signed first-ever City/Society Agreement. It isn’t everything we couldhope for, but it’s taken the better part of two years to hammer out and it givesus a solid base to work with for the future of the Museum. We will have oppor-tunities in the future to make improvements as we break it in.The only experience I bring that may truly be helpful in making the Societyand the Museum better parts of our community is my skill at learning from mymistakes. Hence, if you find a good one don’t be shy about pointing it out. Ihope to talk with many of the volunteers and members this year and I’d like tohear from you what you want from both the Society and the Museum. If youneed to contact me directly, my phone number is 235-4947 and my email ad-dress is kittenpah@comcast.net.Thanks for letting me ramble on for my first effort. I hope to have usefulthings to talk about next quarter.
Your Fresh-Minted, Greenhorn PresidentBob Hunt
By Bob Hunt, PresidentPresident's Message
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Steve Anderson,Museum Supervisor
By Steve A. Anderson, Museum SupervisorRenton Museum Report
We are happy to bring you this year ’s Renton Heritage 2003, the annualreport of the Renton Historical Society and this museum. The news it brings isupbeat, forward thinking and optimistic. This is in direct contrast to what hasbeen happening in Washington State’s museum community over the past fouryears or so. As reported in the Business Journal in January of this year bystaff writer Carol Tice, “...as the region’s newest museums grapple with budgetshortfalls and staff cuts, another crop of still-unbuilt institutions is in the works— and the managers of those planned facilities aretrying to avoid making the same mistakes.”Expansions and new buildings, a trend that started inthe 1960s, really kicked into high gear in the latter1990s, only to be slapped silly by the dot-com bubblebursting, 9/11 attacks, and a downturn in the economyand tourism nationwide. Here in the Puget Soundregion, the cumulative effect has been devastating tomany sites that just opened their doors, and to manysmaller ones that have no reserve funds. The Museumof History and Industry, Wing Luke Museum (bothSeattle) and the Le May Auto Museum (Tacoma) haveconstruction plans hanging in the balance; Experience Music Project (Seattle)and Museum of Glass (Tacoma) - over 300 personnel laid off and hours short-ened; Bellevue Art Museum - closed indefinitely.Everywhere, the nation’s estimated 16,000 museums are scrambling torestructure their funding bases, reinvent themselves, find their special niche inthe community, appeal to wider audiences and bring in both visitor dollars andcommunity donations. At the foundation of it all is the word “sustainability.” Thiscan be easily described as a museum board’s ability to annually raise the fundsnecessary to pay for core activities like utilities, staffing, programming andserving the mission of the site. The fickle nature of most museum funding,whether private or public dollars, makes having mechanisms in place to offsettimes like these just good business. Fortunately, for us here in Renton we’veinvested the time, energy and fore thought to develop an endowment programthat is both growing and funding just these kinds of core activities.Make no mistake about it though - the challenges we face here in Rentonremain numerous. As one of my museum colleagues stated recently, “…no oneis out of the woods in this current economic environment!” A recent review ofthe artifact collections area has made us acutely aware of a great deal of workyet to be done. In the end, though, our membership and stakeholders of themuseum are the ones that have and will pull us through any future projects andprocesses of change, and for that I’m very grateful.For those of you who made it out to our picnic early in June, thanks forcoming and I hope you enjoyed the presentations, food and fellowship we allenjoyed out there in the park. We hope to make this an annual function, mirror-ing the early Pioneer Picnics that populated the teens and 1920s, 30s, and early40s.And one final note: If you haven’t already had the opportunity, please go toKCSnapshots.org to see over 500 images from the museum’s collections. Thiscompletely searchable website features over 12,000 images from 12 KingCounty heritage institutions. During 2001 a small army of volunteers here at themuseum spent several hundred hours pulling these original images for use onthis “online exhibit” which is hosted by the University of Washington. You canalso get to the site by using a link from www.rentonhistory.org, which is theRenton Historical Society’s official website.We’d love to hear from you – so send us your comments and ideas.
MembershipsNew MembersPatrick & Elizabeth HiggensDorota RahnBeth Ann Perry familyPaul LongvilleGreg AaltoD. Brooks HoffmanFlora KatzerPatricia LawRobert & Agnes CiotaEllen J. FromherzDorothy Nell ClayNew BenefactorJesse & Janice TannerChristopher MehrensService Linen SupplyDon & Margaret Schumsky
New Business BenefactorsJesse & Janice TannerNew Life MembersTed & Geri McLendonAndee Jorgensen
Renton HistoricalSocietyMembership
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Membership DuesPlease check to see if your 2004dues are paid. One of the benefitsof membership is having theRenton Historical Quarterlydelivered to you. Memberships notpaid by April will not receive thenext issue by mail.
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(Lewis Story Continued from page 1)Carmarthenshire farms raised produce common to the area: livestock, includ-ing milk cows and sheep, grains, vegetables and, of course, chickens. Abergwilitown, with the Black Ox Pub as its social center, was actually quite small. MaryAnn, who sometimes accompanied her mother on shopping trips, enjoyed seeingthe calm waters of the Tywi River. Trips to the larger city of Carmarthen werealso memorable. By the time she was four years old, Mary Ann had responsibili-ties, which likely included taking care of the family’s small flock of chickens.When her brother John was born, Mary Ann’s duties increased to helping carefor him as well. Sundayswere always a specialtime, however, as herfather kept close tohome and the wholefamily attended servicesat the local PresbyterianChurch.Just MemoriesThough she may nothave understood thediscussions between herparents, the course ofMary Ann’s life wassignificantly altered theday they announced theirintention to immigrate toAmerica.9 Mary Ann’smother, pregnant onceagain, probably ex-pressed concern abouttraveling across theocean in her delicatecondition, especially withtwo small children.10Over the course of thenext two months theytraveled with hundredsof other Welsh immigrants,also seeking a new life inAmerica. While at sea, AnnEdwards gave birth. Norecords survived as to thenature or diagnosis of thecircumstances but Ann andher newborn soon died.11Immediately following their arrival in New York, William was forced to bury hisloved ones in foreign soil. Of Ann’s personal possessions, he kept that whichwas closest to his wife: her wool paisley shawl.12
The reasoning behind WilliamEdwards’ decision to trade in his skilland background in agricultural for thatof coal mining is yet another mysterythat may never be solved. But, in fact,this is what he did, obtaining employ-ment at the Pomeroy & Sons &Company coalmines.15 While this mayseem to be a significant reduction insocial status for the Edwards family,living in Coalport was by no means thelowest one might descend socially inthis coal mining area. Farther southwas a place known as Minersville,which was a “town” consisting of tworavines that served as open sewers.Each ravine had a title: Welshtownand Dutchtown. Both of them werecrowded with gloomy, quickly thrown-together tenement housing and literallyhundreds of recent immigrants fromthe “old country.”Numerous Welsh transplants lived inCoalport as well.16 This provided acomfortable measure of familiarity asmany neighbors practiced the Welshlanguage, protestant religious beliefsand traditional customs. This situationalso allowed William to rebuild his life,remarrying soon thereafter.17 Educa-tion was highly valued by Mary Annlater in her life. It is believed that sheobtained schooling soon after comingto Coalport. In America, however, shefound that the English language wasthe one spoken by her peers andteachers, giving her Welsh language asecondary position of importance.As the family became more com-fortable in their new home, MaryAnn’s father apparently fared wellfinancially. The family dined fromexpensive bone china and numerousopportunities were taken to photo-graph John and Mary Ann inPomeroy’s portrait studios. Theirclothing also reflects a higher socialstanding than one might expect on aminer’s wage.18 Mary Ann carriedherself in a lady-like fashion all of herlife, which leads one to believe that theEdwards family circulated withinelevated social circles. But thisrelative calm was about to be broken.
MaryAnn was believed to hve worked as adomestic servant while living in Pomeroyfollowing her father's death. This tintype photoshows her (standing) with an apron - a highlyunusual way to dress for standard protrait taking.We believe that these two worked together.
CoalportThe west-bound Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad carrying the surviving Edwardsfamily members stopped briefly in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, providing Williamwith enough time to have portraits taken of his two small children. Disembarkingat Cleveland, the Edwards family likely boarded a steam-powered riverboat forthe next phase of their trip – ascending the mighty Ohio River to the docks of thecoal-mining town of Pomeroy, Ohio.13 Once ashore, they eventually settled southof town, in an area known as Coalport.14 As the industrial heart of the area,Coalport was a far cry from pastoral Abergwili. Mary Ann soon discovered thatthe town was deserving of its name. Her shoes always needed cleaning as thevery ground was black with soot and coal debris.
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Mary Ann was eight years oldwhen the Civil War broke out -hardly an age that would havedrawn her attention to the issuescontested in the great struggle. Butwhile she may not have been awarethat this part of Ohio was a vital linkin the Underground Railroad,19 shemust have sensed that somethingwas horribly wrong in the world.The county where the Edwardsfamily lived20 was the only onewithin Ohio to experience militaryaction during the war. Undoubtedly,Mary Ann witnessed militiamenpatrolling the streets of Pomeroy andCoalport. The pageantry of a paradeof Union troops as they marchedthrough town was another likelymemory. Late in the war, nearby
Buffington Island became a killing field as a Federalgunboat and detachment ofcavalry clashed with Confederate raiders. For the most part, though, it would bethe war ’s end and President Lincoln’s assassination that would burn brightly inthis young girl’s memories. Along with her family, the eleven-year-old mournedwith thousands who stood in line in Columbus, Ohio and witnessed thepresident’s funeral train passing through town on 30 April 1865.21With the war behind them, a closer, more personal devastation was yet to come. In1867, as Mary Ann blossomed into a teenager, her father died unexpectedly. Further,brother John became estranged to the family – again without explanation. At thispoint in history, it is not clear what direction Mary Ann took with her life. As school-ing generally ended by the eighth grade, she likely moved to Pomeroy, perhapsworking as a domestic servant or living at home with her step-mother while enter-taining suitors over the course of the next ten years. By 1870, Pomeroy had growninto the region’s industrial center and many more Welsh immigrants were making themove to America.One Mine for AnotherOne of those immigrants was fifteen-year-old David Thomas Lewis22 who steppedashore at the Pomeroy docks in 1870 withhis three younger sisters and parents. Thereis little doubt that David felt his lot in life wasnot going to improve over what he’d just left.In Wales, David had worked throughout thesouthern Welsh coalfields right along side hisfather since before his teenage years, and hehad seen it all. Coal mining was hard anddangerous work, especially for small boys.Accidents were common, including severecuts, broken or crushed fingers, fires, cave-ins and, occasionally, death. The miningmachinery took its toll as well. Child minersoccasionally got horribly mangled or fell intocoal chutes where they’d be smothered todeath.23 From David’s perspective, theLewis family had transplanted themselves toan American version of what they had just left behind in Wales! True to form,after settling in, David and his father Benjamin sought and gained employment inthe mines of Coalport - just as Mary Ann’s father and thousands of Welshminers had done before them.
Over the course of the next tenyears, the Lewis family also blendedinto Pomeroy’s Welsh community and,to some extent, recreated the livesthey’d had back home in Rhymney,Wales. It is not known if Mary Annfirst befriended David’s sisters, or wasintroduced to him in some othermanner. Eventually, however, the twomet and began a courtship that re-sulted in an 1879 marriage.24By the time 1883 came to a close,the Lewis family had grown with thearrival of two children, Annie andWilliam. The boom and bust nature ofthe coal mining industry often lefthundreds of miners out of work. This,aside from an adventurous spirit, isbelieved to be one of the motivatingfactors behind David Lewis’s desire toleave Coalport. He had probably seenthe “call for miners” leaflets posted onwalls throughout the Pomeroy/Coalport area - increasing his curiosityabout opportunities out west. So, withMary Ann’s blessing, he ventured outto Washington Territory to learn moreand, hopefully, find better employment.Fate had other plans for this Welsh-man, however, for he soon returned toOhio after being burned in a miningaccident. But David Thomas Lewishad seen the future.
This image is believed to be Mary AnnLewis wedding photo, circa 1880.
The Black Diamond log cabin owned byJohn Mills and rented by the Lewis Familyshortly after their arrival in 1885-86.
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Following his recovery,David was determined toreturn to the PacificNorthwest. SanFrancisco’s BlackDiamond Coal Companyhad finished the railconnections betweenSeattle’s waterfront andthe new coalfields of theCedar and Green Riverwatersheds. Moreemployment leaflets hadbeen pasted around thetown and David wasgetting the itch to move.Refusing to be leftbehind yet again, MaryAnn (now pregnant withtheir third child Marga-ret), put her foot downand insisted that theentire family go withhim. Following the birthof their third childMargaret in 1885,theLewis family packed uptheir belongings, boardedan “immigrant train” andheaded west once again.It took a little longerthan a week before thefamily landed in Black
This apparent poverty, Mary Ann’sunhappiness, a work slow-down at themine, David’s adventurous spirit, orperhaps the couple’s desire to get intoagriculture could have led to theirclaiming of an 80 acre track of stump-riddled farmland near Chehalis in1890.29 A “shack” was erected on theproperty and the family spent one verycold and wet winter there. That spring,they retreated north to Lawson, whereDavid obtained work as a foreman ofthe dynamite/blasting crew in themine.30 They remained in Lawson forthe next three years.31 Then, theDepression of 1893 knocked thebottom out of the coal market onceagain. This resulted in the closure ofnumerous mines in the region - includ-ing Lawson’s. The entire familypacked it up once again and moved toRenton. Here, David found employ-ment with the railroad doing tracksection gang work.Vagabond YearsOver the course of the next tenyears, the Lewis family would con-tinue to displace themselves. Theymoved between Black Diamond,Lawson and Renton several timesover. David even ventured a trip toRock Springs, Wyoming, at one point,in search of work in its coalmines nearthe railroad tracks. Once there, “the
At right: The Lewis family circa 1892 during their "vagabond" period. Thiscabinet photography was taken in a Tacoma studio and shows, left to right(standing) David T.. Annie, William; (front row): Benjamin, Mary Ann andMargaret.
Diamond. Davidobtained work atvarious points with both the mining company and on the railroad. Withinthe mine he handled the blasting crews: on the railroad he was head of asection gang laying track. For living accommodations, the Lewis’s rented atemporarily vacant log cabin owned by John Mills 27 who was just thenleaving for California to collect his family. As statehood came to theterritory in 1889, the Lewis’s fourth child, Benjamin, was barely a yearold. Upon the return of John Mills, the enlarged Lewis family moved into acompany-owned house situated on a dead end dirt road at the outermostedge of town. This, according to family genealogist William Thorndale,made Mary Ann unhappy because “it was inconvenient for being thefarthest in, the farthest from the road into the Diamond.” One shouldknow that a coal miner ’s depressed pay scale of that period did not permitmany luxuries. One story related through William Thorndale tells it all:
(Lewis Story Continued from page 5)
In 1916-17, Mary Ann had two grandchildren, shown hereon left is Kathryn Lewis, and sitting on Mary Ann's lap isCharles Lewis Custer. The Custer-Lewis Collection hasliterally hundreds of such images.
“The saddest story of hard times was the Black Diamondcommunal Christmas party, where the children’s presents orstockings were hung on a wire strung across the large room ofthe school house. The daughter of the mine’s superintendentgot dolls, and David T. and Mary Ann’s children each got anorange.”2
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The entire Lewis Clan in the front yard of George and Annie Custer's house at 201 Wells Avenue in Renton, circa 1916. Left toright: (front row) Kathryn Lewis, Charles Custer; (kneeling) William and Edna Jane Lewis, Annie Custer, Margaret Lewis andMary Ann Lewis; (standing) David T. Lewis and Benjamin Lewis.
wind blew him back to Washington.” Often during the summer months of the late 1890s, the Lewis children supplementedthe family’s income by picking hops in the Kent Valley. During at least one of these moves, Mary Ann left her eldestdaughter Annie in Renton. She had gained employment as a domestic servant at the Bagley Mansion west of town. Asidefrom providing additional income, it allowed Annie to stay put in Renton, where she graduated from Central School in1899, along with brother William.Now Mary Ann’s children were growing up and in many ways moving out of her sphere of influence. But she remainedexceedingly protective of them and her family’s reputation – even to the extreme in some cases. For instance, sheforbade her youngest son Benjamin from marrying a woman whose father was labeled as “disreputable.” When heroldest son William decided to give amateur boxing a try at a cigar-filled gathering referred to as a “smoker,” Mary Annwas infuriated because the event had been splashed all over the sports page of a Seattle newspaper. When a proposal ofmarriage was being made towards her twenty-one year old daughter Annie – she investigated the suitor. In that particularcase, George Washington Custer made the cut. And why? Well, for starters he was upwardly mobile; came from a familyof good standing; was a long-time resident of Renton; had a high school diploma and had a skill. Returning from theKlondike Gold Rush in 1900, George had made his intentions known early on.32 By September 1902 George and AnnieLewis had received Mary Ann’s blessing and so vows were exchanged. By 1905, the Lewises had moved into Rentonproper for the last time.
(Continued on page 8)
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EarlingtonIt is possible that either Annie’s association with the Bagley Mansion or herfather’s employment with the railroads gave the Lewises advance informationconcerning future plans for a new community being considered for the hill justwest of Renton. It was initially christened “Earlington Heights” in honor of A.J.Earling, President of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad,33 and thedevelopment’s backers promised “the richest soil in Western Washington.”Great plans were being laid for this next “industrial center” of the region. TheBlack River, located at the foot of the hill, was to be dredged and eventuallyturned into a ship canal - making Earlington Heights “the most important freshwater harbor on the Pacific Coast.” The Jones-Thompson Investment Companywas opening a coalmine there. If this wasn’t enticement enough, residential lotsmeasuring forty feet wide and one hundred feet deep could be had for a merefifty-dollar down payment. One need only raise the ten-dollar per month mort-gage payment to stay on the land. David and Mary Ann Lewis (realizing thepotential investment, employment and farming benefits of this new development)wanted to buy a lot, but probably lacked the funds.34At this point, Mary Ann might have wished she had brought a little of Merlin’sconjuring skills from Abergwili. For even if they could manage to front themoney for the land, the developers failed to reveal that a serious amount ofclearing was needed before any house could be built there. Also, there was achance that the big industrial plans for Earlington Heights might never actuallyhappen (which they didn’t). A form of magic did take place, however, as theLewis’s new son-in-law George Custer, bought two southern facing lots onBeacon Avenue shortly after it was platted in the summer of 1907. Then, heeither gifted or sublet one of the lots to the Lewises for their home. George alsoproved to be an accomplished contractor/carpenter and helped David transformthe lot.By 1908 David and George had built a house in a fashion that Mary Ann hadalways dreamed of. It was a large, southern facing, two-story structure with aview, a porch, an outdoor privy, a large fenced yard, and, eventually, . . . chick-ens! Within the year, Mary Ann’s pugilist son William had married one of JohnMills’s daughters - Edna Jane, in Seattle. The Lewis’s two youngest children,Ben and Margaret, lived at home.35Within these new surroundings, Mary Ann got into a comfortable rhythm.Housework, cleaning, gardening and tending the chickens took place in themorning. On these occasions, she wore one set of clothing. By the afternoon,however, her social calendar took over. These duties required “more formal”attire for Mary Ann. Whether it was receiving guests, working in the Ladies AidSociety of the Presbyterian Church, or in Seattle as part of the Earlington-Renton Auxiliary of the Orthopedic Guild, Mary Ann dressed the part of thelady.36A devout member of the Presbyterian Church of Renton, Mary Ann busiedherself in other church activities as well, and her friendships in Renton grew. By1916, she also took care of her grandchildren – whom she treasured. Report-edly, she paid one of them cash to read Pilgrim’s Progress - reflecting herpassion for education and proper breeding. For guests who stayed the night, theLewis’s Earlington house provided warmth on the first floor only. This meantthat in the winter one would have to move quickly getting in and out of bed for itcould get very cold upstairs!TwilightAbout a month after the daffodils came up in 1927, Mary Ann passed away ather Earlington home. Reportedly, she suffered little, leaving this world followingan illness of only a few short hours.37 At her funeral service within Renton’snew Presbyterian Church, friends and family filled the pews to capacity. Manyof those present spoke about Mary Ann, attesting to her kindness, friendship,Christian values and loving nature. She was laid to rest at Mt. Olivet Cemetery,once again joining a number of Welsh immigrants who had gone before her.
PostscriptMary Ann’s husband, David T.Lewis, lived for another ten years,passing away in 1936. They had threegrandchildren: Charles Lewis Custer,only child of Annie and George, whoremained single and lived in Renton hiswhole life; and Kathleen (Lewis)Siefert and Bill Ann (Lewis)Thorndale,38 daughters of Edward andEdna Jane Lewis who both eventuallymarried, had four children betweenthem and lived in various cities in thewestern half of the United States andCanada. Mary Ann’s youngest chil-dren Benjamin and Margaret Lewisremained single their entire lives.Author ’s NoteI would like to extend my thanks toWilliam Thorndale for his contributionsof Lewis family oral history about the“Diamond” and information relating tohis great-grandfather David T. Lewis.I also wish to thank Donald WardCuster, former Mayor of Renton, whohas provided literally hours of personalinsight to the museum’s staff regardingthe Custer-Lewis Collection. Thisstory has come from that collection,and future projects will germinate andblossom from it as well. It should benoted that on 6 June 2004 at thisyear’s Renton Historical SocietyPicnic, the author gave a Power Pointpresentation of this story at theRiverview Park in Renton, Washing-ton.
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Recipe from the Museum ArchivesWelsh Cakes1 ½ cups flour1 1/3 cups raisins4 Tbsp. Butter4 Tbsp. Sugar 4 Tbsp. Milk ¼ tsp. saltMix all ingredients.Grease skillet.Fry until golden brown.Eat with syrup or plain.They’re good cold too.
Pamela Joe Sepstrup - Renton
1 In the Welsh language: Rhag (From) Cymru(Wales) At (towards) Dyna (here)2 The old world spelling of Abergwili is“Abergwyly” - but for the sake of thisarticle, we’ll use the current spelling -“Abergwili,” which means from WELSHaber ‘mouth’ and the river name Gwili,itself derived from a personal namemeaning ‘happy, gentle’.3 The spelling of the river that runs through thevalley varies, depending on the source. Onesuch spelling is “Towy”, which is probablyhow it is pronounced.4 Abergwili, Wales features a cave, within whichthe sleeping Arthurian wizard is reputed tobe laid.5 Mary Ann Edwards was born on July 22nd,1853 at Gelly Glyd, Abergwili, County ofCarmarthenshire, Wales.6 It is said that a person can visit Merlin’s Hillnear Abergwili, where a cave holding thesleeping Merlin is reputed to be, and hearthe moaning of a man cursing his folly oflove.7 Mary Ann’s grandfather, Edward Edwardsworked a 145-acre farm in Abergwili in1851, and so it is likely that her fatherworked there as well.8 This elevated social status is something thatMary Ann grew accustomed to early on andretained throughout the rest of her life.9 No one is certain about their decision-makingprocess, but it is known that the Edwardsfamily did not own the land, and Williamwas not in line to inherit it - a crediblereason for immigrating to America, theland of opportunity.10 Family oral traditions indicate that theEdwards had a third child by this time, aboy named David, although no otherdocumentation proving that has been founda the time of this writing.11 The Lewis Family’s oral traditions docu-menting this event differ: some say a boywas born, some say a girl – but in the end,all say the baby died soon after being born.Thereafter, the child was cited in officialrecords as “Unknown.”12 This shawl, along with the family’s travelingtrunk, was passed down to Mary Ann, andthen through Annie Lewis Custer. Theshawl is now a part of the Custer-LewisCollection held at the Renton HistoryMuseum.13 Pomeroy’s history dates back to 1806 whenthe first resident arrived at what is nowKerrís Run. In 1830, its namesake, SamualWillys Pomeroy, arrived in the village andclaimed the area a good and healthy placeto live. Pomeroy and his son-in-lawestablished the coal and salt mines thatwould turn the village into a prosperousindustrial town by 1870.14 “Coalport was established one mile below thecorporation line. Here the company havelaid out a town and been at great expenseto prepare everything necessary for miningand exporting coal; the railways are soconstructed that the loaded car descendingto the river draws up the empty one.”
15 The mines of Coalport are nearly two miles below the main village of Pomeroy. Here horizontalshafts are run into the hill, at an elevation of more than one hundred feet above the riverbed.The coal is carried out in cars on railways, and successively emptied from the cars on one gradeto that below, and so on until the last cars in turn empty into the boats on the river, by whichit is carried to market. The mining is conducted in a systematic manner, and most of thoseemployed are natives of Wales, familiar with mining from youth. Citation from: Meigs County,Ohio, reprinted from Henry Howe’s “Historical Collections of Ohio” and other sources.16 Although not as many as inhabited Welshtown.17 We have not been able to establish the name of the new “Mrs. Edwards.”18 Although it is not stated as such within this story, after studying these images, the museum’s staffbelieves that William Edwards possibly worked in an administrative or supervisory role withinthe mine company – though we have no evidence, other than the apparent presence of wealth,to back up that statement.19 The Underground Railroad provided safe houses for runaway slaves fleeing to the north. MeigsCounty, and Pomeroy had a number of safe houses for just this purpose.20 Meigs County, Ohio.21 Many years following her death, Benjamin and Margaret Lewis were interviewed and recalledtheir mother. Within that discussion, Ben mentioned that his she “…saw Mr. Lincoln’sTrain...” a reference, we hypothesize to mean the passing of his funeral train in 1865, sinceshe didn’t mention actually seeing the President in person.22 David Thomas Lewis, born March 2nd, 1855 in Rhymney, Monmouthshire, Wales. Died October20th, 1935 in Earlington, King County, Washington.23 It should also be noted that clouds of coal dust fill the mines and sorting breakers and wereinhaled by the boys, laying the foundations for asthma and miners’ consumption, or “blacklung.”24 David Thomas Lewis married Mary Ann Edwards in Pomeroy, Ohio in 1879. Family historianWilliam Thorndale relates that Mary Ann always felt that she’d “married down” in terms ofsocial status, although David Lewis turned out to be a faithful provider for the family.25 Margaret Lewis was born in 1885. These “immigrant trains” were reportedly like rollingcampgrounds, with a small potbellied stove in one corner of the car used for preparing meals. Itprobably took several weeks for the train to make its way to the Renton/Seattle area fromPomeroy/Columbus.26 The town of Black Diamond was one of many Pacific Northwest coal-mining communitiesheavily populated with Welsh immigrants.27 John Xerxes Mills, Jr., was the son of John Xerxes Mills and Sarah R. Lear. Born 12 August 1850in Clarksville, Pike County, Missouri and Married 7 February 1878 in Nortonville, ContraCosta County, California, to Elizabeth Ann Lewis. Died 18 September 1920 in Black Diamond,King County, Washington and buried in the Black Diamond cemetery. Mills’ daughter Edna Janemarried Mary Ann Edward’s oldest sons, William Edward Lewis in 1908.28 William Thorndale to Steve Anderson, 25 April 2004.29 In an email, William Thorndale related the following: “I always took the farm near Chehalisdown in Lewis County to be David T.’s ‘midlife crisis.’ It started poorly when uncle Ben fell inthe little spring on the property and apparently dislodged some rocks, causing the spring to dryup.”30 This job was typically called the “fire boss.”31 The town of Lawson was located in the Cascade foothills just north of Black Diamond.32 George Washington Custer was born in 1879 in Newcastle, Washington Territory. His father,Charles Sumner Custer died in Renton in 1889. George went to the Klondike Gold Rush lookingfor construction work; not dig for gold. He was 23 when he and Annie married.33 This was the same railroad that had just purchased a right-of-way around the base of the hill.34 Prices of the lots on Earlington Hill ranged from $200 to $700 for residential lots. It is probablethat George Custer paid about $350 for the piece of land that the Lewis’s eventually owned, ahistorically documented value in 1910.35 Ben worked in Seattle at one of the newspapers while Margaret worked in Renton at the hospitalas a secretary/receptionist, and occasionally a “stand in” nurse.36 From interviews with her children, and observing photographs of her, it is clear that Mary Annmade a conscious effort to dress well.37 From The Renton Chronicle, 26 May 1927.38 Bill Ann preferred using the name “Wilma” as she got older.
Footnotes
Renton Historical Quarterly
10
The Museum Would Not Exist Without VolunteersBy Dorota Rahn, Volunteer CoordinatorSome of you are not only members of the society but volunteers for themuseum as well. However, there are about 10 times more members thanvolunteers so you probably don’t know everybody who volunteers at themuseum.On June 6th, during our Annual Potluck, I tried to express appreciationfrom the museum staff to our volunteers and I mentioned them by name andby kind of work they do for us. One of the volunteers approached me afterthe picnic and said he had no idea that we have so many volunteers and thatthey do such a variety of jobs in the museum because he only knows hisvolunteering assignments. His view of the world is limited, compared to thefull list of activities which are preformed by volunteers.That’s right, nobody knows about the tremendous work done by volun-teers, unless we speak it out very clearly and loudly. In most cases theyvolunteer their time, skills, and experience and do not talk about it. However,the value of their work is so great that we want them and others to knowthey are appreciated very much and that the museum wouldn’t exist withoutthem as it would not exist without the financial support of the society mem-bers.It is difficult to decide how to measure volunteers’ involvement in the mu-seum. How do we measure their excitement, passion, and loyalty? We canmeasure the time they spend working for the museum, but it doesn’t represent awhole picture. Somebody can spend one or two hours a month at the museumon a very regular basis so we know we can count on this person every month.Another volunteer works on a project for a dozen of hours at a time and may ormay not come back. We need them both, as our needs vary a lot.There are volunteers who work for the museum for over 100 hours a year.Some of them have volunteered since 1984. Stan Greene leads the group.Louise George, Pearl Jacobson, Bea Mathewson, and Laura Crawford are inthis group as well. Laura, who is the current Curator, volunteered at the mu-seum before being offered a paid position.I will accomplish nothing as a volunteer coordinator without the involvementof the Volunteer Committee. In case of difficult issues I always ask NancyFairman for advice. She and Ila, Sarah Jane, and Shirley make decisions con-cerning volunteer activities. They organize functions and other events. Nancyusually buys groceries and party utensils. Ila Hemm does the same whenevershe can fit extra activitiesbetween her international anddomestic travels. Sarah JaneHisey and Shirley Phinney aredevoted to help in every wayeither by buying or preparingdishes, decorating, and cleaningfor different museum events.In general, everybody doeseverything to make thingshappen. Cynthia Mack helpedme the most when I startedworking as a volunteer coordi-nator. As a former volunteercoordinator, she shared allpossible information, includingthe existence of the volunteercommittee, so my work couldbe easier and more efficient. Inaddition to regular volunteercommittee matters, BeaMathewson and MargaretFeaster are vital in running thecoffee shop for vendors
participating in Renton River Days.There are volunteers who greetvisitors at the museum on a regularbasis. The museum’s existence wouldbe jeopardized without their support.Paid staff doesn’t work on Saturdaysbut there are volunteer greeters at themuseum on that day to make surevisitors can enjoy the place. Thenames of the most devoted volunteersare, in alphabetical order, HelenanneBotham, Dorlene Bressan, EileenButton, Rose Camerini, Inez Edlich,Don Emmons, Marjorie Gould, CarolHawkins, John Hightower, CharlotteJasper, Betty Laviolette, Bill Loken,Key McQueen, Gloria Nichols, MaryPostishek, Margaret Sebelist, andMary Sutter.Another big activity at the museumis the education of the public. We havevolunteers who serve as tour guidesthrough out the year. An especiallyintense time is every spring when 3rdgraders from all elementary schools inRenton come every day for threeweeks for the tour. Special thanks fortheir hard work to Diane Burrows,Don Emmons, Velma Evans, NancyFairman, Margaret Feaster, StanGreene, Diane Gustaveson, CarolHawkins, Ila Hemm, John Hightower,Sarah Jane Hisey, Bill Loken,Maryann Mason, John Painter, ShirleyPhinney, Janene Sestak, LorraineSwisher, and Frank Sutter.
Steve Anderson presents Volunteer of the YearAward to Pearl Jacobson.
Arthur Allen, one of the young volunteers.
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Renton Historical Quarterly
A few volunteers perfom specialassignments. Marian Sutton transcribesoral histories. Sheila Mottern does veryextensive historical research. MarlaValverde helps with docent trainings.We are proud to announce we have agroup of younger volunteers for whom itis usually difficult to find time to volun-teer in their busy days. Jason Seth, RinkuLakhpat, Arthur Allen, Chris Noel and hismom Jeanne are crucial to registeringinformation about artifacts in the museumdatabase. Thanks to them the museumstaff will be able to enforce “intellectualcontrol” of the artifacts and serve clientsfrom the Renton community better.Janene Sestak joined us in April and shehas already become important part of thevolunteer team. Annelise Henry helps tokeep the museum exhibits clean.
There are a few teenagers who devote their time during the summer to help at the museum. They are particularlyactive during Renton River Days. Nick Straub, Andy Lai, and Calvin Yee ran the museum booth on Kids Day duringRenton River Days last year. ShanaStraub helped many times in organiz-ing documents and participated inRenton River Days two years ago.Jeremy Webb and Trista Beldin alsohelped the museum. We are glad tohave them here and see that a younggeneration of potential volunteers isgetting involved in preserving heritage.I mentioned so many names ofvolunteers and so many tasks they areperforming at the museum but insteadI could just say that 63 volunteersserved over 2550 hours at the mu-seum in 2003. It means on averageone volunteer worked 40.5 hours lastyear. It also translates to the amountof $41,000 at the federally establishedrate of $16.05.There are many things I can’tinclude in this short note. All stuff thatmakes working at the museum excit-ing and important, and fun. Thevolunteers skills, experience, andknowledge are priceless. There is noway to measure it except to feel it byheart so the museum staff does.There is also no way to show propergratitude except to say a simplethank you. THANK YOUVOLUNTEERS!
Volunteers at the potluck (left to right) Margaret Feaster, Mary Postishek, Gloria Nicholsand her daughter, Lisa and Nancy Fairman.
Volunteers and members of the RHM&S (left to right) Doug Kyes, Sonja Kyes and DonJacobson.
Carpenters Needed
We are looking for several volunteers who’d like to do some exhibit workwithin the museum. If you are a carpenter, builder and someone who like topaint – we just might have a fun volunteer position for you. Several projectsare in the works, so if this sounds like something you’d like to try, pleasecall Dorota Rahn, Volunteer Coordinator at the museum, 425/255-1570.P.S. If you are interested in becoming avolunteer please contact Volunteer Co-ordinator, Dorota Rahn, at 425-255-2330or by e-mail at drhan@ci.renton.wa.us.
Renton Historical Quarterly
12
From CollectionsBy Laura Crawford, Curator/Collections ManagerOver the past year, many generous individuals have donated items which havebeen added to the Museum’s permanent collections. The staff at the Museumwish to thank the following individuals for their contributions of historical itemsand photographic images – your efforts are invaluable in helping us preserveRenton’s history!RECENT ACQUISITIONSThe mission of the Renton Historical Society and Museum is not limited toaccepting and preserving the many items of memorabilia and photographicimages generously donated by our members and the general public. MuseumMission requires we seek out and engage in activities which will enhance andcomplement the existing Collections for future generations. Since June 2003,the following objects have been added to the Museum’s permanent Collections:Wooden school desk similar to one used in Renton Elementary Schoolsc.1900.Native American trade beads (props for Duwammish exhibit)Ladies Auxiliary to Carpenters and Joiners porcelain cup and saucerDeed for Lot in RentonCommemorative playing cards picturing planes manufactured by BoeingAirplane Company.Seattle District Council of Carpenters pinAssorted 1980’s toys to fill-out Century-to-Century Exhibit.4 Native American (Salish) gathering or berry baskets to complementDuwammish exhibit and collections.2 PACCAR and Gladding McBean employee ID badgesPre-WWII 16” Table Globe inscribed “Property of School District # 403Renton, Washington.”Early version of Japanese Arisaka Rifle Bayonette.1938 Calendar from the Renton GroceryArgonot Café Menu with Renton Boeing Plant B-29 cover illustration.WWI canvas ammunition belt, 1915.Book entitled “The Coal Miner ’s Pocketbook: Principles, Rules, Formulasand Tables,” 1916.Set of 4 Pokemon gold gaming cards collector seriesLarge assortment of International Order of Oddfellows IOOF regalia andceremonial artifacts, sashes, tunics, pendants, headwear.Triple XXX brand handled cup/mug.Hazen High School cheerleader sweater, c.1987Program for Thanksgiving Day Renton High School Football Game, 1949Bartender’s local Union No. 596 pinCommemorative videotape package covering 50 years of Boeing historySpringfield rifle, demilled, 1903.City of Renton councilman badge.
NEED TO ACQUIREMuseum staff are continually seeking to expand and/or complement theCollections by acquiring items which represent current places, people, orevents in Renton history. If you or anyone you know have items of interestpertaining to the following, please contact the Museum.
OUR OTHER “ASSETS:”While preserving material artifactsare an important part of the Museum’smission, much of the work that goeson ‘behind the scenes’ would not bepossible without the contributions ofMuseum volunteers:Arthur Allen, who has tirelesslyscanned over 3800 photographicimages from the Museum’s photoarchives into the Collections Man-agement database over the pasteight months…University of Washington internSarah Iles who helped establish thedonor records in the Museum’sdatabase earlier this year, andcatalogued the early jewelry collec-tion. Sarah is planning to return thisOctober to continue volunteering inthe Collections Area…Pearl Jacobsen who has faithfullyadministered the registrar functioneach Wednesday and helped keepcurrent on accessioning – andcongratulations as “Volunteer of theYear”...and last – but certainly not least -Jean and Chris Noel who havehelped set up new catalog recordsfor many of the ‘unknown’ orunidentified photographic images‘found in collections’ over the pastseveral months.
Hazen, Liberty and Renton High School memorabilia, uniforms, awards, andphotographs –Any Renton businesses (1990 – present)Women’s and Men’s costume jewelry and personal adornment items (1970’sto present)Photographic images of events and sites ‘around town,’ (1980 – present)WWI Artifacts - 1903 or 1908 US Bayonnette, personal Army items.
The badge pictured below, whichwe recently acquired on Ebay, wasworn by members of the RentonCity Council. It is unique becausewe had no record of anything ofthis kind being issued to anyonebut police officers. Unfortunately,the seller had no idea what timeperiod this would have been issuedin. If anyone knows when thesebadgeswouldhave beenused, orhas anyothers likethis one,pleasecall Tomor Steveat themuseumand let usknow.
Mystery Badge
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Renton Historical Quarterly
The George W. and Annie Lewis CusterHeritage Citizenship Award
Steve Anderson presents Clark Petersen with his award.
Volunteer of the YearAward: 2004
Also at the picnic, Museum DirectorSteve Anderson recognized PearlJacobson for her significant contribu-tions as the museum’s registrar, beingawarded the Volunteer of the Year2004. Pearl’s involvement with themuseum dates back to the middle1990s when she volunteered to domanual entry of objects and photo-graphs. Since that time, she’s learnedto work with the museum’s collectionsmanagement software and data base– assisting in getting the collectionsinto the 21st Century. Pearl brings anuplifting spirit to the office with herwork and kept the museum’s collec-tions in line with professional registra-tion standards. Never one to trysomething new, she plows throughcollections with determination andpurpose and is a valuable team mem-ber of the staff. Thanks Pearl for allyou do for us and the citizens ofRenton!
Pearl Jacobson
This year, just prior to the annual Renton Historical Society picnic held atRiverside Park in early June, the Board of Trustees recognized the contributionsto local history by Clark Petersen, recently retired City of Renton LibraryDirector. Since starting with the Cityin the 1960s, Clark has brought asustained “heart and soul” heritageeffort to promoting Renton’s historyfor all of its citizens through hisposition with the City. He has alsoprovided resources to the city’smuseum staff, programs and facilities,thereby increasing professionalismduring the past 10 years. He hasfreely given of himself, his expertiseand his time to the board and staff farabove and beyond his official capacityand provided leadership in heritageissues as a citizen of Renton to thebenefit of all. As he was to be out oftown for the picnic, he was given theaward by outgoing president BarbaraHorton at his own retirement party,which was attended by hundreds ofwell wishers. Thanks Clark, for allyou’ve done to preserve and promotethe history of this city.
Right: Barb Horton makes a presentationat Clark's retirement party.
Renton Historical Quarterly
14
Obituaries
TTTTTom Fom Fom Fom Fom F. Ater. Ater. Ater. Ater. Ater
VVVVVirginia Baileyirginia Baileyirginia Baileyirginia Baileyirginia Bailey
Ivel Barton, JrIvel Barton, JrIvel Barton, JrIvel Barton, JrIvel Barton, Jr.....
MarMarMarMarMary Boggsy Boggsy Boggsy Boggsy Boggs
Jo I. BosleyJo I. BosleyJo I. BosleyJo I. BosleyJo I. Bosley
RRRRRobert Robert Robert Robert Robert R. Br. Br. Br. Br. Brownownownownown
SharSharSharSharSharon Ron Ron Ron Ron R. Buchanan-R. Buchanan-R. Buchanan-R. Buchanan-R. Buchanan-Robinettobinettobinettobinettobinett
Frank “Gene” E. Cooper Frank “Gene” E. Cooper Frank “Gene” E. Cooper Frank “Gene” E. Cooper Frank “Gene” E. Cooper (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
ArArArArArvey J. Crvey J. Crvey J. Crvey J. Crvey J. Creek eek eek eek eek (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Della M. DanielsonDella M. DanielsonDella M. DanielsonDella M. DanielsonDella M. Danielson
GarGarGarGarGary Ry Ry Ry Ry Ray Eideay Eideay Eideay Eideay Eide
WWWWWalter Walter Walter Walter Walter W. Eix. Eix. Eix. Eix. Eixenbergerenbergerenbergerenbergerenberger
WWWWWilliam J. Flynn illiam J. Flynn illiam J. Flynn illiam J. Flynn illiam J. Flynn (L(L(L(L(LIFEIFEIFEIFEIFE M M M M MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Delmore J.J. George Delmore J.J. George Delmore J.J. George Delmore J.J. George Delmore J.J. George (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Andrew Gigli Andrew Gigli Andrew Gigli Andrew Gigli Andrew Gigli (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Michael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, Jr.....
M. Maxine GrubesicM. Maxine GrubesicM. Maxine GrubesicM. Maxine GrubesicM. Maxine Grubesic
Jeanne A. HamelJeanne A. HamelJeanne A. HamelJeanne A. HamelJeanne A. Hamel
Martha L. HayesMartha L. HayesMartha L. HayesMartha L. HayesMartha L. Hayes
Iline HolmesIline HolmesIline HolmesIline HolmesIline Holmes
Memorials Over $100ArArArArArvey Crvey Crvey Crvey Crvey Creek eek eek eek eek (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))Clark PetersenBernice JorgensenBernice JorgensenBernice JorgensenBernice JorgensenBernice Jorgensen(M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))Constance Benjamin
Please Choose Membership Category & AnyDonation You Wish To Make:
ppppp Student Individual($8+) =__________
ppppp Senior Individual ($8+) =______________
ppppp Individual ($10+) =__________________
ppppp Senior Couple($12+) =_______________
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ppppp Benefactor ($50+) =_________________
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Join the Renton Historical Society Today!Name:__________________________________________________________Membership Level:________________________________________________Business Name:__________________________________________________Address:________________________________________________________City:State:__________________________Zip:____________+ 4 (______)
Please make checks payable to the Renton Historical Society.VISA/MASTERCARD #__________________________Ex.Date:_________Your Signature:_______________________________________________
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p Please send me a volunteer application form. (32/1)Mail To:Membership Secretary, Renton Historical Society235 Mill Avenue South, Renton, Washington 98055-2133
VVVVVerne L. Ingramerne L. Ingramerne L. Ingramerne L. Ingramerne L. Ingram
Debra L. JayDebra L. JayDebra L. JayDebra L. JayDebra L. Jay
RRRRR. R. R. R. R. Roger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger Johnson
Bernice Evelynn Jorgensen Bernice Evelynn Jorgensen Bernice Evelynn Jorgensen Bernice Evelynn Jorgensen Bernice Evelynn Jorgensen (M(M(M(M(MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Leroy KellyLeroy KellyLeroy KellyLeroy KellyLeroy Kelly
Alyene VAlyene VAlyene VAlyene VAlyene Vander Leestander Leestander Leestander Leestander Leest
Benjamin LewisBenjamin LewisBenjamin LewisBenjamin LewisBenjamin Lewis
Phyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerrrrrr yyyyy
L. WL. WL. WL. WL. Wayne Millerayne Millerayne Millerayne Millerayne Miller
Estelle Joanne NewtonEstelle Joanne NewtonEstelle Joanne NewtonEstelle Joanne NewtonEstelle Joanne Newton
Helen L. PHelen L. PHelen L. PHelen L. PHelen L. Pasichasichasichasichasich
Jack WJack WJack WJack WJack W. Powell. Powell. Powell. Powell. Powell
MarMarMarMarMary M. Ry M. Ry M. Ry M. Ry M. Ravertavertavertavertavert
Evelyn REvelyn REvelyn REvelyn REvelyn Rosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstrom om om om om (L(L(L(L(LIFEIFEIFEIFEIFE M M M M MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
Frances A. SandmanFrances A. SandmanFrances A. SandmanFrances A. SandmanFrances A. Sandman
Agnes E. ShaneAgnes E. ShaneAgnes E. ShaneAgnes E. ShaneAgnes E. Shane
Diana May Galiano ShumanDiana May Galiano ShumanDiana May Galiano ShumanDiana May Galiano ShumanDiana May Galiano Shuman
TTTTT. L. “Bob” Stevens. L. “Bob” Stevens. L. “Bob” Stevens. L. “Bob” Stevens. L. “Bob” Stevens
TTTTTerererereresa Tesa Tesa Tesa Tesa Tonelli onelli onelli onelli onelli (L(L(L(L(LIFEIFEIFEIFEIFE M M M M MEMBEREMBEREMBEREMBEREMBER)))))
EdwarEdwarEdwarEdwarEdward L. Wd L. Wd L. Wd L. Wd L. Wararararare, Jre, Jre, Jre, Jre, Jr.....
Contributions
Archival PreservationContributionsThe Rotary Club of RentonBill GawBoeingMatching Gift FundLloyd HoshideGlenn H. AndersonUnited wayMatching Gift FundGreg BerquistJohn Thompson
General Fund ContributionsUnder $100Barbara GeorgeDan FoleyDr. Christopher MehrensOlga MunroBob & Pat O'DellVernon & Jonelle PetermeyerPythia SistersRhododendron Temple #30Robert & Agnes Ciotta$100 & OverMarjorie Lott
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Renton Historical Quarterly
RentoniansRemembered
RRRRRay Jon Alimentay Jon Alimentay Jon Alimentay Jon Alimentay Jon AlimentJennie Bozzello
J. Deane ArndtJ. Deane ArndtJ. Deane ArndtJ. Deane ArndtJ. Deane ArndtGreg & Carrie Bergquist
Gene BallestrasseGene BallestrasseGene BallestrasseGene BallestrasseGene BallestrasseFrank & Dorothy Caniparoli; KatieGilligan
LLLLL arararararrrrrr y Bozzelloy Bozzelloy Bozzelloy Bozzelloy BozzelloJennie Bozzello
DorDorDorDorDorothy Bruceothy Bruceothy Bruceothy Bruceothy BruceHarold Bruce
VVVVVirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook Busatoirginia Shook BusatoHazelle DuBois
ClifforClifforClifforClifforClifford C. Chamberlind C. Chamberlind C. Chamberlind C. Chamberlind C. ChamberlinBeth & Mike Potoshnik
Dale ChurDale ChurDale ChurDale ChurDale ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco
Gene ChurGene ChurGene ChurGene ChurGene ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco
Lena ChurLena ChurLena ChurLena ChurLena ChurchchchchchMerna Lasco
Gene CooperGene CooperGene CooperGene CooperGene CooperMervin & Grayce Thomas; Mike &Beth Potoshnik; Anita RussellJones; Alex & Bertha Russell;Homer & June Dolen; Jim & JudyBarei; Anne Butko & family; Ron &Sharon ClymerArvey CreekMelvin Simpson; Roberta Daniel;Roy & Norma Fournier
Ira Leona CrIra Leona CrIra Leona CrIra Leona CrIra Leona CreekeekeekeekeekRoy & Norma Fournier
Betty CuykendallBetty CuykendallBetty CuykendallBetty CuykendallBetty CuykendallBeth & Mike Potoshnik
Elizabeth SwalesElizabeth SwalesElizabeth SwalesElizabeth SwalesElizabeth Swales
DuBoisDuBoisDuBoisDuBoisDuBoisHazelle DuBois
denotes former Society Life Member% denotes former Society memberZ
Z
Z
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WWWWWilliam J. Flynnilliam J. Flynnilliam J. Flynnilliam J. Flynnilliam J. FlynnBeth & Mike Potoshnik; KatieGilligan
AndrAndrAndrAndrAndrew Gigliew Gigliew Gigliew Gigliew GigliZelima Vidmar; Mildred Faull
ArArArArArville Whitehallville Whitehallville Whitehallville Whitehallville Whitehall
GilmorGilmorGilmorGilmorGilmoreeeeeRenton High School Class of 1940
Michael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, JrMichael J. Girias, Jr.....Greg & Carrie Bergquist
AarAarAarAarAaron Goodwinon Goodwinon Goodwinon Goodwinon GoodwinJohn & Joyce Goodwin Peterson;Charles Goodwin
Eva GoodwinEva GoodwinEva GoodwinEva GoodwinEva GoodwinJohn & Joyce Goodwin Peterson;Charles Goodwin
Daisy GoodwinDaisy GoodwinDaisy GoodwinDaisy GoodwinDaisy GoodwinCharles Goodwin
Lorraine GoodwinLorraine GoodwinLorraine GoodwinLorraine GoodwinLorraine GoodwinAnita Burkett; John & JoyceGoodwin Peterson; CharlesGoodwin
Ermo GrErmo GrErmo GrErmo GrErmo GregorisegorisegorisegorisegorisFrank & Dorothy Caniparoli; NinfaGregoris & family
ZZ
%
Z%
Z
George GrubisicGeorge GrubisicGeorge GrubisicGeorge GrubisicGeorge GrubisicAnne Butko & family
Maxine GrubesicMaxine GrubesicMaxine GrubesicMaxine GrubesicMaxine GrubesicGrubesic/Righi/MacNamara family
“Str“Str“Str“Str“Stretch” Grubesicetch” Grubesicetch” Grubesicetch” Grubesicetch” GrubesicGrubesic/Righi/MacNamara family
DrDrDrDrDr. Leo Heye. Leo Heye. Leo Heye. Leo Heye. Leo HeyeLouie & Pam Barei
Joseph S. HowarJoseph S. HowarJoseph S. HowarJoseph S. HowarJoseph S. HowardddddPearl Wolf
VVVVVelma Howarelma Howarelma Howarelma Howarelma Howard Jard Jard Jard Jard JarrrrrrellellellellellPearl Wolf
RRRRR. R. R. R. R. Roger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger Johnsonoger JohnsonMr. and Mrs. Woody Clare; Beth &Mike Potoshnik
Bernice EdwarBernice EdwarBernice EdwarBernice EdwarBernice Edwarddddd
JorgensenJorgensenJorgensenJorgensenJorgensenPatricia Baker; The Edwards family(Jeanne, Susan, Steve, Craig);Janice & Alvin Metz; CatherineRutkowski; Zena Cochran; ZelimaS. Vidmar; Jack & Elaine Connell
Leo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoLeo LascoMerna Lasco
NarNarNarNarNarda Lemertda Lemertda Lemertda Lemertda LemertAnne Butko & family
Phyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerPhyllis E. McGerrrrrr yyyyyBeth & Mike Potoshnik
Shirley NightingaleShirley NightingaleShirley NightingaleShirley NightingaleShirley NightingaleThe Rose Turner Service Guild
George AGeorge AGeorge AGeorge AGeorge A. P. P. P. P. Pasco, Jrasco, Jrasco, Jrasco, Jrasco, JrLouise George; Catherine Rutkowski;Carmel & Don Camerini; Beth &Mike Potoshnik; Lila Houser
MarMarMarMarMarcella Quintinskiecella Quintinskiecella Quintinskiecella Quintinskiecella QuintinskieKatie Gilligan
Albert RAlbert RAlbert RAlbert RAlbert RosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstromomomomomLillian Rosenstrom
Evelyn REvelyn REvelyn REvelyn REvelyn RosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstromomomomomLouise George; Florence Delaurenti;Lillian Rosenstrom; VivianLovegren;Tom & Loretta Merrill;Toshi Fujikado; Chuck & Nancy Barr;A. J. Low, Jr.; Richard Lucotch
RRRRReino Reino Reino Reino Reino RosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstrosenstromomomomomLillian Rosenstrom
Diana Galiano ShumanDiana Galiano ShumanDiana Galiano ShumanDiana Galiano ShumanDiana Galiano ShumanGloria Duffey; Homer & June Dolen
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%TTTTTerererereresa Busato Tesa Busato Tesa Busato Tesa Busato Tesa Busato TonellionellionellionellionelliLouise George; Mr. & Mrs. RoyMalmassari; Berniece Jones Schwartz;Mr. & Mrs. Frank Caniparoli; Dolores &Robert Nielsen & family; WandaCapellaro & family; Cindy Ballestrasse;Bruna Ballestrasse; Edith Ballestrasse;Olga Lewis; Criss Barrett; JuanitaSheets; Katie Gilligan ;Ninfa Gregoris& family
RRRRRosanne Wosanne Wosanne Wosanne Wosanne WestphalestphalestphalestphalestphalAnne Butko & family
Renton Historical Quarterly
16
Renton Historical Museum235 Mill Avenue SouthRenton, WA 98055
Centennial Snapshot
This image of Florence Guitteau was taken around1920. The Guitteau Family came to Renton via Wisconsin,Minnesota and Seattle, around 1910. The family consistedof Josephine, their mother, and three daughters, Florence,Lucy and Olive. They lived at 129 Meadow Avenue innorth Renton, along with numerous cats, whose namesranged from “Tom” to “Blackie”, “Scat”, etc.. Florencebecame a teacher and was on the first faculty of the newRenton High School when it opened in 1911. When WorldWar II broke out, Florence made it her business to getinvolved in whatever way she could, creating literallythousands of scrap books that were sent to injuredsoldiers in hospitals in England. Later in the war, shebegan Renton’s first clothing drive for orphans of Englandand Europe – sending literally hundreds, if not thousandsof pounds of pre-fabricated or newly made children’sclothing to the many orphanages in Belgium and France.For these efforts, Florence was awarded a medal fromEdward V, King of England – a medal that was recentlydiscovered in a Renton home and donated to the RentonHistorical Society by Gary Freilinger (along with numer-ous other Guitteau objects, photographs and ephemera ofthat era.)Following the war, Florence moved around to a numberof City of Seattle and King County school systems, andeventually married Roy Storey, another Renton pioneer.Sometime in the late 1940s, the Storeys moved toCordova Alaska, but kept their ties with friends in Renton.Eventually they returned and Florence helped to start theRenton Historical Society in 1970. She is considered oneof its founding members.The Guitteau Family Collections currently consists ofover 1,500 images of Renton, primarily north Renton,from the period of 1910 through the 1960s. If you knowof the Guitteaus, or have any affiliation with eitherFlorence, Lucie, Olive or Josephine, we’d like to hearfrom you.
“This medal, called the MeritoriousService Award, was presented to FlorenceGuitteau by King Edward V of England forher service in providing clothing fororphans and literally thousands ofscrapbooks for wounded soldiersrecovering inthe hospitalsof Englandand EuropefollowingWorld War II.”