0712, 2020

Who was Mother Joseph?

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Born Esther Pariseau in 1823, the third of 12 children, in a farmhouse three miles from Saint-Martin, Laval, Quebec, this Canadian Religious Sister grew up to lead members of her congregation to the Pacific Northwestern United States where they established a network of schools and healthcare facilities to serve the American settlers in that new and remote part of the country. She was the first female architect in British Columbia,

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

2210, 2016

Old Alder: Visit before it vanishes

Washington Our Home
October 22, 2016
Ghost Towns, Hikes, History, Mt. Rainier, Western Washington
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The term “ghost town” in today’s time has evolved from its more literal interpretation to describe any small town that has been abandoned or vacated. Most of the time, however, towns devoid of inhabitants have nowhere to grow but older. Not so for old Alder.

2006, 2014

Staying a night at the Sunset Beach Hotel

Washington Our Home
June 20, 2014
History, Puget Sound, Recreation, Western Washington
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There have always been references to the famed Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet that I’ve run across while researching Washington State history. The entrepreneurial spirit that gave birth to the fleet in the 1850s is part of what makes Washington such a fascinating place. From the 1850s through the 1920s, it was said there were so many steam ships racing around the Sound that it looked like a swarm of mosquitos.

1409, 2012

Ascending Saint Helens, Part 4 of 4: The gear that got me there

Washington Our Home
September 14, 2012
Family, Gear, Hikes, Mt. Saint Helens, Recreation, Western Washington
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I sincerely hope anyone reading this is inspired to climb a mountain of their own. I hope it’s one of the beloved mountains of Washington State, but any mountain that strikes a chord in your heart will suffice. It’s not just something other people talk about. You can do it too. Just make sure you have the right training, the right gear and the right attitude and you’d be surprised how high you can climb.