The Redmond Recorder

October 2010 Vol. 12, No. 8

Redmond Historical Society

Our purpose: To discover, recover, preserve, share and
celebrate Redmond’s history

16600 NE 80th St, Room 106, Redmond, WA 98052

425-885-2919
Room for Rail in Redmond?
www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org
info@redmondhistoricalsociety.org
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:30a.m.-4 p.m. and
by appointment

Photo by Ed Weiss
Built in 1889, Redmond’s rail station was torn down in 1972, shortly after this photo
was taken. It was located across from the Justice White House. Behind it is the now
gone T&D Feeds.

We‟ve got a rich rail heritage here and possibly a future for it. Light rail
for commuting into Seattle is likely to find a hub in Redmond, and there‟s
also a proposal to start a “Taste of Washington” excursion train from
Redmond to Woodinville that could be used to share the Sammamish
Valley‟s history.
The company behind that idea, GNP Railway, recently also applied to
restart cargo service on the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe spur that
goes through town. The last cargo train ran about a decade ago.
The tourist train has found fans, but the cargo portion is more
controversial. Please join us on Oct. 9th when GNP founder Tom Payne
explains his ideas and Tom Jones, a consultant with the Cascadia Center, a
local transportation think tank, looks at the bigger picture of rail in our
region. A City spokesperson will also be on hand for its perspective.

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 2010 Executive Board
Chris Himes, President
Miguel Llanos, VP
Joanne Westlund, Treasurer
John Phillips, Collections
Beryl Standley, Secretary
Board of Directors
Mary Hanson
Nao Hardy
Judy Aries Lang
Jon Magnussen
Doris Schaible
Joe Townsend
Patti Simpson Ward
Margaret Evers Wiese
Office Manager
Monica Park
Attorney
Charles Diesen
Our finances are public record and
may be viewed at the office.
Free Newsletter
Call 425-885-2919 or e-mail
info@redmondhistoricalsociety.
org, asking for e-mail or US
Mail delivery. (We prefer e-mail
as it‟s inexpensive and photos
show up better online!)
Major Supporters
The Redmond Recorder October 2010
New Online
Check out the City‟s latest
Focus on Redmond online
magazine for a history of our
first schools! Go to
efocusonredmond.com/home.html
and then click on View from
History. Our very first school
was a single-room log cabin
with one side open to the
elements!
As for the Society‟s website,
if you‟re familiar with “rss
feeds” Richard Morris has set
one up off our home page for
folks wishing to be alerted to
new content.
Table of Contents
Page
1: October speaker
2: New Online
3: Collection News
4: Thank Yous, Condolences
5: Eastside Events
6: Thoughts about Home
7: Displays at Bill Brown‟s Garage
8: Scanning project, cemetery plots
9: Gift Ideas
10: Membership Names
11: Membership Form
12: Address & RHS Contact Info
2
 What’s New in Our Collection

Courtesy City of Redmond

The Redmond Shopping Square sign dates back to at least 1950.

Redmond‟s first shopping center is now history, having been demolished

to make way for a future Downtown Park and a road connection. And while
it lacked architectural charm, Redmond Shopping Square certainly was a
focal point for our town over the years.
With that in mind, and with the City‟s help, we decided to salvage the big
blue neon sign and tuck it away for now. Unfortunately it is not only large
but very heavy. The City tried to deliver it to our storage area at LeRoy
Olson‟s barn, but it was just too bulky. We were ready to send the sign to
the dumpster when the City found a storage spot at a park building. Thanks
go out to city staffers Lisa Singer, John Florio and Walt Berry (and his
crew).

4Culture awards grant to digitize SVN images

Collections VP John Phillips spearheaded the successful request for
$2,400 in funding from 4Culture to start digitizing negatives from the
Sammamish Valley News collection. Thanks to John and, of course, 4Culture!

The Redmond Recorder October 2010 3

 Thank You to…
Rosemarie and John Ives for financial support above and beyond their
membership.
Liz Coward for the 1921 Redmond High School graduation diploma that
belonged to her aunt Axelia Johnson.
Arlyn Vallene for her donation of the prescription below – it was made
- John Phillips
decades
n ago by Dr. Davis for shingles! The remedy: Epsom salts, starch,
Lysol and water!

Condolences
Ethel Evers Weise, the mother of Society board member Margaret
Weise, passed away on September 14. Our hearts go out to “Mew” for her
loss. Nao Hardy recalls “Ethel was a beautiful, gracious woman, so kind.”
“She went to school in our old schoolhouse, and her father was Robert
Cotterill,” Nao adds. “Many of the old-timers were her friends all her life.
Mew lived with her sweet mother and took care of her for decades.”
In lieu of flowers, Mew asks that donations be sent to either Evergreen
Hospice or the Redmond Historical Society.
The Redmond Recorder October 2010 4
 Eastside Events
Issaquah: The Lives of Women in Our Valley
WHERE: Issaquah Depot, 50 Rainier Boulevard N
WHEN: 11 a.m – noon, Oct. 9th
COST: Free
Issaquah History Museums director Erica Maniez looks at the lives of
Issaquah's women from 1860-1930.

Bellevue: Fraser Cabin Heritage Day

WHERE: Kelsey Creek Farm Park, 410 130th Place SE, Bellevue
WHEN: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Oct. 9 and 10th
COST: Free
Hands-on activities that relate to 1880s settler life: agriculture, dairy,
household tasks, log cabins, games and eastside history. Eastside Heritage
Center hosts and interprets the log cabin that was built and lived in by the
Fraser family over 100 years ago! Call 425-450-1049 for details.

Issaquah: Women's Voices, Women's Votes performance

WHERE: Issaquah Depot, 50 Rainier Boulevard N
WHEN: 1:30-2:20 p.m., Oct. 16th
COST: Free
Several Issaquah non-profits present a Book-It Repertory production of Shanna
Stevenson's book, "Women's Voices, Women's Votes," which tells the story of
the women who spoke out and organized to pass an amendment to the state
Constitution giving women permanent voting rights in Washington. Tickets
available via www.issaquahhistory.org

Kirkland: Revisiting the 1886 Colman murder case

WHERE: Marsh Mansion, 6604 Lake Washington Blvd.
WHEN: 7-9 p.m., Oct. 27th
COST: Free
History sleuth Tom Hitzroth provides an update on his research into who
killed James Colman, a pioneer who was ambushed and killed on the south end
of Mercer Island as he traveled to Seattle to settle a property dispute.

The Redmond Recorder October 2010 5

 Home
At our last meeting, Redmond‟s poet laureate, Rebecca Meredith,
guided us through a writing exercise. The key was not to write about a
concept, but to visualize what came to mind about a concept and then write
about that. She gave us a single word – home. Below are some results.
The little gingerbread house on It's a place that I have always thought
Third Avenue with the heart as special. I wanted it to be clean,
cutouts on the shutters is where I warm and welcome. My children
grew up. It is the image that needed it to grow and to appreciate
remains in my mind's eye, though what family meant. I hoped they
the structure has long since been would do the same in heir homes.
razed for rows of condominiums. Now it is quiet and sometimes too
It is where I rode my tricycle quiet. But I still need it.
that I bought with my own -- Anne Tollfeldt
money. (I still have it!)
It's where I experienced Children laughing, running, moving,
rheumatic fever that stayed with fighting. Room to room; parents
me for two years. watching, sometimes joining. Now,
It's where I came home to after always missing those times.
walking up a dirt road that -- Miguel Llanos
washed out every spring. Warm and comfortable
-- Patsy Cook Rosenbach Welcomes me into the door
(Third Ave has long since been 166th I smell warm odors
Avenue N.E., and the dirt road I used coming from the kitchen
to walk to and from school on has Garden beds blooming
been paved for decades, and Bright colors bursting
ultimately widened. I have had the A feeling of being secure
pleasure to photograph my little with no worries
grandson riding my tricycle, though Flames from the fire
it is well worn and rickety.) Warm my soul.
-- Joanne Westlund
Temporary resting spot where I
engage myself among my small I saw my Dad and Mom playing with
comforts and frustrations before my nephew in my Home and my
passing on to a fresh experience husband is laughing. Fresh air
somewhere. coming in through windows.
-- John Phillips -- Noorie Shahzadi
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 Peaking Inside our History
Even if you don‟t need hard liquor there‟s still a great reason to visit Bill
Brown‟s Garage, aka state liquor store: Our wonderful displays! The three in a
row are on the busy south side, and the bottom two on the quieter north side.

Photos by Miguel Llanos

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 Quilt Squares for Centennial Needed
Here‟s your chance to be quilted into history! We still need quilt squares
showing some aspect of Redmond‟s heritage. Society Treasurer Joanne
Westlund will then turn those into a huge quilt to raffle or auction off
during Redmond‟s Centennial in 2012. For more info and instructions
contact Joanne at jmwestlund@frontier.com or call the office at 425-885-
2919. The deadline to turn them is has been extended to January 2011.

Clarification: Jeff Parrish is Alive & Well

We‟re happy to admit to this mistake! Jeff Parrish did not pass away as
was stated in last month‟s newsletter. We‟d received an e-mail about the
passing of Joe Jobe -- the father of Jeff‟s wife, Jo-Ann -- and that‟s where
the mix-up happened. Apologies to Jeff, who straightened us out. He also
informed us that his father in law had been a highly decorated WWII Navy
pilot and was buried at Arlington Cemetery in July.

Cemetery Plots For Sale

The Society is selling 2 side-by-

side plots in Redmond's Cedar
Lawns Memorial Park. Donated
by the Reed family, they include
endowment care and are in the
Garden of Christus section (225,
3&4). $3,499 for one or $6,699
for both. Current value is $5,495
each. Cedar Lawns handles all
necessary paperwork. Contact us
at 425-885-2919 for info.

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The Redmond Recorder October 2010 9
Our Lifetime
Members Sept. 11 Meeting
Eric Anderson Were you at our last general meeting? These
John Anderson folks were (* are first-time attendees):
Barbara Neal Beeson
Brad Best
Marjorie Stensland Costello Margo Alexander Rebecca Meredith
Liz Carlson Coward Jim Coward Susan Myers
Frank Garbarino Liz Coward Larry Miller
Edward L. Hagen Tony Emmanuel Richard Morris
Lucille B. Hansen-Bellings Charlotte Hahnlen Alexa Munoz
Naomi Hardy Marge Hanson John Phillips
Patricia Weiss Jovag Mary Hanson Virginia Pickett
Barbara Weiss Joyce Roy Hanson Brian Ranck*
Glenn Lampaert Chris Himes Patsy Rosenbach
Roy Lampaert Jo Ann Ingersoll David Rossiter
Judy Aries Lang Elaine Keeley Julianne Rossiter
Miguel Llanos Bruce Kenyon Noorie Shahzadi
Jon Magnussen Cheryl Kenyon Faye Sween
Charles Reed Judy Lang Anne Tollfeldt
Clare „Amo‟ Marr Janice LeVeck* Henry Tollfeldt
Daryl Martin Miguel Llanos Jerry Torell
Allison Reed Morris Cheryl Magnuson Joe Townsend
Frances Spray Reed Joan Magruder Carol Trapp
Vivian Robinson Carl Marrs Judy Turner
Laurie Rockenbeck Pat Marrs Arlyn Bjerke
Margy Rockenbeck Bob Martin Juanita Verschuyl*
William Rockenbeck Andy McClung Wendy Walsh
Fred Stray Eileen McCoskrie Joanne Westlund
Doris Bauer Schaible Doris McFarland
Arlyn Vallene
Don Watts
Rose Weiss
Margaret Evers Wiese
James Windle

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