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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

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

Help us preserve and celebrate the history of the Rainier Valley. Be a part of our advocacy for local preservation. Become a Member With your support, we provide programs that explore diverse topics including cultural traditions, social activism, architectural history, and environmental stewardship. Your contributions also help us maintain our extensive digital and physical archives, many of which are housed at our Columbia City Office, ensuring public access to this valuable resource. Members enjoy these core benefits: Subscription to all RVHS publications. Presale access and reduced admission to tours, programs, lectures, and special events. Discounted image and document reproduction. 4 Hours of personalized research assistance. Together, we can preserve and celebrate the heritage of Rainier Valley!

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 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 David Eskenazi Board Member Founding Member Joan Neville Board Member Founding Member Ryan Wadleigh Board Member Archives Committee Chair Katie McClure Executive Director Alyssa Enders Consultant Archives & Preservation 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

Join RVHS for a variety of tours, lectures, and special events that showcase Rainier Valley's cultural heritage. Upcoming Events Multiple Dates Weekly Office Hours Fri, Nov 28 RVHS Office Stop by the RVHS office! Learn more Holiday Open House Sat, Dec 06 3806 S Ferdinand St, Seattle, WA 98118, USA Come by for hot cider and photos in the Chubby & Tubby Santa sleigh! Learn more Become a Member Get exclusive early access to events, enjoy discounted rates, and support the preservation of Rainier Valley! join rvhs

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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

Join our team of volunteers who help us process archives, develop programming, and host events. Volunteer Form RVHS has collected, preserved, and shared the stories of the Rainier Valley since 1891. Our volunteers are essential partners in this effort. First Name Last Name Email Availability 1 day a week 1 day a month Occasionally What are you interested in helping with? Archiving Events Office hours Special projects SUBMIT Thanks for your interest! We'll get back to you shortly.

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

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