Category: Volunteer Projects

Make Some Noise for History!

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One of my favorite activities judging the annual History Day Contests is walking through the cafeteria during the lunch break, basking in the noise generated by a room full of excited young historians.

What a surprise is was for me the first time several years ago at the Shoreline Center, home of the North Puget Sound Regional History Day contests.

For the past two years, I have also judged at the Washington State History Day held at Bellevue Community College which just took place on May 4, 2013. After lunch I soaked in the excitement of waiting for the announcement of the projects moving forward to the final round.

Sixty High School historians were selected to represent Washington State at the National Contest, June 9-13 in College Park, Maryland, and I can only imagine the noise they will make!

Follow this link to learn more about History Day in Washington State.

Banners for Downtown Snohomish

The idea for lamp post banners began with the intention to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the county’s founding, especially since Snohomish won the election in July 1861 to host the county seat. E. C. Ferguson returned to Snohomish that July with the county records in his vest pocket. His home overlooking the river, and still standing, was de facto the first Snohomish County courthouse.

ferguson-bannerE. C. Ferguson, considered the “founding father” of Snohomish, apprenticed as a carpenter in the place of his birth in Westchester County, New York. He arrived in 1860 aboard a side-wheeler steamship with enough supplies to establish a store.

 
 

mary low sinclairMary Low Sinclair, with her infant son and household goods, arrived at Cadyville, (eventually renamed “Snohomish”) on May 1, 1865, which she described in her 1911 remembrance: “There was no time to be lonesome …”

 
 

john harvey bannerJohn Harvey was born near Modbury, in Devonshire County, England, 14 miles from Plymouth, on March 9, 1828. Harvey had a boyhood dream of going to America. Harvey’s Homestead established 1860, is located on the south side of the Snohomish River, directly across the river from the City of Snohomish.

This was a volunteer project for the Historic Downtown Snohomish (HDS) organization.