It’s almost that time of year again for the LeMay Annual Show! For the past 48 years we’ve been hosting this event for the community, and this year is no different. Admission is FREE to attend the car show here at Marymount and if you’re interested in going to the LeMay Private Garages on C…
Category: History
History of the communtiy
The Elusive Moloch House – a unicorn, found
By Marianne Lincoln Elk Plain and Spanaway have older settler history than almost any community in Western Washington because they were locations of Fort Nisqually farming stations. The Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSAC) was created to continue British presence and the Hudson Bay Company’s profit in the Pacific Northwest. The historic map made for the…
History’s a Five Alarm Fire in Pierce County
Story & Photos by Marianne Lincoln “Oops, sorry.” These are the famous words joked about all over Pierce County. Ask almost anyone who has lived here more than ten years. They will tell you. In Pierce County, it is easier to just do it and then apologize later when you get caught. The Planning department…
The answer is: Rocky Ridge!
By Marianne Lincoln One of my favorite questions for people in the Bethel School District is, ” Can you name the five original school districts that were combined to make Bethel?” And yes, I even hit up the Superintendents for this one. It is common for people to name Clover Creek. That is an incorrect…
Do you want to propose an Honorary or Historic Road sign?
Pierce County is home to a rich variety of cultural, historical, and social narratives, spanning from Native American heritage to the achievements of veterans, civic leaders, and other individuals or groups who have played significant roles in shaping the character of our community. Road names can serve as meaningful markers of identity, and honor our…
Leschi Walk February 19, Ft. Steilacoom Park
Leschi was part of Spanaway history too. From Dupont to Lakewood, Spanaway (Spanueh), Muck Creek to Lacamas and Eatonville, this entire prairie was part of the Nisqually Tribal resources as well as several other tribes who shared the land for foraging. Leschi and his brother Quiemuth were chosen to represent the Nisqually band for the…
Parkland? Join the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission!
Are you passionate about preserving our local history and heritage? The Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission is looking for new members to help us shape the future of our community’s past. As part of our team, you’ll be involved in the Pierce County Historic Preservation Program, providing important recommendations to the County Executive…
It’s Thursday, the Telephone Museum is Open
Located on a less travelled road in Tacoma, the Telephone Museum at 757 Fawcett Avenue South is a little-known gem in the heart of the city. The Tacoma Telephone Pioneer Museum is open on Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon. You may need to call as their door is often locked, but the group of…
Please, donate your barn
By Marianne Lincoln The greater Graham area needs a history museum. A barn would be the perfect venue, particularly an older style barn. Local historical buffs could organize a grant writing campaign and some funding mechanisms the same way that the community in Parkland saved the historic Parkland School. There are more than enough stories,…
Grandmother speaks
By Marianne Lincoln Tonight, I am trying to wrap my brain around the event I just witnessed at the Washington State Historical Museum. This was right up there with the night I was at the museum for the Leschi Exoneration Trial. I walked in a little late, because I wasn’t off work in time for…
Proposed Ordinance 02025-524, Historic Properties
Title: An Ordinance of the Pierce County Council Amending Chapter 2.88 of the Pierce County Code, “Structures of Historical and Architectural Significance“; Adopting Findings of Fact; and Setting Forth an Effective Date. The Pierce County Council will hear this proposed Ordinance on August 26, 2025 at their 3 p.m. meeting. This is the link to the…
July 1 Firecracker Alley Show
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians has relocated Firecracker Alley to 3509 72nd St E, Tacoma, in the Summit Waller area. July 1 at 9:30 p.m. will be their free fireworks show for 2025. What is Firecracker Alley? Firecracker Alley is a premier destination for fireworks lovers, offering over 100 firework stands selling a variety of…
Juneteenth – Celebrate Resilience and Progress
Today is a Holiday. Although it is new as a holiday, many have celebrated it for 160 years. It was the real end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth, I recall, was especially celebrated in Texas, where the last of slavery finally ended two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. News was slow 160 years…
Trail’s End Development reveals historical markers for site
By Marianne Lincoln The Brookdale Golf Course at 17th aka Chesney Road and Brookdale Road is now a housing development called Trail’s End. That trail is called the Naches Trail and is the northernmost branch of the Oregon Trail that brought settlers across the newest territories of the United States in the 1800’s. Most notably,…
Graham needs a museum
Editorial: Marianne Lincoln Although it is one of the area’s newer communities, being started in 1923 with the Harding Mill, the greater Graham community, including Kapowsin is much older. As author Lawrence D. “Andy” Anderson so magnificently displays in his book, In the Shadow of the Mountain (out of print), the area had many activities…
Pre-Order Parkland School Memory Books
UPDATED: Vintage Photos Document Parkland Grade School History The deadline for photos has passed, and Linda continues to post photos on the Parkland Elementary Grade School Facebook page for help identifying students and faculty members for photo captions in the book. More than 500 photos of Parkland Grade School classes, clubs, teams and faculty from…
Dec. 1 Deadline for submissions for Parkland School Memory Book
Scans of pictures or other memorabilia can be sent to Linda Carlson via the Parkland Elementary Grade School Facebook page or FB Messenger. Please identify the year and any names of persons in the pictures if possible. They are looking for any information/pictures of businesses on Garfield St. during the time the school was open….
Local author to receive PLU Honorary Doctorate
By Marianne Lincoln Hope Cecilia Svinth Carpenter wrote several books about the experience and lives of the Nisqually people, When I met her, she was part of the Descendants of Fort Nisqually Employees Association. Her maternal great-great grandparents were Charles and Isabella Ross, who came to the Pacific Northwest to work with the Hudson Bay…
Historic Preservation Grants Open to Sept 30
The list is not as long as it should be. History needs to be better preserved in Pierce County and the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission is seeking those who want to help catalog and preserve it. Their historic preservation grants help rebuild places that are intrinsically historic and unique to our past….
We did it!
The Parkland community raised enough money through grants, donations, and a state allocation to make the earnest money and now, the down payment on the Parkland School! With that, PLU has agreed to hold a contract for the balance of the funds at 0% interest. On May 10, the transaction closed and Parkland Community Assn….