Posts by History Department

Hello from the History Department – At Tacoma’s Elks Temple, there is a guest room named for John Reed (left) and Kenny Olsen (right), longtime friends who became leaders within Tacoma’s gay community. They were instrumental in the establishment of the Imperial Sovereign Court, an organization that endeavors to create a safe, supportive, and social…

Hello from the History Department – “Can you find the skull in the clouds?” We’ve been putting that slightly off-putting question to West Linn pub guests coming up on 28 years now, since the pub opened in 1992. It encourages people to immerse themselves in former McMenamins artist Scott Young’s all-encompassing 40-foot mural, inspired by…

Hello from the History Department – In the early 1970s, scholar and Longview, WA, resident Judith Irwin (1924–2010) helped record the Cowlitz history. At the time of her passing, she was one of only two non-Cowlitz Indians to be named an honorary member of the tribe. This piece was excerpted from Irwin’s article, “The Dispossessed:…

Hello from the History Department. We gathered a lot of fantastic stories from and about the people who joined and worked at Tacoma’s Elks Lodge – this tale is one of them. ***** What is known for certain about the life of Walter Sutter is that he was a popular and very involved member of…

Hello from the History Department. We are fortunate here with McMenamins to be able to juxtapose history with all that we do – from the beer to the art, to the music and food and beyond, we bring interesting historical connections to light. Or, in this case, to flight. Yet also in this case, lack…

Think you’re a McMenamins history buff? Identify the five properties associated with these images. Property #1 Hint: This was taken in 1985. Property #2 Hint: Bring your own chalk. Property #3 Hint: It’s the first spot we built from the ground up. Property #4 Hint: “Everything’s great ‘til you tow a judge’s car.” Property #5…

This week, we scroll all the way back to a photo contest we held back in 2014. Can you name each McMenamins location shown? Property #1   Property #2 Property #3 Property #4 Property #5               Answers: FULTON PUB (Portland, OR) — see how little the interior structure has…

Hello from the History Department. Happy holidays, one and all! Here’s a good one from the archives, originally sent out five years ago. ***** Kathleen Eloise Rockwell (a.k.a. Klondike Kate, a.k.a. Kate Rockwell Warner Matson Van Duren, a.k.a. Aunt Kate) was born in Kansas in the early 1870s. The family moved to Spokane, WA, where…

Hello from the History Department. On the banks of the Columbia River, just north of where our Kalama Harbor Lodge stands today, there was once a huge and prosperous fish packaging plant called the Doty Fish Company. Founded in 1895, it was one of the enterprises that first brought the world a taste of the…

Hello from the History Department. First, some news – we’re excited to announce the addition of another History Pub to our repertoire. Beginning January 29, 2020 (and continuing every last Wednesday of the month), the Compass Room at the Grand Lodge will be the latest venue to host one of our free, monthly history programs.…