You know it as Eastgate Road, but…

By Marianne Lincoln One of my favorite annual events is taking the tour of Fort Lewis put on by the Nisqually Tribe. Amazing history, great snacks and good company. Although the tour enters and exits from a normally locked gate on the reservation, much of the driving is along Eastgate Road. It is called that…

Spanaway Cemetery cleanup May 24

Four congregations of youth from local churches are coming to the historic Spanaway cemetery this year on May 24th, to clean up prior to the Memorial Day Weekend.  They’ll be arriving at the Cemetery at different times between 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Some youth and leaders will be arriving in the evening between 5 p.m….

May 20 – Parkland School 115th Birthday Party

PARKLAND — On Saturday, May 20th, the Parkland Community Association is hosting a Birthday Party for the Parkland School, to celebrate the history of the community. When:Saturday, May 20th from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Where: Keithley Middle School, 12324 12th Ave S, Parkland, WA 98444 What: There will be door prizes, food, live music…

A road called Muck-Kapowsin

By Marianne Lincoln It all started with Muck-Kapowsin Road. It isn’t called that anymore, it has a number like most other roads in Pierce County. It is now 224th Street. It runs from Elk Plain at the Mountain Highway through Graham and Thrift and on to “The Country.” Roads in the area were often named…

Parkland Community Assn. March 28

The 501(c)(3) status arrived in March 2023 and the Parkland Community Assn. (PCA) is now fully operational. The next meeting for the organization will be Tuesday, March 28, 6 p.m. at the Trinity Lutheran Church hall. The Parkland Community Assn. began last May with a group that formed to Save the Historic Parkland School (1908)…

Graham Historical Society, Feb. 28

By Marianne Lincoln Graham has history, lots of history, actually. You can find some of it on page F-10 of the Graham Community Plan. Other bits and pieces are in small books and hard to find, out-of-print books like In the Shadow of the Mountain, by Andy Anderson. Others have not yet been written, but…

PLU opens a window for Parkland School in letter to Council

Pacific Lutheran University President Allan Belton opened a window of opportunity to the community who wants to save the Parkland School. In a letter to members of the Pierce County Council, he noted that the property is being made available for the purchase price of $2.85 million if the community can find a buyer within…

Balallan, Scotland gave Spanaway its start

By Marianne Lincoln, with notes from Steve Anderson Balallan, a small community on the Isle of Lewis in the Hebrides islands of Scotland was the birth place of John Montgomery in 1819. His family were farmers. He grew up among sheep, cattle and crops with plenty of room to play, but no education to make…

1846 list of local indigneous working for Fort Nisqually

The Puget Sound Agricultual Company extended across much of Pierce County’s prairie lands. Until 1846, it was considered British Land and was embattled in court through 1869, when it finally was paid and officially transferred. This is why so many 1850 Donation Land Claims were not surveyed until 1871 in the area. From Steve Anderson,…

PLU responds about the Parkland School

Pacific Lutheran University has added an article to their website about the Parkland School, also referred to was East Campus. This is copied from their web comments on 6-25-22. East Campus / Parkland School Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Pacific Lutheran University is committed to the long-term health and vitality of Parkland, Washington. We’re proud of…