The following is an opinion publishing in the winter 2023 issue of our newsletter by the museum board president, Walter Neary: It was a gift to be president of this museum board in the early 2000s and to return after a decades-long break in 2020. One can see, very clearly, how some things change and […]
Marian Smith’s mentors told her not to write her book. She wrote it anyway. By Walter Neary This article is a fuller version of an article in the winter 2023 issue of the Historic Fort Steilacoom newsletter. Comments most welcome. Marian Smith was an anthropologist who interviewed several elders of the Puyallup and Nisqually Tribes […]
The Historic Fort Steilacoom Association will host its annual meeting online at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15. There will be a brief business meeting where members will elect officers to the board of directors. Then the gathering will quickly move to the topic, “The historic significance of Fort Steilacoom and Fort Steilacoom Park.” The […]
The period during and after the pandemic mixed things up for volunteer organizations throughout Puget Sound and the nation. We have plenty of room for volunteers with a desire to get involved and to help the community. Here is a list of some volunteer opportunities with Fort Steilacoom: We seek help with our website. There are […]
From 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, you can experience a July Fourth weekend through activities at some of the oldest buildings in Washington. Living history re-enactors will host children’s activities and demonstrate aspects of pioneer life ranging from foods of the time to tinsmithing. This is a great chance to learn what […]
The following is based on an opinion column from our board president, Walter Neary, printed in the summer 2023 journal for HFSA members: This has been a historic year for Fort Steilacoom, as we make plans for a brighter future. I’m very proud of our current board for recognizing the truth of a famous quote: […]
The board president of Historic Fort Steilacoom recently authored a personal opinion column for The News Tribune. The original draft is reprinted here for convenience, and reflects Walter Neary’s personal opinion. Current ownership of Fort Steilacoom masks the early history of Washington Territory or Hospitals and museums are different things By Walter Neary When […]
Fort Steilacoom Museum in Lakewood is honored to focus on the history of women in the early creation of Washington Territory through a series of three videos found on our YouTube channel. The three videos illuminate the lives and activities of women who lived in Puget Sound in the 1840s, 1850s and 1860s. We hope […]
The Reenactor Swap Meet is back! This will be our first living history swap meet since the pandemic. Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 25, 2023. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fort Steilacoom will host a multi-vendor sale of living history supplies. The event is free to shoppers and open to all eras of […]
Like a lot of organizations, Fort Steilacoom was affected by the pandemic. We lost some volunteers, and we were not open to meet people to replace those volunteers. In order to continue our programs as before the pandemic – and even better – we’re recruiting for the following: We’re looking for a tour volunteer coordinator. We […]