Kitsap History Museum

10/03/2026

**Legends of the Roundtable**
The Kitsap History Museum and Kitsap Athletic Roundtable continue to celebrate Legends from the Roundtable in our series highlighting inductees to the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame.

We commemorate one of the Roundtable’s own legends, Harland Beery, a sportswriter for the Yakima Herald-Republic, Seattle Times, Everett Herald and from 1977 to 1992 assistant sports editor at the Kitsap Sun. While at the Everett Herald, he co-founded the semi-pro baseball Western International League and went on to serve as commissioner of the newly formed Northern Pacific NCAA Division I Baseball League and the Casey Stengel Amateur Baseball Association, which included the Kitsap Outsiders that played at the former Roosevelt Field in Bremerton.

As if he weren’t busy enough, Harland started his own company, Baseball Unlimited, selling baseball equipment throughout the Pacific Northwest. He also had a stint as owner and manager of the Bremerton Cruisers semi-pro baseball team in the early 1980s.

Born in Yakima where he played baseball at Yakima High School and then at Seattle Pacific University, he eventually settled down in Silverdale. Not only a much-loved local sportswriter, he was secretary of the Seattle Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. Another highlight of his expansive life was serving as the first official scorer of the Seattle Mariners when the team first played at the Kingdome in 1977, a position he held for many years. He also put together the first Seattle Sonics pre-season exhibition game that led to him jumping in as the team’s play-by-play man.

He was induced into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in 1993. Harland passed away at age 84 in 2016.

Check out our History UnCorked program with Chuck Stark and Noah Garguile from Kitsap Athletic Roundtable that took place May 28 at https://youtu.be/x7RiDN-H1v0at .

Learn about the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable and check out the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame inductees at kitsapathleticroundtable.org .

09/28/2026

What stories have shaped Kitsap County? Come hear a few of them from Tim Ryan and his family. THIS SUNDAY!

Join the Kitsap History Museum and Olympic College Foundation for An Afternoon with Tim Ryan & Family. Tim will be joined by his family for a conversation about family, building businesses, giving back, and the connections they’ve made in our community. David Nelson of the Kitsap Sun will moderate.

Buy Your Tickets here: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/anafternoonwithtimryanfamily/event/aawdhabjc/

09/10/2026

Another incredible Eat Your Way Through Kitsap History at Point No Point! We learned about the Treaty of 1855, the history and culture of the Port Gamble S’Klallam people, and the stories behind the lighthouse.

A big thank you to Gina Steiner, Lew Noah, and Richard Walker for sharing your knowledge and stories with us. What an amazing way to connect with the history of this special place!

09/05/2026

We are happy to feature Kitsap Cancer Services in our Community Case this month! Drop in and learn more about their resources, events, and opportunities!

Thrilled to share this display in the Community Case at Kitsap History Museum.

Inside the case, chalkboards share powerful words from recipients of our Compassionate Care Grants - stories and reflections that remind us of the difference compassion can make in our community.

As the saying goes: “We cannot change the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” ⛵

Come see the display in person, Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m.– 4 p.m., and find inspiration in stories from the past and the voices of those navigating life’s changing winds.

09/05/2026

**Legends of the Roundtable**
The Kitsap History Museum and Kitsap Athletic Roundtable continue to celebrate Legends from the Roundtable in our series highlighting inductees to the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame.

After serving in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Dee Molenaar attended the University of Washington where he earned a degree in geology and lettered in track. The allure of Mount Rainier called and he went on to climb the peak more than 50 times. He worked at Mount Rainier National Park as a park ranger and mountain guide and authored numerous books, including The Challenge of Rainier, considered the definitive work on the climbing history of Mount Rainer.

Dee was an accomplished artist and cartographer and went on major mountaineering expeditions around the world. These included joining Bobby Kennedy on the first ascent of Mount Kennedy, named after his late brother, President John F. Kennedy, in Canada’s Saint Elias range.

Dee and his wife Colleen lived on seven acres in Port Orchard for several years where they raised their children. He went on to pursue a career as a geologist, retiring from the National Geological Survey’s Water Resources Division in Tacoma. He was inducted into the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 101.

Check out our History UnCorked program with Chuck Stark and Noah Garguile from Kitsap Athletic Roundtable that took place May 28 at the museum, now available to view on YouTube at https://youtu.be/x7RiDN-H1v0at .

Learn about the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable and check out the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame inductees at kitsapathleticroundtable.org .

09/03/2026

Join us for An Afternoon with Tim Ryan & Family!

Hear stories from Tim Ryan and members of the Ryan family about family, business, community, and the experiences that have shaped Kitsap County. Get to know the people behind some of Kitsap’s best-known businesses and organizations and the connections they’ve built here over the years.

Moderated by Kitsap Sun editor David Nelson, this special conversation brings together several generations of a family with deep roots in our community.
Get your tickets: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/anafternoonwithtimryanfamily/event/aawdhabjc

08/28/2026

Before the stampede, the Kitsap County Fair had this! The first official Kitsap County Fair was held in Port Orchard in 1923. This 1929 photo shows the popular Auto Polo game, where participants raced around the arena chasing a large ball on carts made from cut-down automobile chassis. 

The fairgrounds were located at the top of Sidney Hill near the courthouse and operated there until about 1930 when it was moved to Bremerton to provide a more central location. The fair moved to the current location in Central Valley in 1958. 

The fair runs until Sunday! Stop by and see us in our Rural Heritage barn!

08/28/2026

Come visit us in our Rural Heritage building and explore Kitsap County’s rural past! It’s packed with vintage farming and logging equipment, tools, artifacts.

Stop by, say hi, and discover a little Kitsap history while you’re at the Fair!

08/28/2026

**Legends of the Roundtable**
The Kitsap History Museum and Kitsap Athletic Roundtable continue to celebrate Legends from the Roundtable in our series highlighting inductees to the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame.

Harlan Thompson’s love for drag racing started when he returned from Vietnam in 1969. The North Kitsap graduate built a 1957 Corvette and started his career at Bremerton Raceway in 1970. The next year he toured the Northwest in a Funny Car while attending the University of Washington.

In 1972, he started competing up and down the East Coast, which put him on the racing map. He was hired by some of the top teams. In 1980, he joined a Swedish team, Tre Kronor, and raced in Europe. He won his first race and didn’t lose for almost a year, setting records at multiple tracks.

In over 30 years of racing, Thompson won seven championships and was the first Funny Car driver in Europe with a sub-six-second pass (5.95 in 1985 at Mantwerp Park). He was inducted into the European Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005, the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2011, and the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Check out our History UnCorked program with Chuck Stark and Noah Garguile from Kitsap Athletic Roundtable that took place May 28 at the museum, now available to view on YouTube at https://youtu.be/x7RiDN-H1v0at .

Learn about the Kitsap Athletic Roundtable and check out the Kitsap Sports Hall of Fame inductees at www.kitsapathleticroundtable.org .