Historic Fort Steilacoom
0205, 2022

Historic Fort Steilacoom

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Located in Pierce County, western Washington, in the City of Lakewood are the remnants of a once critical military instillation known as Fort Steilacoom. It occupies the same piece of land where today’s Western State Hospital exists – another historic topic for a future podcast episode, to be sure. But Fort Steilacoom, by its own right, has firmly entrenched itself in the history of Washington State. Built in 1849 to

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Medicine Creek: In Search of Treaty Tree
0302, 2020

Medicine Creek: In Search of Treaty Tree

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In 1854, the Medicine Creek Treaty between regional Native American tribes and Washington’s territorial government kicked off a years-long conflict that forever changed the story of the Pacific Northwest. Sixty-eight years later, in 1922, the Sacajawea Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution placed a bronze plaque commemorating the momentous treaty, upon the single remaining Douglas Fir that remained at the place where the treaty was signed. It became

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Easy week in eastern Washington, Part 1: The roads less traveled
2606, 2012

Easy week in eastern Washington, Part 1: The roads less traveled

My father, Walt Ebel, and I began our second annual trip to the Colville Indian Reservation on a Monday in early June. Dad’s been doing this for decades; he visits his best friend, Lyn, and they spend a week on Twin Lakes at Hartman’s Log Cabin Resort near Inchelium. Last year I decided to finally accept their invitation and had such a good time I wanted to make it an

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2903, 2012

Paving over history at old Fort Steilacoom

Earlier this week I became aware of a plan to pave over part of the parade grounds at old Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood. The property belongs to Western State Hospital – itself an icon of Washington State History – and the hospital is managed by the state Department of Social and Health Services. Through my work with 28th District State Senator Mike Carrell, R-Lakewood, who represents the district in which

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Western State Hospital and Fort Steilacoom Park
2003, 2012

Western State Hospital and Fort Steilacoom Park

Kelly was feeling under the weather one day last week, so I decided to take Parker off her hands and get him out of the house for a bit. I had wanted to make a day out of it, perhaps visiting the recreated Fort Nisqually on Point Defiance, visiting the old Fort Nisqually in DuPont (and the historic Dynamite Train), or Fort Steilacoom Park between the two. Being that the

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Washington, my home
1402, 2010

Washington, my home

I hope to write about all the great things Washington has to offer…from it’s natural beauty to it’s storied political activity. I promise it won’t be all about politics, rather a vast array of all the great things life has to offer in the upper-left corner of the country. From our underdog sports teams to our small town way of life, I’ll hopefully be blogging on all the things that make our state the greatest in the lower 48.