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Historic Fort Steilacoom
9601 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood WA 98498
For email or mailing address: Contact Us
Jan. 19 online program: The ‘Discovery’ of the Salish Sea Many Times Over: Pawn in a Global Chess Match
/in News/by fortsteilacoomThe future Washington state was settled, discovered and claimed by a host of peoples and countries for various reasons. The Pacific Northwest is often viewed as being on “the far side of the world” — but it was really the center in some ways, since it was “discovered” by countries from both sides. Some narratives forgot the fact that the lands those flag wavers claimed for their crowns already had residents who called it home, and they were doing just fine without visitors from the seas who brought disease and other effects of colonialism.
Speaker Steve Dunkelberger will discuss the weaving of facts and lore that create the narratives heard today.
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/soIbYY5JSmu6ch5FiTIRWA
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Steve is a co-founder of the Lakewood Historical Society and an advisory board member of Fort Steilacoom Museum. He co-authored two books on Lakewood and one on McNeil Island and is working on a book about Fort Steilacoom with Walter Neary.
Steve is also the founder and host of Steve’s Drunk/Local History in bars and retirement communities around Lakewood and Tacoma as well as a historical writer for SouthSoundTalk.com. He has been featured on podcasts and television shows, including Grit City Podcast, Rainy Day Rabbit Hole, Discovery Channel’s The Dead Files, and PBS and CSPAN segments on Tacoma and Pierce County.
He is an instructor at Pierce College- Military Programs and Tacoma Public Schools.
Historic Fort Steilacoom exists on the traditional lands of the Coast Salish Peoples whose ancestors resided here since time immemorial and have stewarded this land throughout the generations. Our association acknowledges the complex history of the Fort and its role in the colonization of the area. We are actively working to incorporate the diverse perspectives and experiences of all individuals and communities who interacted with the Fort.
This is one in a series of talks in commemoration of the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fort Steilacoom. More info at https://historicfortsteilacoom.org/events/
Experience an 1861 Christmas at Historic Fort Steilacoom on Dec. 14
/in News/by fortsteilacoomStep back in time and experience Christmas as it was celebrated in 1861! Join Historic Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, from 4:30 to 8 p.m., as living historians bring the holiday season to life in the same buildings where it was celebrated 163 years ago.
Visitors will walk through candlelit scenes of re-enactors singing, dancing, dining, and exchanging gifts, just as the residents of Fort Steilacoom might have done in the first U.S. military post in Puget Sound. Visitors from 2024 will walk past and witness scenes as if the visitors are silent time travelers.
Though 1861 marked the beginning of the U.S. Civil War, Christmas at Fort Steilacoom was a time of celebration and social gathering, where soldiers, families, and friends came together in a festive spirit.
Ticket Information
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth. A family of up to two adults and four youth pays $12. Proceeds support the maintenance of Fort Steilacoom’s historic buildings. Tickets are available in advance through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/christmas-at-historic-fort-steilacoom-1861-in-2024-tickets-1086615178249?aff=oddtdtcreator
This popular event often sells out, so advance purchase is highly recommended. You can check the Fort Steilacoom Facebook page for updates about tickets.
The final tour group departs at 7:10 p.m.
Fort Steilacoom is on the grounds of Western State Hospital, located at 9601 Steilacoom Blvd. SW, Lakewood, WA 98498. Be sure to use this address to locate the fort, as GPS may direct you to nearby Fort Steilacoom Park. After entering Western State, turn right, and look for the cannon shelter and lights. Tours start at the building furthest right of the four.
About Fort Steilacoom
Fort Steilacoom was the first U.S. Army post in Puget Sound, operating from 1849 to 1868. Now managed entirely by volunteers, it holds an essential place in the settlement and early history of Washington Territory. The Historic Fort Steilacoom Association is dedicated to preserving this heritage, acknowledging the complex history of the Fort, and including diverse perspectives in its storytelling.
Learn more at www.historicfortsteilacoom.org.
Two November talks share about local history
/in News/by fortsteilacoomHere are two opportunities to learn a lot about Lakewood’s early history as part of the United States. One is online, and one is in person. They cover a big part of our community’s history as the first US military presence in all of Puget Sound.
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17: Learn about the military units that served at the first US Army post in Puget Sound
Military historian and longtime fort volunteer Alan Archambault presents the next in the fort’s series of talks commemorating the 175th anniversary of the fort’s founding. Alan has worked in the museum field for over 40 years and was director of the Fort Lewis Museum for 21 of those years.
Alan will share on Zoom about the various units that served at Fort Steilacoom and discuss the roles they played in the fort’s history from 1849 and during and after the US Civil War. If you geek out on military history, or are interested in the Army in early Washington Territory, this talk is for you.
The talk will be 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. THIS TALK IS ONLINE. DO NOT GO TO THE FORT BUILDINGS. THE TALK IS ON ZOOM: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86750216666?pwd=GUjpa1DmqqJ5yv57dEakR1QIpKNLIJ.1
We’re presenting this on Zoom so we can share information with neighbors and also people outside of driving distance. So please share this program with anyone who has an interest in US military history.
If you’d rather join by phone: 253-215-8782. The Meeting ID: 867 5021 6666. Passcode: 866532.
The history of Fort Steilacoom’s history: 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, talk in the Spanish Ballroom, McMenamins
Past museum board president Walter Neary will take the stage 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20, in downtown Tacoma as part of the McMenamins’ monthly History Pub series. The topic: Why Fort Steilacoom Disappeared Between 1868 and 1978. Learn more about the talk and get ticket information on the McMenamins web page.
Fort Steilacoom Museum opened in the 1980s to restore and preserve the historic site. However, more than 40 years later, many people have never heard of Fort Steilacoom except that it’s the name of a park and campus. Across the nation, many museums commemorate the US Army while now dedicating resources to trying to tell the challenging history of westward expansion. But Fort Steilacoom was not even listed on a Wikipedia page of forts until June of this year.
Walter will talk about the fort, sure, but also how history gets rewritten and often misremembered or forgotten — using Fort Steilacoom as one example.
All ages welcome. Tickets are $7 in advance or at the door. Get ticketing information here.