Search Results

Walk through history with us! The Rainier Valley Historical Society is delighted to introduce a historic walking tour of the Columbia City Landmark District. Walk through history with us The Rainier Valley Historical Society is delighted to introduce a historic walking tour of the Columbia City Landmark District. This immersive experience guides participants through 26 significant sites within the district, providing captivating insights through historical photos and detailed information about each location. To enhance your exploration, utilize the interactive digital map provided below for seamless navigation. Alternatively, you may download and print a copy of the map for your convenience. printable map digital map

To collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the history and heritage of Rainier Valley and its community and to educate and promote public involvement in, and appreciation of, its history and culture. Our Mission To collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret the history and heritage of Rainier Valley and its community and to educate and promote public involvement in, and appreciation of, its history and culture. Our Goals 01. Research, document, and preserve the history of Rainier Valley. 03. Develop knowledge and understanding of the multi-ethnic history of the area. 02. Foster pride in Rainier Valley’s unique heritage. 04. Maintain and add to our permanent archive of oral histories, photographs, documents, and artifacts relating to the Rainier Valley. Land Acknowledgement: Rainier Valley Historical Society acknowledges the land our mission statement refers to as Rainier Valley is the original home of the Duwamish and Coast Salish peoples. We recognize the reverberations of colonialism past and present and the painful history of forced removal of these groups. Through this acknowledgment, we hope to honor and respect the Indigenous peoples who were, and still are connected to and are stewards of this land. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement Rainier Valley Historical Society is dedicated to sharing the stories and histories of the many types of community that make the larger Rainier Valley community a place of diversity and differences. Become a Member Help us preserve and celebrate the history of the Rainier Valley. Be a part of our advocacy for local preservation. get involved

Visit us during office hours on Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm or schedule an appointment. Visit Us Visit us during office hours on Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm or schedule an appointment. Address 3710 S Ferdinand St Seattle, WA 98118 Contact (206) 723-1663 office@rainiervalleyhistory.org

Meet our Board of Directors, Staff, and Volunteers who help run Rainier Valley Historical Society. Our Team Rainier Valley Historical Society is guided by our dedicated Board of Directors. Our board members are volunteers who bring expertise in finance, non-profit management, and historic preservation to our organization. They are passionately committed to advancing RVHS's mission and engaging others in the importance of preservation efforts. Karen O'Brien President Archives Committee Chair Mary Charles Vice President Fundraising Committee Chair John DeFranco Treasurer Jody Zumwalt Secretary Fundraising Committee Teresa Anderson Board Member Archives Committee Tim Burdick Board Member Facilities Chair Rebecca Corpuz Board Member Outreach Committee Chair Laura Day Board Member Nancy Dulaney Board Member Archives Committee David Eskenazi Board Member Joan Neville Board Member Founding Member Ryan Wadleigh Board Member Archives Committee Katie McClure Contractor Programs & Marketing Alyssa Enders Consultant Archives & Preservation Grover Haynes Emeritus Board Member Get Involved Passionate about preserving history and making a difference in your community? Join our dedicated team of volunteers! Fill out our volunteer interest form to get connected. Join the Team

Explore a curated compilation of articles penned by RVHS founder, Buzz Anderson, for the South District Journal. Days Gone By Explore a curated compilation of articles penned by RVHS founder, Buzz Anderson, for the South District Journal. 1 2 3

We can’t find the page you’re looking for This page doesn’t exist. Go to Home and keep exploring. Go to Home

We are interested in expanding our collection of photographs, artifacts, and documents. Please let us know if you have items you would be interested in donating. Grow Our Collection We are interested in expanding our collection of photographs, artifacts, and documents. Please let us know if you have items you would be interested in donating. All donation offers must be reviewed by our Collections Committee which meets monthly. While we are grateful for all offers, our Collections Policy requires that items accessioned into the collection have relevance to the history of the Rainier Valley. Cur rent priorities for collecting include: Items that reflect the wider Rainier Valley community, beyond Columbia City. Items that reflect cultural diversity and the post WWII era. If you'd like to discuss a collections donation, please email the collections committee at office@rainiervalleyhistory.org get in touch

Rainier Valley Historical Society has photographs of many historic homes and buildings in the Rainier Valley, particularly in and around Columbia City. We also have information about the general history of the neighborhood, which may also be helpful to you. Research Your House The Rainier Valley Historical Society has photographs of many historic homes and buildings in the Rainier Valley, particularly in and around Columbia City. We also have information about the general history of the neighborhood, which may also be helpful to you. Another place to look for historic photographs of your house is the Puget Sound Regional Archives , located at Bellevue Community College. Look under "King County Property Records," find your tax parcel # (it's all right there on the site), and e-mail or call them to see what they've got. They should have a photo of the house from 1937 (a county-wide photo survey was done that year by the WPA), plus information about when the house was built, etc. The archivists there can point you to more resources if you want to keep going. The Seattle Polk Directories are also helpful. A complete set of these directories — essentially the phone book, but they go back way before phones — is available at the Seattle Public Library's downtown site, and at the Seattle Municipal Archives . Many of these volumes also have reverse directories, so you can look up an address and find out what was there in any given year. The Seattle Municipal Archives also has a searchable online database of photographs, but they tend to focus on engineering projects and not residential buildings. If you are interested in restoring your old house, Historic Seattle has wonderful resources for researching architectural history and finding historically accurate building supplies and fixtures. List of Resources Puget Sound Regional Archives Seattle Public Library Seattle Municipal Archives Historic Seattle Need help with your project? RVHS is here to help! Schedule an appointment with our collections team or email your questions to office@rainiervalleyhistory.org . contact us

Articles Filter by tag: Columbia City Activism Street Cars Food Stories Mount Baker Schools Timber & Mills Garlic Gulch Women's Voices Baseball Hillman City Lakewood Books Events Rainier Beach Franklin High School Religion Special Programs Beacon Hill History Maker Awards Seward Park Filter by category: All Posts Days Gone By Oral Histories Dismantling Racism Series Articles Photo Essays Articles Riding the Number 7: Celebrating Rainier Valley's Heritage and Community "Riding the Number 7" stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of community, resilience, and dedication that defines Rainier Valley. The Articles Southeast Seattle ZIP Code 98118: Neighborhood of Nations It's been said that the 98118 ZIP code in Southeast Seattle is the most diverse in the United States. Articles Unveiling of the Hillman City Heritage Bell Join us at the Hillman City Block Party for the official unveiling of the Hillman City Heritage Bell - Hillman City’s new landmark! Articles Meet Cathy Fields - The Artist Behind the Hillman City Heritage Bell Meet Cathy Fields and read her artist statement for Hillman City's newest landmark, the Hillman City Heritage Bell. Articles Ghosts on the Ceiling I was born on March 30, 1947 in Rochester New, York. I came to live in my grandmother’s house, where my dad and uncle grew up. The house... Articles Lake Washington Regatta at Seward Park - 1947 Rowing is the oldest intercollegiate sport in the U.S. that began with a race between Yale and Harvard Universities in 1852. Years later,... Articles Row, Row, Row Your Boat ... Rainier Valley’s Connection to the 1936 Olympic Gold Medal Reading the captivating and best selling book Boys in the Boat, inspired us to... Photo Essays Columbia Branch History - Seattle Public Libraries Step back in time with us as we dive into the history of the Columbia Branch Library. In June 1909, the Seattle Public Library... Articles The Real Boys In The Boat - RVHS 133rd Annual Meeting Presenting: "The Real Boys in the Boat" - A Daughter Remembers Join us and Judy Rantz Willman, daughter of University of Washington crew... Articles What am I going to do with these plums? Garlic Gulch Legacy by Mikala Woodward, Excerpted from Rainier Valley Food Stories Cookbook Many Italian families – like many other... Articles Garlic Gulch Under the Microscope The Rainier Valley’s Italian community has long been a focus of interest and curiosity. In 1915 sociology graduate student Nellie Roe... Articles All’s Fair in Love and War Excerpted from Rainier Valley Food Stories Cookbook The greatest love stories all feature a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, overcome... Articles Ark Lodge Building: Home of Columbia City's Fraternal Past In this 1937 photograph we see the east side of Rainier Avenue’s 4800 block, with the ornate Ark Lodge building occupying center stage.... Articles Bombers Over the Rainier Valley? World War Two Defenses These pictures arrived in our office last week, sent by Mr. Vern Farrow. They may not seem all that spectacular at first glance, but they... Articles The Midwife and the Oysterman We are grateful to a student researcher, L.S., for bringing the Dixon family to our attention. We have gleaned much from archival... Articles Meet our 2023 History Makers This year’s return to the annual RVHS Founder’s Dinner and Auction was one of the best! We gathered on October 14th to honor founder Buzz... Oral Histories Jimi Hendrix at Sick's Stadium " On the afternoon of July 26, 1970, Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970) headlines a concert at Seattle's venerable outdoor ballpark, Sicks'... Articles 37th Avenue, 1908: What’s Left? This 1908 photo of Columbia City was taken looking north along 37th Avenue from Dawson Street at the foot of Hitt’s Hill. It is a... Dismantling Racism Series Dismantling Racism: October 27, 2020 Presentation Watch a presentation on voting rights, voter suppression, and disenfranchisement that results from institutional racism and racist... Oral Histories Eugene Coleman: Oral History Abstract: Mr.Coleman discusses buying a house and growing up in Rainier Valley, working in an Alaskan cannery and leisure time activities... 1 2 3 4 5

Sun, Sep 15 | Wix Office MY EVENT This is a great place to get your guests excited by telling them a little more about this event. RSVP Time & Location Sep 15, 2024, 6:00 PM – Sep 16, 2024, 9:00 PM Wix Office, 500 Terry Francois Street, San Francisco, CA 94158 About the event Use this space to tell guests more about this event, e.g., event schedule, speakers, important info & more. To customize this text head to Manage Event > Event Details. This is a paragraph about your event. You can tell guests about the event history, background, types of participants and more. This is a great place to give guests plenty of additional information to get them excited to register. To customize this text head to Manage Event > Event Details. This is a paragraph about your event. You can tell guests about the event history, background, types of participants and more. This is a great place to give guests plenty of additional information to get them excited to register. To customize this text head to Manage Event > Event Details. Show More RSVP Share this event

No events at the moment