Join us to hear Bainbridge Island educator Roberta Newland and her co-author (and son) John Newland-Thompson discuss their book The Cle Elum Fire of 1918 from Images of America series.

On June 25, 1918, a hot, windy day fire tore through the small town of Cle Elum. Caused by a spark of unknown origin in the center of town, the fire destroyed the majority of the town to the east and left 1,800 people homeless–nearly the equivalent of today’s population. The authors, whose ancestor’s barbershop was lost in the blaze, will describe this town of immigrants before the fire, the fire itself, and the rebuilding process.

Roberta Newland is a Bainbridge Island educator who has researched many historic preservation projects. Her co-author, John Newland-Thompson, is a writer and editor. They published The Cle Elum Fire of 1918 on the fire’s centennial in 2018.

Presented in partnership with the Southwest Seattle Historical Society.

This event is at the Southwest branch library.

Library events and programs are free and everyone is welcome. Registration is not required.

Space is limited at library events. Please come early to make sure you get a seat. Due to the fire code, we can’t exceed the maximum capacity for our rooms.