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WELCOME TO RAINIER VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Learn More 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. Featured Articles See more articles Our Archives Learn more about our archives Articles & Publications Photographs Newsletters Oral Histories Become a Member Help us preserve and celebrate the history of the Rainier Valley. Be a part of our advocacy for local preservation. support

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

Newsletters The Rainier Valley Heritage News is a semi-annual publication established in 1993. This newsletter serves as a rich chronicle of historical narratives and community insights, dedicated to preserving the heritage of Rainier Valley. Spring 2024 Fall 2023 Spring 2023 Rainier Valley Roots: The School Garden Movement Fall 2022 The Dunlaps on Lake Washington Spring 2022 Fall 2021 V is for Veterans Spring 2021 Ron Chew's Unforgotten Seattle Fall 2020 Women in isolation at Rainier Beach Crittenton Home Spring 2020 Fall 2019 Spring 2019 From Wilderness to Park Fall 2018 Spring 2018 History of Mt. Baker Fall 2017 40 Years of Cuts, Shaves & Shines! Spring 2017 A Horse, A Cow, Chickens, and Turkeys, Oh My! Fall 2016 Lakewood Pioneer Family Member Honored As Hero Spring 2016 Celebrate RVHS at our annual meeting for members and friends! Fall 2015 Columbia Electric Bakery - From Spark to Flame Spring 2015 The Newspaper Project Fall 2014 Newspaper Project Spring 2014 Remembering the ‘70s Fall 2013 A Lot of Pie at Seattle Summer Streets and Rainier Valley Heritage Parade Spring 2013 Celebrate our 20 year anniversary Fall 2012 Spring 2012 Load More

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Photo Essays The Rainier Valley Historical Society has curated captivating photo essays that illustrate the rich heritage and evolution of our culturally diverse neighborhood. Katie Mcclure 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... Eleanor Boba Play Ball! A Brief History of Baseball in the Rainier Valley This photo essay was created by Eleanor Boba Early Beginnings In the beginning, baseball was everywhere. Nowadays when we think about...

Rainier Valley Historical Society's roots go back to 1891, when the families who bought the first lots in Columbia City gathered to celebrate the founding of their community. The "Columbia Pioneers" continued to meet every April for 100 years. During that time they gathered an extensive collection of photographs documenting the early years of Columbia City and Rainier Valley. In 1993 the group reorganized and became Rainier Valley Historical Society. RVHS inherited the mantle of the Columbia Pioneers, along with their collection of historic photographs, documents, and artifacts. RVHS has continued to expand their archives, which now includes more than 30,000 photographs, documents, artifacts, and oral histories. Through projects such as Dismantling Racism Series, Images of America: Rainier Valley, Rainier Valley Food Stories, Looking Into Courtland Place, Double Exposures, Hidden Stream of Columbia City, Hillman City Time Capsule, and Honored to Serve, we have involved Rainier Valley neighbors in gathering and sharing more stories about our community's unique history. Learn more about The Rainier Valley See more articles Meet Our 2024 History Maker: Dr. Dorothy Laigo Cordova Riding the Number 7: Celebrating Rainier Valley's Heritage and Community Southeast Seattle ZIP Code 98118: Neighborhood of Nations Unveiling of the Hillman City Heritage Bell 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

Oral Histories We have serval dozen oral histories in our collection. A portion of our catalog are available on our YouTube Channel. The full catalog is available to researchers by appointment. explore our library RVHS Video Play Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Now Playing 01:43:42 Play Video Oral History Alice Yasutake Now Playing 23:43 Play Video RVHS 131st Annual Meeting, 2022 Program: 1995 Heritage Day Slideshow Now Playing 39:55 Play Video Oral History Series: Lavenia Natuna Submit Your Oral History Share your story with us! RVHS welcomes submissions of oral histories from individuals interested in preserving their experiences for future generations. To contribute to our library, fill out our contact form, and we'll reach out to you. contact us

Days Gone By Explore a curated compilation of articles penned by RVHS founder, Buzz Anderson, for the South District Journal. Buzz Anderson Mystery Building Identified: It’s Lakewood School The one room Lakewood Grade School located at 48th Ave S and Snoqualmie Street taught only 1st and 2nd graders from 1916 to 1927. RVHS... Buzz Anderson Columbia Hotel: “All You Can Eat For 25 Cents” It was a Sunday in 1906 and the Columbia Hotel’s elegant dining room, with white linen tablecloths and floral centerpieces, was featuring... Buzz Anderson Columbia City's First Pool Hall RVHS photo 1993.001.0032 There is a question as to the date this photograph was taken. Written on the back of this original photo we... Buzz Anderson Frigidaire Week at Grayson & Brown This is one of my favorite photos and I have it pinned on the wall in my home office. It is a nostalgic reminder to me of our family... Buzz Anderson Columbia Theater in the '30s This photo was taken looking northeast from the intersection of Rainier Avenue and Hudson Street. The Columbia Theater was a popular... Buzz Anderson An Interview with Dr. Bill Hutchinson Dr. Bill Hutchinson was a superb surgeon at Swedish Hospital for 40 years. He was touched by the cancer patients he treated, so he... Buzz Anderson Seward Park Peninsula This is a brief history of the Seward Park Peninsula or Bailey Peninsula as it is sometimes called. This illustrated map and article are... Buzz Anderson The Columbia Laundry This photo was taken in 1911, four years after Columbia City and Rainier Valley were annexed by the city of Seattle. The building was... Buzz Anderson Hausler Grocery Part 2 of 2: New Building at Rose Street This is the second of two articles about the Hausler family grocery store. The first article told about their move to Seattle from New... Buzz Anderson Hausler Grocery Part 1 of 2: Grocery Business for Sale - $100 Mr. and Mrs. Hausler bought the inventory and the lease on this building for $100 they didn’t have. He got the money however, by pawning... Buzz Anderson Lakewood Landing: 1902 This is a photo of the Steamer L.T. HAAS about to dock at the Lakewood Boat Landing supposedly located on Lake Washington at the foot of... Buzz Anderson Mr. Hipkins and His Maintenance Car ‘Pa Hip’ was the key man on the streetcar line. This is the shop-built locomotive used as a repair car for maintenance work on the... Buzz Anderson Columbia City’s Favorite Barbers - Circa 1908 The earliest reference we have regarding Columbia City’s barbers, Gardner and LaPorte, is 1907. Their partnership was listed in Carey... Buzz Anderson Street Car #21 There is some question as to the correct number of the streetcar shown in this photo from the archives of our Rainier Valley Historical... Mary Ann Balch Streetcar Mystery Historical Photo Leaves All To Imagination. What were those well-dressed folks doing on that day so long ago? As we enter the new... Buzz Anderson Rainier Valley Investment Co. RVHS Photo 1993.001.0012 This 1908 photo shows the office of the Rainier Valley Investment Co. at 4870 Rainier Avenue. The office was... Buzz Anderson Meet You By The Big Rock The “Big Rock” at 48th Ave. S and S. Ferdinand St. was once the meeting place of Valley Residents. This Photo of the Big Rock, with an... Buzz Anderson Simeon T. Toby's Bank Building RVHS Photo 1993.001.0006 This photo of the Toby building was taken about 1930. It was built by Simeon T. Toby in 1903, on the Southeast... Buzz Anderson Heater Glove Company Columbia City has had its share of manufacturing companies over the years. One of the more noteworthy was the Heater Glove Company,... Buzz Anderson The Genesee Dinky What put the car in the ditch? This photo depicts the Genesee Streetcar on a day when it was not going anywhere, at least not for a... 1 2 3

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. Together, we can preserve and celebrate the heritage of Rainier Valley for generations to come. Join us 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. Exclusive invites for hands-on participation in local research projects. Membership Levels Scholars & Seniors $20 Core membership benefits with valid ID ​ Individual $30 Core membership benefits ​ Household $30 All core membership benefits for 2 adults and dependents up to 18 years in age ​ Patron $100 All core membership benefits And a copy of the book Rainier Valley Food Stories Cookbook ​ History Maker $350 All core membership benefits + benefits of Patron level And 4 Hours of personalized research assistance Lifetime $500 A one-time payment to gain access to all core membership benefits for life ​ ​ Join us

Our Archives & Collections The Rainier Valley Historical Society maintains an ever-growing archive of historic photographs, documents, maps, oral histories, and artifacts. The collection - along with a library of books and other research materials relating to the Rainier Valley - is available to the public during office hours or by appointment and on our online databases. Researchers are encouraged to contact the RVHS to discuss their requests in advance by emailing office@rainiervalleyhistory.org . Contact Our Team Collections Committee In 2009 the RVHS Board adopted a new Collections Policy that outlines our commitment to collect and preserved the historical materials in our care. The new policy establishes a Collections Committee that will oversee accessions, cataloging, and preservation efforts. Collections Scope The collection focuses on the history of the Rainier Valley from 1850 to the present day. Our geographic boundaries are from Dearborn Street on the north to the city limits on the south, and from I5 freeway to Lake Washington. Our collection has historically centered on the Columbia City and the period from 1890-1940, but we are working to expand the collection to include a broader geographic range, materials from WWII and the post war period, and from many ethnic and cultural communities to present the Rainier Valley today. Explore Our Archives Articles & Publications Photographs Newsletters Oral Histories

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

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