Issaquah History Museums tackle tough times, convince public why history matters
January 8, 2013
The recent past for the Issaquah History Museums sounds almost like a hardscrabble chapter from local history.
Executive Director Erica Maniez, staffers and volunteers face a perennial challenge to convince the public why history matters and, more importantly in the short term, why the organization needs donations to continue operations, especially as nonprofit organizations dedicated to human services command the spotlight.
Time runs out for end-of-year donations to nonprofit organizations
December 31, 2012
NEW — 2 p.m. Dec. 31, 2012
The need is up nonprofit organizations, but as donors start to make out checks for year-end donations, local organizations sometimes struggle to stand out in a field crowded with requests for giving.
In King County, end-of-year charitable giving to nonprofit organizations is on the to-do list for many donors. The average person makes 24 percent of annual donations between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, according to research from the Center on Philanthropy.
Issaquah and the Puget Sound region maintain a long-held reputation for generosity to charitable causes. The key for nonprofit organizations to successfully solicit donations, local leaders said, is to highlight successes.
Donor agrees to match giving to Issaquah History Museums
December 18, 2012
The nonprofit Issaquah History Museums received a recent holiday surprise, after an anonymous donor agreed to match all donations to the organization’s annual fund through Dec. 28.
Donors can give to the museums at the organization’s website, www.issaquahhistory.org/donate#annualfund. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a donation is tax-deductible.
The nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving local history operates the Gilman Town Hall Museum and the Issaquah Depot Museum. Donations fund the museums’ mission, as government funding for the organization is limited.
“I hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to double your donation to the IHM,” Executive Director Erica Maniez wrote to community members. “Your help is deeply appreciated!”
Issaquah History Museums unveils oral history treasure trove
August 28, 2012
For decades, old cassette tapes sat squirreled away in the Issaquah History Museums’ expansive collection.
The cassettes, long relegated to gathering dust, contained oral histories from early residents and intimate details about a bygone era — Issaquah in the early 20th century, as a coal- and timber-fueled boom started to wane and decades before explosive growth transformed the area into subdivisions and shopping centers.
The cassettes in the oral history collection ranged in date from 1958 to 1993, but little information accompanied the tapes, so museum staffers and volunteers could only speculate about the contents.
Until now.
Issaquah Valley Trolley is back on track, poised to return
August 14, 2012
The historic Issaquah Valley Trolley Car No. 519 undergoes renovation at the Gomaco Trolley Co. facility in Ida Grove, Iowa. Contributed by Gomaco Trolley Co.
Quietly, after a decadeslong coal and timber boom fueled expansion, passenger rail service to Issaquah ceased 90 years ago.
Saloon stories recount mayhem, carnage and chaos
June 28, 2012
Patrons celebrate the opening of the Union Tavern. The building that housed the establishment was repurposed as a restaurant before it was demolished in 2000 to make room for the Issaquah Library. Contributed by Issaquah History Museums
Pistol duels. Free-for-all brawls. Bombings.
These are just a few standout bar stories that permeate Issaquah’s rich history and its favorite drinking establishments along the way.
Many of the early hotels — if not every hotel — in the area would have had a drinking establishment associated with the business as Issaquah became established as a municipality.
“They knew that whenever the miners did get home, they were going to want to get a beer, to get a drink they enjoyed,” said Issaquah History Museums Executive Director Erica Maniez. “It made sense to have them right there in the boarding house, or they could walk down the block and go to a saloon.”
Celebrate Independence Day in Issaquah with parade
June 26, 2012
Fireworks are banned in Issaquah and surrounding areas, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to celebrate Independence Day.
Issaquah hosts forum to focus on employment
June 12, 2012
Citizens can join state legislators and business leaders soon at a local forum to discuss the dearth of young adult employment in Washington.
The employment rate is only 43 percent for young adults age 16 to 24 in Washington — the ninth-lowest in the United States, according to government labor statistics. Community Forums Network is hosting forums and promoting a survey to collect feedback on how to fix the problem.
The local forum is hosted by the Issaquah Chamber of Commerce, Issaquah History Museums and Community Forums Network.
Who’s News
May 22, 2012
Issaquah History Museums director wins county award
The Association of King County Historical Organizations recently honored Erica Maniez for her long-term leadership of the Issaquah History Museums.
The association chose Maniez for its 2012 Willard Jue Memorial Award, citing her 12 years of work in locating and digitally cataloging items for the museums’ collections, capturing oral histories of longtime Issaquah residents, providing local schoolchildren with educational programs and tours, and writing two books about local history.
King County Councilman Larry Phillips presented the award to Maniez at a ceremony at the Museum of History & Industry in Seattle.
1940 Census data offers snapshot of Issaquah after Great Depression
May 8, 2012
1940 Census ledger from Issaquah
For historians around the world, including members of the Issaquah History Museums, April 2 was a big day.
Executive Director Erica Maniez had her own personal countdown going for that particular Monday, because after finally fulfilling the mandatory 72-year waiting period, records from the 1940 U.S. Census were released by the U.S. National Archives.
“It was interesting to see some of the old familiar families, and how the next generations down were living in their own households,” she said. “I’ve noticed quite a few people that I’ve known since I worked here who have since passed away, but I did know some people here that are still living.”
