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Join the Historic Fort Steilacoom Association today to support, learn, and watch Fort Steilacoom grow!
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Location
Historic Fort Steilacoom
9601 Steilacoom Blvd SW
Lakewood WA 98498
For email or mailing address: Contact Us
Seeking vendors: Swap Meet for reenactors and other people who love history is Saturday, March 25, 2023
/in News/by fortsteilacoomWe’re looking for volunteers! Engage Puget Sound history in a fun way
/in News/by fortsteilacoomLike 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 offer tours on the first Sunday of the month. We need someone to email volunteers to remind them they’ve signed up, and thank them afterward. This role requires no knowledge of history.
We’re looking for a history story editor. Every year, we assemble six to eight stories about Pacific Northwest history for the newsletter we showed you above. We need someone to chase down leads and help writers decide when they should submit their stories and photos. You don’t have to edit the stories.
We’re looking for a monthly talks coordinator. In past years, we’ve welcomed guest speakers. You can see examples in this YouTube video about the wives of the officer who supervised construction of our buildings. . Or you can see another example in this video that talks about a little-known subject, Slavery in Washington Territory. Are you curious about topics? Do you like books about Pacific Northwest history? We’d love to talk to you.
Think of the roles above as air traffic controllers: One for volunteers, one for stories, one for authors (or other Pacific Northwest speakers). With no aircraft or airports involved! No TSA! You just get to help tell the story of Pacific Northwest history.
Interested? Email us.
Affordable holiday event for families on Dec. 10: Christmas at Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood
/in News/by fortsteilacoomJoin us at Fort Steilacoom Museum in Lakewood from 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, as living historians re-enact the Christmas of 1857 as the holiday season might have been celebrated in these buildings 165 years ago.
Re-enactors will gather in candlelight to talk, sing, dance and dine as our predecessors did in the first U.S. military post in Puget Sound. Visitors from 2022 will walk past and witness scenes as if the visitors are spirits from the future.
The year 1857 is remembered as a time of turbulence in Washington Territory and part of the lead-up to the U.S. Civil War. Many Fort Steilacoom soldiers would go on to serve in that war. However, Christmas at Fort Steilacoom in 1857 was a period of celebration and enjoyment as men, women and children hosted and participated in social gatherings, exchanged gifts and communed with others.
Tickets are $7 for an adult and $5 for youth. A family of up to two adults and four youth pays $12. Because this event is a fundraiser to support maintenance of the aging buildings, discounts are not offered.
The last tour group will leave at 6:30 p.m. Because of space limitations, tickets should be purchased in advance through Eventbrite. Tickets may be purchased at the door, but availability is not guaranteed. This event will almost certainly sell out. You can check the Fort’s Facebook page to learn if the event is sold out.
Fort Steilacoom, the first U.S. Army post to be located in Puget Sound, is on the grounds of Western State Hospital at 9601 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, 98498. Be sure to use that street address to find the fort.
Please allow extra time to find the fort. GPS and map software often direct people to Fort Steilacoom Park, but that is not where the park is located. The fort is across the street. To reach the historic Fort, be sure to type in the street address, turn right after entering Western State, and then look for the cannon shelter and lights.
About Fort Steilacoom
Historic Fort Steilacoom Association is a non-profit organization managed entirely by volunteers. There are no paid staff. No tax dollars support routine maintenance. Members of the association support the fort through donations and receive a newsletter three times a year about Pacific Northwest history. Marketing outreach is supported by a grant from the City of Lakewood’s lodging tax fund.
Fort Steilacoom occupies an important position in the U.S. settlement of Washington Territory. Beginning with its opening in 1849 and ending with its closure in 1868, Fort Steilacoom served as a beacon of American power and promise, promoting the migration of U.S. settlers to Washington and securing American interests in the region. The buildings went on to become the first incarnation of Western State Hospital.
The Fort acknowledges the complex history of the Fort and its role in the colonization of the area. The fort community is actively working to incorporate the diverse perspectives and experiences of all individuals and communities who interacted with the Fort.
For more information, visit https://historicfortsteilacoom.org.