The Redmond Recorder

September 2010 Vol. 12, No. 7

Redmond Historical Society

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

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

A Poet’s Place
425-885-2919
www.redmondhistoricalsociety.org
info@redmondhistoricalsociety.org
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 9:30a.m.-4 p.m. and
by appointment

City of Redmond
Rebecca Meredith

Did you know Redmond has its very own, City-sponsored poet laureate?
She‟s Rebecca Meredith and she‟ll be our next speaker, talking about “the
power of place” – specifically how the work of poets (as well as audiences‟
responses to that work) are shaped by their relationships to places in their
lives, both past and present.
Although she now resides in Seattle, Rebecca lived in Redmond for
more than 20 years and was the first president of the Redmond Association
of Spokenword. Her poetry has appeared in literary magazines and
anthologies, and has been featured on KUOW. Some of her poetry is online
at the Redmond Arts Commission, which funds the two-year position.
Check it out at: www.redmond.gov/arts/poetlaureate.asp as well as
Rebecca‟s own blog at www.rspoetica.com.
Please join us and Rebecca on Sept. 11 from 10.30 a.m. to noon at the
Old Redmond Schoolhouse Community Center for some poetic inspiration!

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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 September 2010
New Online
The “Redmond: Bicycle
Capital of the Northwest” sign
on Redmond-Kirkland road is
now an iconic symbol of our
city, but do you know how it
came to be installed in 1976?
The story‟s on our home page,
but here‟s a hint: Society
member Jerry Torell played a
key role – as did high school
metals teacher Chuck Johns,
signmaker John Gunderson,
then Mayor Bud Young, Fred
Habenicht and several others.
Table of Contents
Page
1: September speaker
2: New Online
3: Collection News
4: Thank Yous, Condolences
5: Walking Tours, Quilt Project
6: Scout‟s cemetery project
7: Eastside Events
8: Cemetery project; plots for sale
9: Gift Ideas
10: Membership Names
11: Membership Form
12: Address & RHS Contact Info
2
 What’s New in Our Collection

Photo Courtesy of MOHAI

From left to right: Betty Bland Winn, Mercer Island mayor 1980-83;
Chris Himes, Redmond mayor 1980-84; Doreen Marchione, Redmond
mayor 1984-91; Nan Campbell, Bellevue mayor 1988-89; and Doris Cooper,
Kirkland mayor 1985-90.

No, we haven‟t locked away these pioneering politicians in our

collections archive! But thanks to Seattle‟s Museum of History and
Industry we now have recorded interviews with the Eastside‟s first female
mayors, two of whom are from Redmond.
The interviews are part of MOHAI‟s “Women‟s Votes, Women‟s
Voices” exhibit marking the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right
to vote in Washington state -- a full decade before an amendment to the
U.S. Constitution extended that to women nationwide.
We‟ve stored the interviews of Chris Himes and Doreen Marchione on
our website (search for their names) and MOHAI also has audio
interviews (called podcasts) one can hear online at http://seattlehistory.org
(click on “Women‟s Votes” or go to Exhibits section).

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 Thank You to…
Cheryl and Gene Magnuson and Fred and Fran Stray for the picnic
work.
- John Phillips
Arlyn Vallene for her donation of kitchen tools.
n

Condolences and Get Wells

Our wishes for a speedy recovery to Rose Weiss, one of our Lifetime
members (in fact she bought two for her daughters as well!)

Our condolences to the families of some recently departed with ties to

Redmond: Beth Gossard (wife of Clint Gossard); Joseph Jobe; and Patty
Lawson (wife of our first attorney, the late John Lawson).

Volunteers needed for Saturday Market

Photo by Judy Lang

It‟s hardly work – in fact you‟ll come across old friends, make new ones
and take in the Redmond Saturday Market‟s smells, sounds and sights,
including the occasional disguised shoppers like Linda Hussey, left, and two
of her pals.
So join us on Oct. 2 as we host a Society booth for the last time this
season. Volunteers take a two-hour shift with another Society member,
handing out free brochures and selling other merchandise. If you can help,
please contact Judy Lang at lang.judy@comcast.net or 425-823-3551.
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 Last 2010 Walking Tour
Ever wonder about the histories of our oldest buildings? One of them was
once a bordello, saloon, dance hall, and undertaker at the same time. Some are
said to have paranormal activity. Did you know the Brad Best Realty building
used to be the Redmond State Bank and that it once issued its own currency?
Join Society member Tom Hitzroth as he literally walks you through our
heritage and recent preservation efforts.
The last 2010 tour is Sept. 19, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., and walkers meet
on the front steps of the Justice White House (7730 Leary Way), one of the
oldest buildings left in the city. An $8 fee helps fund Society research. Pre-
registration is required via phone (425-885-2919) or e-mailing
info@redmondhistoricalsociety.org.

One of the tour stops is the Bill

Brown Building, seen here when
it was Big Time Pizza. Brown had
it built in 1913 and its first use
was as a saloon. Brown would
later become Redmond’s longest-
serving mayor.

Stitch Yourself Into Redmond History

We‟re looking for 100 designs of Redmond‟s heritage to turn into 100 quilt
squares -- and then into a giant quilt that we can raffle off as a fundraiser in
2012 when Redmond turns 100!
The names of all those whose designs are used will be incorporated into the
quilt‟s border so now‟s your chance to be stitched into history! If you‟d like to
participate, please contact Joanne Westlund at jmwestlund@verizon.net or
call 425-898-0399.
If you are willing to help with the actual quilting, we would love to hear
from you as well! Squares must be delivered by September.

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 Scout Helps Record Who’s Who in Cemetery
Matthew Beecroft wanted an Eagle Scout project that would stand out,
and he found it at the Redmond Community Cemetery – organizing 30
volunteers who photographed and documented each tombstone. “I divided
the cemetery into a grid, with 80 „zones‟,” Matthew says. “Then, I
instructed the volunteers to make a sketch of the locations of each
tombstone in their zone, and then record the information off the tombstones
exactly as it appeared (I created templates for them to use). I had two
photographers take a picture of each tombstone.”
With data in hand, he and his family “transcribed the information onto
computer format, organized and named the pictures, then burned them onto
CDs to give them to the cemetery caretakers and the Redmond Historical
Society,” he adds. “The project took 193 hours to complete, 34 of which
were my hours. I didn't expect it would be so much work, because we
estimated there to be 300-400 tombstones … but when the pictures were
counted, it turned out that there were over 1,000! The project was well
worth it though, and I hope that the information we took down will last
even when the tombstones become unreadable.”
Matthew‟s work follows in the footsteps of Dana Whitson, whose own
mapping work included the locations and names for unmarked graves.
Thanks to both for helping preserve Redmond‟s heritage!

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.

The Redmond Recorder September 2010 6

 Eastside Events
Redmond: Redeveloping the Redmond Central Connector
WHERE: Corner of Bear Creek Parkway and Leary Way
WHEN: 5.30 p.m. – 7.30 p.m., Sept. 15th
COST: Free
The City is seeking public input on how to transform the rail corridor
through Redmond formerly used by the BNSF rail line. The festive
brainstorming includes live music and light refreshments.

Bellevue: Fraser Cabin Heritage Day

WHERE: Kelsey Creek Farm Park, 410 130th Place SE, Bellevue
WHEN: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Sept. 15th
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.

Bellevue: The Lowering of Lake Washington

WHERE: Winters House, 2102 Bellevue Way SE
WHEN: 7 p.m., Sept. 18th.
COST: Free
Learn what happened to the Eastside when the Lake Washington Ship
Canal was completed and Lake Washington's water level dropped by nine
feet. Eastside Heritage Center archivist Megan Carlisle presents this
program based on research she did while creating a 7th grade geography
unit for the Bellevue School District.

Kirkland: Lake Washington Golden Grads Reunion

WHERE: Lake Washington High School Common Area
WHEN: 1-4 p.m., September 25
COST: Free
The LWHS Class of 1957 invites all alumni who have marked their 50th or
better graduation anniversary to attend this get together with former
classmates. Contact Judy Lang for more info: 425-823-3551.

The Redmond Recorder September 2010 7

 Getting to School – by Train
Weber’s Mill
photographed in
1916 by the
renowned
Darius Kinsey.
Tony Emmanuel Collection

The late Margaret Quackenbush Breedman left behind a wonderful

diary, a copy of which is at the Society office. Below is an excerpt about
figuring out her school commute in 1914 after moving to Weber’s Point
on East Lake Sammamish – when a cargo and passenger train line
existed.
Father, W. S. Quackenbush, had been hired as bookkeeper and
storekeeper for Joseph Weber, who owned the two shingle mills on
Weber's Point. …
While the younger ones slept on, I was disturbed to hear my Father and
Mother quarreling bitterly. She had asked about school. My sister Jo
would be in the first grade and I was in the second. When Dad told her
that we would have to walk two miles through the forest and over the hill
on the skid road to Happy Valley, it was more than Mother could take.
She would have nothing to do with the idea. There would be children up
through the eighth grade traveling with us, but it was wild country where
cougar and bear roamed…
Now, with nostalgia, I can look across from my West Lake
Sammamish home and see the draw in the hill where we might have
traveled to school except for Mother's strong protest. (Nostalgic, too, are
the remembrances of Sunday walks there that took us, as a family, to the
edge of the hill looking down into Happy Valley.)
But, to get back to the school situation, it was my Father's problem,
and he solved the dilemma by sending us to Redmond by train. This
worked fine in the morning. We were only slightly early for school. But
at night, there was a long wait after school. Mother insisted that we stay
at the depot, and Mr. Bergan, the station master, and his wife were very
patient with us. However, not getting home until six o'clock at night got
tiresome.

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Our Lifetime June 12 Picnic Partiers
Were you at our annual picnic? These folks were:
Members (* first time attendees)
Cheryl Magnuson
Eric Anderson Susan Ashton* Gene Magnuson
John Anderson Carolyn Banning Jon Magnussen
Barbara Neal Beeson Dave Bartley Larry Miller
Brad Best Elsie Bartley Alexa Munoz
Marjorie Stensland Costello Brad Best Monica Park
Liz Carlson Coward Jeanne Best John Phillips
Frank Garbarino Bernie Bruneau Roxie Phillips
Edward L. Hagen Betty Emmanuel Virginia Pickett
Lucille B. Hansen-Bellings Tony Emmanuel Patsy Rosenbach
Naomi Hardy Tracy Emmanuel David Rossiter
Patricia Weiss Jovag Joyce Fowler Juliann Rossiter
Barbara Weiss Joyce Charlotte Hahnlen Anne Salmi
Glenn Lampaert Kenneth Hahnlen Lisa Salmi*
Roy Lampaert Tom Hall Doris Schaible
Judy Aries Lang Tom Hansen Beryl Standley
Miguel Llanos Mary Hanson Fran Stray
Jon Magnussen Bud Hardison Fred Stray
Charles Reed Muriel Hardison Kris Swanson
Clare „Amo‟ Marr Jennifier Hawkins Bev Thomas
Daryl Martin Chris Himes Bill Thomas
Allison Reed Morris JoAnn Ingersoll Joe Townsend
Frances Spray Reed Judy Lang Rose Weiss
Vivian Robinson Mike Lang Don Whipple*
Laurie Rockenbeck Bea Leland Johanna Whipple*
Margy Rockenbeck Anita Longley
William Rockenbeck
Fred Stray
Doris Bauer Schaible
Arlyn Vallene
Don Watts
Rose Weiss
Margaret Evers Wiese
James Windle Photo by Patsy Rosenbach
Our 2010 History Hero, Brad Best, joined by his wife, Jeanne,
received the award at the picnic. Flanking them are board
members Judy Lang and Jon Magnussen.

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