History is Happening in Redmond!

The Redmond Recorder

October 2003 Vol. 5, No. 8
Redmond Historical Society
Our mission:
To discover, recover, preserve, share and celebrate Redmond’s history

16600 NE 80th St, Room 106, Redmond, WA, 98052 425-885-2919

www.redmondhistory.org [email protected]
Office hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 1-4pm

Oct. 11 speaker: Grande Dames of Redmond

Patrick Hirsch From left to right, Nokomis members Jennie Bryden, Diantha Janus, Rose Weiss, Janet
‘Redmond through the camera’ Hockenbery and Amo Marr were part of the Derby Days 2003 Grand Parade.

As the City’s official TV

journalist, Patrick Hirsch has
interviewed Redmond
personalities and filmed City
events. He’ll entertain us with
some historical highlights and
maybe even answer the
question: Who’s the hardest
City official to work with?

Oct. 11 meeting
2-3:30 pm
Cotterill Auditorium
Old Redmond Schoolhouse The Nokomis Club -- Redmond’s oldest, continuing group –
Community Center will be honored Oct. 18 with a plaque dedication at the Oct. 18 Dedication at
Redmond Library. The Nokomis ladies brought Redmond Redmond Library
its first library in 1927. 2.30 pm:
Sept. 13 speaker: Named after the grandmother of Henry Longfellow’s Dr. Lorraine
Eric Erickson Hiawatha, the Nokomis Club was formed in 1909. Now McConaghy’s lecture
the oldest women’s club in the state, its members first met in on early Redmond
homes to read and discuss books.
The Eastside’s foremost historian
on logging and railways, Eric 4 pm:
This first library was in a tiny building next to today’s
Erickson showed maps and images Half-Price Books on Leary Way. It opened with 800 titles, Plaque unveiled
of Lake Sammamish and the Ames most donated by locals and fraternal societies. In that first
Lake area when lumberjacks, trains year, the library was open some four hours a week and 95 cards were issued.
and mills were more common than
Starbuck stores! Included was the For the next 20 years members volunteered to act both as librarians and fully fund the
only known photo of the Lake library. When in 1933 a new location was needed, the club constructed a building on land
Sammamish Shingle Mill on donated by a member – this building is now the Redmond Chamber of Commerce.
Weber Point.
In 1947, the library became part of the King County Rural Library District and Mamie Orr
Eric will be presenting another was its first paid librarian. The club continued to provide funds for the building and
show Oct. 25, 12:30pm, at the maintenance until 1960. It was not until 1964 that the City of Redmond in partnership with
Sammamish Library. King County Library Service assumed complete responsibility for the library!

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 History is Happening in Redmond!

Society Business Will Redmond’s most famous artist

have a park to call home?
Volunteers needed: © By
Lawyer Lyn Fleury Lambert
Very occasional review of
documents/contracts.
Contact Miguel at 425 869- A local journalist lamented in print near the close of the 20th Century that nowhere on the
9806. bustling Eastside was there a place where one might journey for nostalgic or sentimental
reasons, no special spot where one could boost a sagging spirit or renew a sense of soul. A
Office staff reader responded, suggesting that indeed there was such a place, a little green jewel of a
Greet visitors, help with place, on Leary Way in Redmond, known by the uninspired moniker of “Slough House
small tasks as regular or Park.”
substitute. Call Judy Lang at
425 823-3551. In 1992 artist and centenarian Dudley Carter, adjudged by many to be the Eastside’s most
treasured artist, internationally known and loved, died, leaving behind a marvelous legacy at
Slough House Park. Dudley’s bequest included his art studio, fashioned in the manner of a
native Haida dwelling, and a group of monumental wood sculptures of the sort that brought
Web site: the sculptor to international prominence. But perhaps most importantly, Dudley Carter
bequeathed to us a sense of primordial spirit – a spirit noted by some to be a perfect antidote
Back issues of our
newsletter are online at
for obsession with corporate life and high technology. That spirit permeates the place where
www.redmondhistory.org
Dudley Carter lived and worked and died.
Would you like a guided
The woodsman cum artist, born in Canada in 1891, first excited the art world in 1932 when
the new Seattle Art Museum purchased his 11-foot axe-hewn cedar sculpture, “Rivalry of
tour of our Web site? Call
the office to set up an
the Winds.” (Now on display at the Redmond Library.) For the next 60 years he enjoyed a
appointment with Miguel.
highly prolific and profitable career as a monumental wood sculptor. Many of his works
continue to proclaim their Northwest-Coast-Native-inspired beauty throughout the Puget
Sound landscape. His “Legend of the Moon,” interpreting a myth important to the Coast
Membership Salish who long ago peopled this land we now call home, has greeted visitors to Redmond’s
Marymoor Park since 1978.
renewals:
In 1987, King County boldly appointed 96-year-old Dudley Carter their first “Artist-in-
Please don’t forget to renew
for 2003. We actually have
Residence” and gave the old master the key to the 1950s rambler located on property
fewer members so far this
purchased as part of the Sammamish Trail right-of-way. Until Dudley moved in, the home
year than last year, even
had been used off and on for art classes, yoga classes and the like. Prior to the county’s
with more people receiving
acquisition, the property belonged to a noted horticulturist and his family.
this newsletter than ever!
Use the form on the back
In the mid 1950s, Dudley Carter had built a home and studio on acreage he and his wife
page to renew or to join for
owned on the Bellevue-Redmond Road in the wilderness that is now Redmond. He lived
the first time.
and worked there for about 40 years. When in his 80s, Dudley sold the property, having
been told he could expect to remain there the rest of his life. That didn’t pan out, however,
and at the age of 94 he found himself without a home. That’s when Dudley Carter fans got
Library display: busy and successfully lobbied King County to establish him as Artist-in-Residence.
Check out the new display at
the Redmond Library, some Dudley fulfilled his role vigorously, welcoming the public from daybreak to dusk, seven
two dozen historical photos days a week. Thousands made the pilgrimage to Slough House Park … apprentice artists
are on the wall adjacent to came to advance their skill; collectors found treasures to enhance their homes and gardens;
the new snack area. As soon tourists ventured in to check out a man with a unique heritage and an art form unfamiliar to
as you walk in, it’s on your them; developers sought sculptured spirit for their projects; media people - writers,
Continued on Page 3
right-hand side.

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 History is Happening in Redmond!
Dudley Carter and Slough House Continued from page 2
Redmondiscing
photographers, painters, radio broadcasters, TV crews, film-makers came, recognizing in
Barbara (Armstrong) him a worthy subject; young children with their parents and teachers enjoyed his fanciful
Johnson, now living in creations and his stories of the ways of life that prompted those creations; elders came,
Coolidge, Ariz., wrote to hoping to comprehend how it can be possible “to be alive and well and working so
share memories ahead of a dynamically at one-hundred.” Dudley graciously welcomed all.
return visit. An excerpt:
After a brief illness the much revered artist died in his sleep in the Slough House residence,
The news letter is so great just a month short of his 101st birthday. Later, talented native Haida artist Ralph Bennett
and wonderful. There are so arrived on the scene, determined to do what he could to sustain the legacy of this white man
many names that bring back who helped preserve and advance the art and culture of Northwest Coast indigenous people.
so many memories for both With the approval of King County, Ralph moved into Slough House and picked up the
of us. mantle of Artist-in-Residence. Ralph, with an energetic group of supporters, went to work,
creating his own fine carvings, generously sharing the art, the stories, the culture of his
I lived in Redmond from people … and in so doing, maintained the little forested park as a delightful place for
1944 to 1963. Gene moved pilgrimage until 1998 when the county abruptly decided to close the premises.
to Redmond in 1947 from
Bellevue and he bought Meanwhile, admirers of Dudley A King County notice posted on Dudley’s Haida House warns
Redmond Repair Service Carter and his art were working squatters to stay away but that hadn’t stopped someone from
which he sold in June 1963. with corporate entities and with breaking in, throwing a mattress down and sleeping there.
We lived in the apartment in Leonard Garfield, then manager
the gas station for seven of King County’s Office of
years. Gene’s mom Adeline Cultural Resources to preserve
Johnson had ten acres of Dudley’s legacy. Garfield
ground in N.E. 100th and we prepared a proposal for a Dudley
had 5 acres of that and had C. Carter Northwest Arts and
our home up there. The Cultural Center at Slough House
home is still there plus a lot Park. Dudley’s Haida House
more homes. It belongs to studio and a renovated or
Bill and Lela Roberts … redesigned residence would
Jerry Hammersberg was accommodate a succession of
our mailman. Wonder if he artists-in-residence. A sculpture
remembers us. His wife went garden would showcase the
to school with my sister grouping of monumental Carter works acquired in 1995 by arts patron Marvin Boys. Other
Shirley Armstrong sculptures would join them as circumstances allowed.
Driskill, I believe. Pauline
Nichols is also my sister. With funding for parks hard to come by, King County Council declined to implement the
Diane Hollingsworth plan and a prime piece of spirit-filled property along with Dudley Carter’s unique Haida
Harder is my oldest friend style studio and four fine artworks sit there while Nature does what Nature does to take back
and we started school at to herself those wonderful woodworks. Thankfully, a number of Dudley Carter’s
Adams School, in Ballard, in irreplaceable works are preserved elsewhere, appropriately displayed in museums, libraries,
1938. We moved to schools and other public venues. Those at Slough House Park cry out for similar attention.
Redmond in 1944 and lived Is it too late to claim the legacy endowed to us by Dudley Carter? Have we lost the chance
with Diane’s folks for a to redeem a very special place for pilgrimage while we let government bureaucracies slowly
short time and through them grind their gears? Time will tell. Or will it take eternity?
we purchased the Peterson
place on Willows Road. Her Dudley Carter is the subject of a book in progress, “Remembering Dudley,” by H. Mary Sikkema and Lyn
first name was Helen and Fleury Lambert.
she was with the Redmond ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bike Derby for many years. Postscript: Since Lyn Lambert wrote this in April 2003, the City of Redmond has
Barbara Johnson negotiated with King County to take over Slough House Park and eventually return the
130 W. Martin Rd. area to public use. The City Parks Department will be seeking public input on potential
Coolidge, AZ 85228-9212 uses for the park, so stay tuned for developments!
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 Were you at our
History is Happening in Redmond! Sept. 13 meeting?
Thank yous! These folks were:
A heap of historical thanks to these great people for donating treasures, expertise,
Blair, Dusty Watts
time and energy to support our mission! Buckley, Roy
Call, Mardy
Tony Emanuel for salvaging, reframing and working on installing the Inglewood Campbell, Sally
service station sign that will hang in our office. Kudos too to Dale Potter for helping. Chatfield, Doug*
Cisneros, Nancy
Daly, Sharon
Larry Hoger for renewed help with scanning photos. Emmanuel, Betty
Emmanuel, Tony
Betty Gaudy, now of Cottonwood, Arizona, for donating Redmond artifacts during a Erickson, Eric
visit this summer. Frey, Stan
Garland, Lillian
Gilbert, Evelyn
Daphne Harold, the City employee who ensures our newsletters get out to the world! Goetschius, Millie
Goetschius, Russell
Betty Thompson for filling in as an office substitute. Gorlick, Audrey R.
Gossard, Clint
Guptill, Willow
Lillian Garland for accepting the challenge of helping to organize our office.
Hardy, Naomi
Hawkins, Carol
Jackie Perrigo Morris Norris for donating two Dorisjean Colvin prints. Himes, Chris
Jovag, Pat Weiss
Clara Hammersberg for a “Dewey for President” button, WWII tax tokens and a Joyce, Barbara Weiss
Joyce, Jim
Redmond National Bank book with a Harry’s Market receipt signed by Perky Johnson!
Keller, Lou
Lampaert, Glenn
Lampaert, Norma
Hitzroth History, Inc. Lampaert, Roy
Lang, Judy Aries
Llanos, Miguel
Magnuson, Cheryl
Mann, Dale
Mann, Diana
Mann, Marge
Marr, Clare (Amo)
Martin, Daryl
McCormick, Elma
McCoskrie, Ruthann
Mellquest, Gerry Radtke
Montgomery, Mary
Morris, Allison Reed
Munoz, Alexa
Norris, Jackie
Plackett, Holly
Robinson, Vivian
Salmi, Ann
Standley, Beryl
Stensland, Don
Sween, Faye
Underhill, Kristine
Former Marymoor Museum President Tom Hitzroth, right, led the first ever walking Usibelli, Helen
tour through historic Redmond. At Brad Best’s, formerly Redmond State Bank, a Watts, Don
bench and shade helped in the 90-degree heat! The Sept. 28 event was a test-run, with Watts, Wally*
participants invited from a cross-section of Redmond, but all will be able to go on Watts, Mrs. Wally*
Weiss, Rose
future tours. Watch this newsletter for announcements to sign up. Thanks Tom for
Wiese, Margaret Evers
helping share our heritage! *First-time attendees
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 History is Happening in Redmond!

History Mystery Photo

A white casket, center, and the hearse make clear it’s a funeral but any idea whose or whose home this is? Our history
chief Naomi Hardy suspects it’s on the Red Brick Road, which went in during 1912-13. The undated photo is from our
Sammamish Valley News collection. Send Naomi your thoughts, [email protected] or 425 883-3866.

Hobo Junction?
“Riding the Rails,” a 1973 book by Michael Mathers, includes this section on Old Schoolhouse
Redmond:
Mysteries, Update
“Another such place was Redmond, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. There were
fifteen or more shacks on the backside of a large hill covered with trees, vines and Time capsule?
underbrush. From the tracks nothing could be seen but dense woods. At the base of Rumor has it a time capsule was
the hill a path went into the foliage. It divided into a maze of others, each leading to once placed under or near the
a separate dwelling in a clearing. Some were one-room affairs, others two or three flagpole. If anyone has specifics
rooms with glass windows, but all were constructed from material found in the contact Miguel at 869-9806.
railroad yard and a dump nearby. A few places even had vegetable gardens. One
man inhabited each house – there was no communal life as in the Oroville jungle;
these men kept to themselves and were not at all friendly to outsiders. After visiting Tennis court photos?
several of them, I was asked to get out.” The courts are gone with the new
construction, but we’d love to
If anyone knows more about this, contact Miguel at 425 869-9806. have photos of when they were
in full swing! Call Miguel if you
Thanks to Dick Musgrove for alerting us!
have photos we can scan.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Can you guess the year? Answer on Page 6. Flagpole is moving:

Good news, not-so-good news
about the flagpole. It will be
saved, but it is being moved
about 30 feet to the west so that
the front of building can be all
grass and landscaping.

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 History is Happening in Redmond!
2003 Golden Reunion
? Stories, photos to share?

Or a Redmond history mystery that

needs to be solved? You can:
• Send items to our office via US
mail
, • E-mail [email protected]
• Call Miguel at 425 869-9806
---------------------------------------
Trivia Games
We’re selling the games produced
by Redmond High School students
for their marketing club.
The history trivia section contains
lots of facts that Naomi Hardy
contributed. Games are $20 and are
available at the Society office, open
Mondays through Thursdays 1-
4pm, except holidays.
--------------------------------------- Dozens of graduates from the Old Redmond Schoolhouse gathered Sept.
7 for their annual reunion. Here they listen as numbers are called out for
a scholarship raffle that had as grand prize a handmade quilt. The event
also dedicated the childhood memory paintings by Loana “Barney”
Redmond rent mystery answer
(from page 5):
1925 (East Side Journal) Johnson Reilly. More on that in our next issue.

Join the Redmond Historical Society

And help discover, recover, preserve, share and celebrate Redmond’s history!

Levels of Membership Make checks payable to:

(Check 1 only) Redmond Historical Society
‫ ٱ‬Trailblazer (Student)................ $ 5.00 Mail To:
‫ ٱ‬Pioneer (Individual).............. $ 20.00 Redmond Historical Society
‫ ٱ‬Homesteader (Family).......... $ 35.00 Attn: Membership
‫ ٱ‬Entrepreneur (Supporter).... $ 250.00 ORSCC, Room 106
‫ ٱ‬History Maker (Lifetime) $ 1,000.00 16600 NE 80th Street
All Contributions are Tax Deductible Redmond, WA 98052

Name__________________________________________________ Phone ______________________

(Please print your name exactly as you would like it to appear on your name tag for general meetings.)

Address _____________________________________________ City _______________________ St ________ Zip _________________

E-Mail Address ________________________________________ Birth Date (MM/DD/YYYY) __________________________________

If Family Membership, other names to be included: _______________________________________________________________________

If you would like a short, one-liner on your name tag (e.g. Charter Member, or Pioneers Since 1903), enter it below:

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