West Seattle, Washington
18 Thursday
The past and the future are in view today as our West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlights on local nonprofits continue. Three times a week through year’s end, WSB is bringing you this special holiday-season opportunity to learn more about, and support, about some of our area’s hardworking nonprofits, in partnership with the Learning Communities Foundation. Today – you’ll see why the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and Log House Museum aren’t just looking back:
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society promotes inclusive, local history through education, preservation, and advocacy. The organization owns and operates the Log House Museum, a City of Seattle Historic Landmark, located one block from Alki Beach, known to Coast Salish people as sbaqʷabqs, or Prairie Point.
SWSHS has big plans for 2025 and beyond, including a major overhaul of the Log House Museum’s exhibitions. Keep an eye out for exciting developments on this project in 2025 and donate today to help advance SWSHS’s vision to transform how visitors experience the Log House Museum.
Today, SWSHS welcomes museum visitors to the Log House Museum (its current exhibition, Seattle’s Forest: The West Duwamish Greenbelt, highlights the geologic, indigenous, and political history of the city’s largest contiguous forest), provides tours to hundreds of local students a year, and hosts public programming, like Alki History Walking Tours
The SWSHS also presents Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, a popular monthly speaker series. (A recent program featured artist and author Bradi Jones and music historian Peder Nelson to discuss Jones’s grunge-era coloring book and the intersection of art and music in Seattle’s grunge scene.
Next month’s program features David Peterson, a historic resource consultant, who will discuss the landmarking of West Seattle’s Cettolin House, which was recently in the path of the West Seattle light rail extension plan. Information and registration at our website.
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society also cares for a Native Plant Garden as well as a unique collection of more than 10,000 artifacts, many of which are now viewable online or at the Log House Museum, including the original Alki Beach Lady Liberty and a fragment of the original West Seattle Bridge, permanently closed after the freighter Antonio Chavez, piloted by the infamous Rolf Neslund, collided with the bridge in 1978.
This year, SWSHS began a multi-year interpretive planning project supported by an inaugural and competitive grant from the newly established Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. The planning will result in a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum that will highlight the historical and cultural significance of Alki Beach, prioritize interactive museum experiences and the display of historical society artifacts, share diverse stories from across the Duwamish Peninsula, and extend to the exterior of the Log House Museum.
Planning for this exhibit is well underway and has included participation from dozens of community partners, heritage and museum professionals, and the Duwamish Tribe. The project is rooted in SWSHS’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and inspired from a Peninsula-wide community survey conducted by SWSHS in 2023.
SWSHS is supported by a 12-member board of trustees, advisory committees, including a DEAI Committee, volunteers, members, and many community partners. SWSHS employs a full-time programs and outreach director. Here’s how your West Seattle Giving Spirit can support the SWSHS:
Donate here
Volunteer. Get Involved here
Plan a Visit or Tour
Questions? museum@loghousemuseum.org
Scroll through our archive of West Seattle Giving Spirit spotlights here, and watch for the next one on Friday!
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society recently had its annual membership meeting, and has news to share about what’s next. Read about it below – and visit the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) during Saturday night’s Alki Holiday Lights:
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society held its annual meeting last Saturday at the Log House Museum, which currently features the exhibit, Seattle’s Forest: The West Duwamish Greenbelt.
SWSHS members gathered to hear about the organization’s accomplishments in 2024, including increasing online access to museum collections, and to learn new details about the organization’s strategic and interpretive planning.
Members also gathered to elect a new slate of Officers to lead SWSHS’s Board of Directors in 2025. Officers include, incoming President Kathy Duncan; incoming Vice President Jason Plourde; Secretary Nancy Sorensen; Treasurer John Sweetland; and Membership Secretary Megan Simkus. The biographies of SWSHS’s 2025 Officers are shared below.
Programs and Outreach Director Elizabeth Rudrud shared new details on SWSHS’s plans for an overhaul of the museum’s exhibitions. A multi-year interpretive planning project supported by Maritime Washington National Heritage Area began earlier this year. The planning will help the historical society design a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum that will highlight the historical and cultural significance of Alki Beach, prioritize interactive museum experiences and the display of historical society artifacts, share diverse stories from across the Duwamish Peninsula, and extend to the exterior of the Log House Museum, where several artifacts are currently on display, including the original Alki Beach Lady Liberty.
Planning for this exhibit is well underway and has included participation from community partners, regional heritage and museum professionals, and the Duwamish Tribe. The project is rooted in SWSHS’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and takes inspiration from a Peninsula-wide community survey conducted by SWSHS in 2023. The competitive, inaugural grant from Maritime WA funds this project through the design phase. Keep your eyes out for updates on the project next year.
Kathy Duncan, incoming SWSHS President, says, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue serving the board, Southwest Seattle Historical Society members, and our community. We have exciting plans for expanding programs and
services.”You can visit the Log House Museum Fridays and Saturdays, from 12-4 pm and tomorrow (Saturday, November 23) from 7-9 pm for Alki Holiday Lights. SWSHS will provide complimentary cider and crafts and host a Bake Sale to raise funds for the Society. The event coincides with the arrival of Argosy’s Christmas Ship Festival at Alki Beach.
Learn more about SWSHS programming, including Alki History Walking Tours and Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, at www.loghousemuseum.org
And below – meet the new board (and ongoing leadership)! Read More
Earlier this week, we told you about that almost-century-old West Seattle home up for designation as a city landmark, something its owner applied for. We checked with her on how Wednesday’s Landmarks Board vote turned out – and she reports that board members voted in favor of the designation. The home at 10455 Maplewood SW [map] is known as the Stewart House for its original owners. It changed hands multiple times in its early decades but has now been owned by the same (unrelated to the Stewarts) family for more than half a century. The house is considered an excellent example of “Spanish eclectic” architecture; you can learn more about its background via the report that resulted in its landmark nomination. More photos are viewable in the slide deck prepared for the Landmarks Board process. Next step: The board, and ultimately City Council, will vote on “controls and incentives” for the two-acre property. The Stewart House joins more than a dozen West Seattle properties that are already designated as city landmarks, all mapped here.
Thanks to Deb Barker – former Landmarks Board member among other things – for the tip on this. When the board meets tomorrow, it will consider a landmark designation for a home in southwest West Seattle, 10455 Maplewood SW [map]. It’s known as the Stewart House for its original 1930-1931 owners, Ralph and Evelyn Stewart, an entrepreneurial family that primarily made money through home-heating fuel. The unrelated family that has owned it for more than 50 years is seeking the designation “in an effort to gain Seattle landmark protections for the house and to recognize it for posterity,” according to the report that gained a landmark nomination for the house. It was designed by early-20th-century architects Bain and Pries and is considered an example of “Spanish eclectic” architecture. You can see more photos in the slide deck prepared for the Landmarks Board process. The city’s historic-preservation staff says the two-acre site, with other structures, and home are worthy of consideration as examples of an architecture style and “outstanding work” of architects; you can read their report here. The board will consider the potential landmark designation when it meets at 3:30 pm tomorrow at City Hall downtown. You can also watch the meeting online, and/or comment in person or remotely – the agenda explains how.
P.S. West Seattle already is home to more than a dozen designated city landmarks – all mapped here.
presentation
(WSB photo, Tuesday)
Four days after Camp Long‘s historic lodge was gutted by a fire that’s been ruled arson, the park’s supervisor Matt Kostle asked us to share this with the community, because more has been lost than a building:
Dearest friends, community members and supporters of Camp Long,
Thank you all for your thoughts and support after this tragic fire.
At this time, we do not have any updates on the investigation. We also do not yet have any updates on the next steps for our park. We ask that you look to Seattle Parks and Recreation Communications Department for any updates as they come. We know how special this place is to everyone and what a terrible loss this is to the West Seattle Community. We are so grateful to you for your outpouring of support, memories and inquiries as we grieve this catastrophic event.
In addition to the devastation of our beloved lodge, we also lost everything within it. This includes many historic photos, documents and stories of all the magic that has happened here over the years.
In light of this, we are reaching out to all of you, our community, friends and supporters, to share with us your stories and photos so we can rebuild a new Camp Long Catalogue of history. Below is a link where you can upload photos and stories you would like to share with us, and that we may feature on our social media sites in the days and weeks to come:
Parks’ most recent public comment was that the lodge is still being “assessed” so they can decide what to do next.
(Photo courtesy The Mount – that’s the new time capsule to the left of the sign)
Reps from Nucor Steel visited The Mount (WSB sponsor) to celebrate the new time capsule that will be filled as part of 100th-anniversary festivities. The plant that houses Nucor has decades of history with The Mount – it supplied 1,000,000 pounds of steel for the original construction under general contractor A.W. Quist.
The design and build of the stainless-steel time capsule was led by Richard Crist. with help from melt shop and engineering teammates including Zac Reeves, Mark Hanson, and Andrew Lovre. The announcement from The Mount adds, “Contractor Argo Blower also contributed to the detail cuts of The Mount’s centennial logo mounted on the outside of the box.” You can see the contents of the original 1924 time capsule and admire the new one at The Mount’s holiday bazaar Friday and Saturday; you’re also invited to contribute ideas for what should be sealed inside the new one, for future generations to discover. (The Mount is at 4831 35th SW.)
This Thursday, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s monthly online author series, Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, features Donna Sandstrom, author of “Orca Rescue!” – telling the story of lost orca Springer‘s successful rescue – and founder of The Whale Trail. Here’s the SWSHS announcement:
Working Together to Save the Whales
Stories of Hope, from Springer to the Southern Residents
In 2002 a young orca named Springer was discovered near West Seattle – lost, alone, and 300 miles away from home. Six months later she was rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to her pod on the north end of Vancouver Island. Today she is thriving, with two calves of her own. It’s the only successful orca reintroduction in history!
Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society and local author Donna Sandstrom for our next Words, Writers, Southwest Stories at 6 pm Thursday, October 10. Sandstrom will share the inspiring story of Springer’s rescue, and how it led her to found The Whale Trail. Learn about current initiatives to protect the endangered southern resident orcas and how you can participate in their recovery.
Donna Sandstrom is the Founder of The Whale Trail, a west coast-wide series of sites to watch whales from shore, In 2002 she was a community organizer on the successful effort to return Springer, an orphaned orca, to her pod. Donna recently served as a member of Gov. Jay Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force, where she championed solutions to reduce noise and disturbance around the endangered southern resident orcas. Prior to founding The Whale Trail, she was a team and project manager at Adobe Systems. She is the author of “Orca Rescue, the true story of an orphaned orca named Springer” (Kids Can Press 2021), which is a 2025 Sasquatch Award nominee. She is a long-time resident of West Seattle.
Register here to attend, and SWSHS will send you the link before the talk on Thursday.
P.S. “Orca Rescue” was recently published as an audio book – in which you can hear Springer’s actual calls!
Highland Park Improvement Club trustee Kay Kirkpatrick sent that photo from early this morning, as demolition of HPIC’s fire-gutted building began at 12th/Holden. As previewed here last night, this is a long-awaited step toward rebuilding, 3+ years after the fire. It’s still bittersweet for onlookers to see a century of history come down in a matter of hours; several were watching – including Kirkpatrick – when we stopped by less than an hour ago.
(This photo and next two by WSB’s Patrick Sand)
(added) Thanks to Scott Bessho for this video from right before we arrived, when the entry-side facade came down:
The Fed Excavation demolition crew is making fast work of the building; that’ll be followed by debris-clearing. Kirkpatrik says one challenge this morning was dealing with a ton-and-a-half steel beam. Its fate hasn’t been determined yet; some of the old timber from the building will be reclaimed. As will the site, in the interim time before its replacement is built (fundraising continues) – Kirkpatrick says a work party will be planned to clean it up and beautify it a bit once the building debris is gone.
Tomorrow (Monday, September 23) a memorial gathering at MOHAI will bid farewell to Charley Royer, Seattle’s longest-serving mayor (1978-1991). Though he wasn’t a West Seattleite, he will forever be known here as the mayor who built the West Seattle Bridge, which fully opened in July 1984; its construction was no sure thing after the 1978 ship collision that took out its predecessor. As we did when his brother, former deputy mayor Bob Royer, died five years ago, we’re taking the occasion to bring this out of the video archives:
Charley Royer and Bob Royer both were part of that panel discussion 10 years ago in West Seattle, on the 30th anniversary of the high bridge’s dedication. It was part of a series of bridge-anniversary events presented by the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, at the time led by historian/journalist/writer Clay Eals, who moderated. As Eals notes, “Charley was mired in the contentious issue of building a new bridge, and, of course, took the famous call late June 14, 1978, ‘the night the ship hit the span,’ and told the bridge tender, ‘Seize the ship!’ He also was instrumental in steering money from all levels of government (as was [former city councilmember] Jeanette Williams) to get the high bridge built.” If you don’t want to watch the whole thing, he recommends Charley’s comments at 43:33-49:23, 58:32-1:01:27, and 1:25:25-1:28:16 in the video. Meantime, Mr. Royer’s memorial gathering is set for 4 pm to 6 pm Monday at MOHAI, 800 Terry Ave. North.
(August 18, 2021, reader photo by Rachel)
Three years after being moved off its site, the Stone Cottage remains in search of its permanent home. The “Save the Stone Cottage” organization asked us to share this open letter/update:
Do you own a possible Stone Cottage site? Let us know now
An update to the West Seattle community:
Time flies! We just passed the three-year mark since the one-of-a-kind 90-year-old Stone Cottage was moved on Aug. 18, 2021, from its original site across from Don Armeni Boat Ramp one mile south to temporary storage on Port of Seattle property.
In the past three years, our Save the Stone Cottage committee has examined a variety of options in great detail. To determine the best possible future for this unique building, adorned with 15,000 beach stones, we have studied options for it to be situated on public land or private property near the West Seattle shoreline.
We have narrowed possible final locations to a few select sites. Because some of them involve potential real-estate transactions, we will not disclose them at this point.
We are, however, optimistic. Moreover, we are grateful that we can envision a not-too-distant day when we can carry out the vision that we communicated to the public, the original cottage owners and the hundreds of volunteers and donors to this unique and heartfelt preservation project.
They entrusted us with an inspiring mission: to save and relocate the Stone Cottage within the West Seattle community so that it can be enjoyed for generations to come.
As we near a final decision, we ask that if there is any owner of property near West Seattle’s shoreline who would like for us to consider such a parcel in our deliberations, the time to let us know is now. At 24-by-36 feet, the Stone Cottage totals 864 square feet. Contact us by email at info@SavetheStoneCottage.org.
We also renew our thanks to our fiscal sponsor, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, as well as to Chainqui Development and many other partners and supporters, all of whom are saluted on our website.
Good things do not always come easily or quickly. This is a lesson we have learned in the trenches. But we look forward to the time when all of West Seattle can celebrate a new home for a restored Stone Cottage, which has long been a cherished symbol of the heritage of the Duwamish peninsula.
Onward!
The Save the Stone Cottage LLC
Deb Barker, John Bennett, Mike Shaughnessy, principals
info@SavetheStoneCottage.org
Redevelopment of the cottage’s previous site across from Don Armeni Boat Ramp was imminent at the time of the move, but stalled after being cleared.
The people who showed up tonight to say goodbye to the century-old Highland Park Improvement Club building spanned close to a century themselves – from babies to longtime HPIC board member Martha Mallett, whose 90th birthday was celebrated there six years ago.
(That’s Martha at left above, with friend Dorothy Ziegler.) Three years after that party, in 2021, the HPIC building at 12th/Holden was ravaged by fire, and the community-owned center’s trustees have been working ever since on design and fundraising for its replacement. More a successor than replacement, really, as the old building carries so many memories (here’s a bit of its history). But it’s had to remain fenced off for safety reasons while the process proceeded – and the patio that once hosted lively summer gatherings has grown weedy.
As if to promise that the site’s idle interlude is ending, those who came tonight surrounded the fence as a “group hug” for the building:
They were also invited to share memories in online posts using the hashtags shown on this sign (you can do that too):
Another sign on a different side of the fence served as a reminder of what’s to come:
But first comes the site clearing. Demolition was expected to start tomorrow, but HPIC board members say they aren’t quite done with the permit process after all, so it’ll be a while longer. Once the building is gone, they expect to be able to use the site for some interim events while they continue fundraising to build the new HPIC (scroll down here for more on their successes and needs).
(Photo courtesy West Seattle Chamber of Commerce)
As reported here last month, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce has been fixing the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign along the southwest end of the West Seattle Bridge – and a texter tipped us today that the repairs looked to be complete. So we checked in with chamber executive director Rachel Porter, who sent this announcement:
The West Seattle Chamber of Commerce has repaired the iconic “Welcome to West Seattle” sign after months of work. For more than two decades, the “Welcome to West Seattle” sign along the Fauntleroy Expressway has served as a beacon for travelers and residents alike. The sign was damaged by an uninsured driver in 2023.
Longtime Alki resident Adah Rhodes Cruzen made a significant financial contribution to the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, designated for the installation of a new “Welcome to West Seattle” sign and a sustainable maintenance plan in 2018. The donation was made on behalf of the estate of her late husband, Earl Cruzen, who died Jan. 23, 2017, at the age of 96.
Earl is recognized for bringing three groups together, the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, the Junction Merchants Association and the West Seattle Trusteed Properties, as the Junction Development Committee. The “Welcome to West Seattle” sign, installed in September 1996, is one of the many legacy projects Earl and this group completed and was originally a simple wooden sign.
The Chamber received financial support from an anonymous donor who wanted to carry on the legacy of Adah and Earl Cruzen.
“The Welcome to West Seattle sign serves as more than just a landmark, it’s a symbol of community pride and our gateway to economic opportunities here in the West Seattle Peninsula,” said Rachel Porter, Executive Director of the West Seattle Chamber. “Welcoming visitors and residents with this iconic sign only enhances the West Seattle experience and encourages local businesses to feel a sense of belonging in our community.”
Sign repair and maintenance was done by Pacific Architectural Metals out of Georgetown. Pacific Architectural Metals is a premier custom metal fabrication shop for specializing in residential, commercial or artisanal project needs here in Seattle. “It was our pleasure to help get the West Seattle signage back in action. When we first saw the project in person, the frame was barely hanging on, a lot of panels were damaged or missing, and we needed to do a lot of work getting the structure straightened out and strong again. Now that the front panel is on, it finally looks like it should. We need to do some more work to get all the panels looking sharp and we are adding solar lighting to give it an additional pop in appearance. As a longtime West Seattle resident, we know how much exposure this sign gets and are happy to lend a hand making it right,” said James Reinhardt, Owner, Pacific Architectural Metals.
After a few more repairs are finalized, a ribbon cutting celebration will be held.
The Chamber has also told WSB that the repaired sign will have a vandalism-resistant coating.
(Photo by Tom Reese)
As we look at the week ahead, here’s an event to which you’re invited: The closing reception for an award-winning exhibit at the Log House Museum, 6-8 pm this Thursday (July 25). Here’s the announcement:
Join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, photographer Tom Reese, the Duwamish Alive Coalition, and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association on Thursday, July 25 to celebrate the success of t?awi Creek of Hope. The exhibit will be closing at the end of the month.
The award-winning exhibit tells the story of West Seattle’s ancient Longfellow Creek from when salmon first chose to make it their home, through intense urbanization in the late 19th and 20th centuries, through today when the creek and its people are beginning to tell a new story – one of renewed hope.
It features photographs of the creek from award-winning photographer and author Tom Reese and is a collaboration between the historical society, the Duwamish Alive Coalition, and the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association.
“The exhibit has provided a unique opportunity to talk about the natural environment in highly urbanized and industrialized areas. The photos by Tom Reese stunningly describe both the power of this creek to support wildlife and persevere, but also how human impact – both negative and positive – can effect change,” says Elizabeth Rudrud, programs and outreach director. Rudrud also acknowledges the leadership of Sharon Leishman, Executive Director at Duwamish Alive Coalition, and Caroline Borsenik, Environmental Programs Director at DNDA, in creating new connections between the historical society and environmental leaders and educators across the region.
This partnership also resulted in extensive community-wide programs including guided hikes led by DNDA Environmental Education Staff and a sold-out panel discussion hosted at the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center that featured researchers from the University of Washington Center for Urban Waters and City of Seattle Public Utilities, authors Kelly Brenner, The Naturalist at Home, and Tom Reese, Once and Future River: Reclaiming the Duwamish, and several community partners.
Last month the exhibit won an Award of Excellence in Exhibits from the Washington Museum Association. To register for the free event, go here!
The Log House Museum is at 3003 61st SW.
(Photo by Tom Reese)
The Log House Museum‘s Longfellow Creek-focused exhibit t?awi Creek of Hope is on display through the end of July – so your weekend opportunities to see it at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society‘s headquarters are running short. Here’s another reason to see it if you haven’t already – today, SWSHS announced that the exhibit has won a statewide award:
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society, the Duwamish Alive Coalition, and the Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association were awarded an Award of Excellence from the Washington Museum Association for the exhibit t?awi Creek of Hope.
The exhibit installed at the Log House Museum last summer tells the story of West Seattle’s Longfellow Creek and features photographs from award-winning photojournalist and author Tom Reese. The exhibit was developed by the Duwamish Alive Coalition and Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association and installed last year at the Log House Museum at Alki Beach. Together, the three organizations hosted numerous educational programs around the exhibit, including guided hikes along the creek and a sold-out panel discussion with local researchers, civic officials, and community advocates of the creek.
The exhibit closes at the end of July. Visitors can view the exhibit during museum open hours, Friday and Saturday 12-4 pm.
(Elizabeth Rudrud with Washington Museum Association president Brad Richardson)
The award was presented to Elizabeth Rudrud, Programs Director at the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, during this year’s Washington Museum Association annual conference in Vancouver, Washington.
The museum is at 61st/Stevens, just a block inland from Alki Beach.
(WSB file photo)
The home of West Seattle’s history is also part of West Seattle history, so the Log House Museum is among the stops on a new Alki walking tour that the organization headquartered there, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, is offering this summer. You have four options! Here’s the announcement, with the registration links for the by-donation, pay-what-you-can tours:
This summer, join the Southwest Seattle Historical Society for walking tours of Alki exploring local history. Learn about the peoples who have lived here and how settlement by various groups and individuals has left its mark on Alki. Visit historic and cultural sites in the area and discuss how our understanding of the area and its people continues to evolve.
Tours include stops at the Log House Museum, Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead, historic sites and monuments at Alki Beach, and Doc Maynard’s home in West Seattle.
Tours are offered rain or shine and include about one mile of walking with multiple stops. The tour is ADA accessible.
All tours begin and end at the Log House Museum at 3003 61st Ave SW.
Click on a date below to register. We are limited to only 20 people per date.
Saturday, June 22 11 am
Saturday, July 6 11 am
Saturday, July 27 11 am
Saturday, August 10 11 am
(WSB photo, 2019)
If you attended West Seattle High School, no matter which years, you’re invited to return to WSHS next Saturday for the annual All-School Reunion! Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:
The West Seattle High School All-School Reunion is taking place on Saturday, June 1st from 4-7 pm! Alumni from all classes are welcome to this free event. Reconnect with classmates, roam the hallowed halls, and check out the classic car show outside the main entrance! Not ready for the fun to end? Dance the night away at the unofficial afterparty with live music provided by West Seattle’s own Nitemates taking place at Whisky West starting at 7 pm!
Wondering where the Alumni Chinook newspaper is? The print version was delayed, but should be on its way to your mailbox next week. In the meantime, you can view the electronic version on the West Seattle High School Alumni Association website.
This issue of the Chinook notes the two alums joining the WSHS Hall of Fame this year are Tom Jensen (’66) and Dr. Susan Rutherford (’70).
The West Duwamish Greenbelt is our city’s longest stretch of unbroken forest, running through eastern West Seattle – and if you have images of it, the Log House Museum would like to see them! Here’s the call for contributions:
(Photo courtesy West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group)
The Southwest Seattle Historical Society and the West Duwamish Greenbelt Trails Group invite community members to submit photographs and other artistic depictions of the West Duwamish Greenbelt for an upcoming exhibit at the Log House Museum.
The Greenbelt, the city’s largest contiguous forest, spans 500 acres from Pigeon Point to Westcrest Park, from the Duwamish Waterway to Puget Ridge. The exhibit will highlight its indigenous and industrial history, the story of civic advocacy that led to its protection, and – through community-sourced submissions – contemporary depictions of its flora, fauna, and urban stories.
Submissions can include historical or contemporary images and documentary or artistic representations. Submissions that depict the diversity of the Greenbelt, including both natural and urban environments, are encouraged.
Submissions are due by June 10. To submit, use this online form.
Questions? Contact museum@loghousemuseum.org or call us at 206.350.0999
That photo was sent by Rose Feliciano, one of four people who messaged us today to report that the trailside tribute to Rolf Neslund has fallen again – and lost its head again. (First – background if you’re new – Rolf Neslund is the pilot blamed for the 1978 ship collision that forced the old West Seattle Bridge to be replaced. He subsequently retired and was murdered by his wife in 1980. HistoryLink summarizes the saga.) In 2020, during the first year of the West Seattle Bridge’s 2 1/2-year closure, a mysterious “historian” installed the statue along the bike/foot path by the bridge, declaring Rolf “patron saint of the broken bridge.” Days later, the statue itself was broken; someone made off with its head. A month later, it was restored and reinstalled. Then one year ago, the whole sculpture simply fell and needed re-assembly and re-installation (Rose was part of that project); this time its head is missing, nowhere in sight. Who did it, and what happens next? Hard to tell with a rogue artwork that belongs to nobody and everybody; we’ll keep our ear to the ground!
Story by Tracy Record
Photos/video by Patrick Sand
West Seattle Blog co-publishers
On a peninsula where people have lived for millennia, 40 years of history is a blink. But for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society, it’s been an eventful 40 years – and that’s what SWSHS supporters gathered Friday night to celebrate.
Some in the room at Salty’s on Alki (WSB sponsor) were there in the organization’s early days – like former executive director Clay Eals, the night’s co-auctioneer.
Some were descendants of those whose West Seattle history stretches back all those millennia, like Ken Workman of the Duwamish Tribe, a former SWSHS board member born nearby, who noted his people “have been here since the Ice Age” and gave a welcome in “the language that was taken from us so very long ago.”
Two other Duwamish members were among the three featured speakers – another steward of history, Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center director Kristina Pearson, granddaughter of Duwamish chair Cecile Hansen. Pearson observed that “the past is not only a series of events to be studied – it’s a living tapestry of traditions and teachings.” Here’s everything she told the SWSHS:
The tribe is excited about collaborating with the SWSHS, Pearson emphasized.
Those gathered at the gala also heard from Michael Halady, who carved the totem pole that has stood at the Admiral Way Viewpoint since 2006. It factored into the SWSHS celebration because it’s been 10 years since the organization’s Log House Museum put up the pole that Halady’s work replaced. He spoke briefly about the Admiral pole and about his apprenticeship under a prolific carver:
Learning from the past while looking to the future – “Navigating Our Past Anew” – was the theme for the night. Board president Nancy Sorensen recounted accomplishments of the past year – including major maintenance for the museum – and making some collection materials available onlin: “We’re working hard to develop and improve our museum and reach out to our community.” While the SWSHS currently is without an executive director, Sorensen lauded programs and community-outreach director Elizabeth Rudrud for her work. Rudrud spoke too, starting with words of remembrance for someone Sorensen had also mentioned, former board president Kathy Blackwell, who died earlier this year:
“This place contains a multitude of stories,” Rudrud noted, including the life stories of some in the room, including Carol-Ann Thornton, who played a key role in desegregating Seattle schools in the ’60s:
Staff and volunteers will continue working to “transform how people interact with SWSHS,” Rudrud promised. “We are all part of the peninsula, here because we love this place and share a vision for its future.”
A general reflection about why organizations like this matter was delivered by Alex Gradwohl, program director for the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area:
As Gradwohl underscored with her story of a group of volunteers, each of whom had traveled a different path to come to the project, “history can bind us together … engaging people with stories of our past.”
Stories were behind the featured live-auction items of the night, with Eals (above) and Mike Shaughnessy (below) serving as auctioneers.
Three people bid $600 each for tours of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Workman (who is not only Duwamish but also a direct descendant of Chief Seattle). A historic West Seattle business, Husky Deli, donated an item that went for $1,600 – a chance to make an ice-cream flavor, name it, and launch it at a party with up to 20 people. And the artist who’s been commemorating history makers via signal-box murals, Desmond Hansen, will join a $1,200 bidder in designing and painting a custom mural, either on a box or for personal display (the winning bidder. B.J. Bullert, said she had Earl Robinson in mind, a West Seattle-born music luminary about whom she made the documentary “Earl Robinson: Ballad of an American“).
Between the live and silent auctions, the gala raised at least $50,000, surpassing the SWSHS goal. That would likely have gladdened the heart of Elliott Couden, who founded the organization in 1984. Eals recalled interviewing Couden 20 years ago, not long before his death, and quoted him, from a booklet that’s in the Seattle Municipal Archives: “I think we’re in a crucial time. We will never be challenged more to love instead of hate, to trust instead of distrust, than we are right now … society … can’t stay together in harmony unless we are deliberately willing to sacrifice as necessary to help change things. I just hope we’ll all feel our own personal responsibility to reflect understanding and sharing, and love and caring.”
The love and caring those in the room showed for SWSHS was obvious – and the organization is working to ensure it serves all of the peninsula’s 100,000+ people.
WHAT’S NEXT: Every month on the second Thursday night, SWSHS has an online speaker in the Words, Writers, Southwest Stories series – next Thursday (May 9), see and hear Luther Adams. Friday and Saturday most weeks are when you can visit the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) in person, noon-4 pm. And 1,000+ collection items are available for online viewing any time.
Again this spring/summer, the historic Alki Point Lighthouse will open for free weekly tours, as announced today:
Alki Point Lighthouse Tour Season starts May 26th
(USCG Auxiliary photo by Debra Alderman)
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers will be offering free lighthouse tours most Sunday afternoons between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. (No tours June 16th.)
First visitors enter the site at 1 p.m. Last tour begins at 3:45.
Address: 3201 Alki Avenue SW
Questions: alkilighthouseteam@gmail.com
Any tour updates will be published here on Friday each week:
Or refer to this website for more details.
The lighthouse dates back 111 years – you can read its history here.
It’s the season for special events supporting the nonprofits that add so much to life on our peninsula. We reported on the West Seattle Food Bank‘s gala over the weekend, and next up, the Southwest Seattle Historical Society will gather supporters for a memorable evening this Friday. You can help SWSHS even if you can’t join the party in person – an online auction open to everyone is happening right now! Go here to browse what’s available – including West Seattle staycations (cottage on Alki!), a Yellowstone getaway, local tours (music tour! nature tours!), and gift cards to local shops and restaurants. Go to the SWSHS website at loghousemuseum.org to find out more about both the online auction and Friday’s gala, and to sign up for one or both!
(WSB photos and video)
Providence Mount St. Vincent‘s centennial celebration opened ceremonially, including the opening of a time capsule, with a little help from a team from West Seattle’s Nucor steel mill, which produced steel that built “The Mount” a century ago.
It’s a day full of history, including photos and items dating back to the elder-care and rehabilitation facility’s early days in the 1920s.
Both County Executive Dow Constantine and Mayor Bruce Harrell issued proclamations in honor of the occasion:
Reflections about the Sisters of Providence founding The Mount were shared by Providence executive Dianna Reely, after an introduction by emcee Brian Callanan:
A rededication ribbon-cutting followed:
As noted in our calendar listing, you still have time to go to The Mount (4831 35th SW) and participate in today’s celebration – with an ongoing open house this afternoon and a free family movie at 5 pm.
You might know the Southwest Seattle Historical Society best for its headquarters at the historic Log House Museum on Alki – but that’s just part of its work, as you can learn while supporting SWSHS via its gala and/or online auction in the weeks ahead. Here’s what to know:
2024 is shaping up to be a big year for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. It is also a year that coincides with significant anniversaries including its founding (1984), the building of the Fir Lodge/Alki Homestead (1904), and the ten-year anniversary of the installation of the Belvedere/Admiral Viewpoint replica Totem Pole at the Log House Museum at Alki Beach (2014).
As the historical society commemorates these anniversaries, and begins work on new strategic goals, it is branding the annual Spring Gala and Online Auction on May 3 as Navigating Our Past, Anew. The organization will announce new initiatives, including updating signage for the Totem Pole to provide more complete historical context (Totem Poles are not representative of Coast Salish art traditions and the one at the museum is in fact a replica of an earlier pole and was carved by non-indigenous artists).
The Historical Society will also be announcing a new project to develop an interactive, permanent exhibit on the history of the Duwamish Peninsula at the Log House Museum, made possible from a grant from the newly established Maritime Washington National Heritage Area. The exhibit timeline coincides with the organization’s three-year strategic plan adopted earlier this year.
Guest speakers for the event represent community partners that are integral to both projects and include Alex Gradwohl, Program Director, Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and Kristina Pearson, Director, Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center.
The event includes food, a cash bar, and an exciting live auction featuring priceless experiences, including a chance to custom paint a traffic signal box with Desmond Hansen Art, a private tour of the West Duwamish Greenbelt with Chief Sealth descendant Ken Workman, and more.
In addition to the May 3 Gala, the organization is hosting an online auction from April 29 through May 2. The auction includes unique West Seattle experiences, local services, art, and gift certificates to local businesses. This year, the historical society is also auctioning numerous unique vacation rentals including a three-night stay at a luxury ranch outside Yellowstone National Park in Paradise Valley, Montana.
Tickets for the event are $95 and can be purchased online at loghousemuseum.org, which is also where you can register for the online auction, free.
The gala is happening at Salty’s on Alki (1936 Harbor SW; WSB sponsor).
P.S. You can also learn more about the SWSHS and its work right now in the spotlight display at HomeStreet Bank in The Junction (41st/Alaska; WSB sponsor) – visit before next Tuesday afternoon and you can register for a drawing for two tickets to the gala!
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