Lake Stevens Historical Museum

Lake Stevens Historical Museum A nonprofit corporation dedicated to gathering historical information and artifacts about the Lake Stevens. Bruce Kennaugh

The museum construction was started in 1986 and completed in 1989, dedicated in September, on the 100th anniversary of Washington Statehood. Starting with a $1000 donation from Bob and Helen Lund of Glass by Lund, museum construction began. The first task was to tear down the lean-to on the site we were to use and expand the 10’x10’ cement floor. Because only limited time could be spent on it orig

inally, and weather had to cooperate, construction moved very slowly at first. But by the time the museum was dedicated, more than 75 individuals and organizations had worked and contributed towards its completion. Gayle Whitsell, Keith Morgan, Al Kennaugh, Wes Kennaugh, and Ken Withrow provided a majority of the labor, but everyone who contributed in any way at all became a necessary member of the building team; each one was needed. In fact, Anne Whitsell was finishing some interior painting while Gayle was giving the welcome to the more than 200 people who braved the near 90 degree day and attended the dedication. We received material free or at cost from businesses such as Adams Hardware, received special deals on merchandise, and received donations of cash and artifacts from all over. The museum truly is a monument to community teamwork and involvement. The Lake Stevens Historical Museum is known as one of the finest small-town museums in the state. Other historical societies that started or remodeled museums toured ours for ideas on how to build and show effective displays; several have copied our design. The “central lobby” area was designed to be used for rotating displays and newly donated artifacts. Two window displays can be used to accent the main exhibit’s theme or as separate display areas. The museum has nine permanent displays covering eight facets of the town’s history, highlighting early years; the impact of logging and mills on the area; education; recreation; and Mitchell’s Pharmacy which was the hub of the community from 1920 until moving to Frontier Village in 1960. I am one of those people who saves everything; I have more of what people consider junk than does the average person. I don’t know what makes people do that, but the Historical Society is grateful to those with this “gift.” For some reason, Jim and Nancy Mitchell saved hundreds of items from the old downtown store; these were put in the museum 29 years after the pharmacy left its original location. For some reason, Gayle Whitsell saved doors and other things from the old high school affectionately known as the “Pink Palace” when that building was demolished; when you enter the museum, you go through the main doors and archway from the east entrance of the Pink Palace.

Stop by and see us this coming Tuesday at the Farmers Market in Lake Stevens, 3:00-7:00.
05/31/2026

Stop by and see us this coming Tuesday at the Farmers Market in Lake Stevens, 3:00-7:00.

LSHS graduations were held much earlier than they are now at the turn of the century. The LSHS Class of 1923 graduated o...
05/31/2026

LSHS graduations were held much earlier than they are now at the turn of the century. The LSHS Class of 1923 graduated on May 31,1923 at the recently built Knights of Pythias Hall. The Pink Palace hadn't been built and they didn't have an auditorium or gym at that time.
Nite: Marie Lundeen was principal that year.

SIX ARE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL LAKE STEVENS, June 6, 1923.
Graduation exercises of Lake Stevens high school were held May 31 at K. P. hall. The program follows:
“Grand March,” Evelyn Campbell;
“Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,” audience, led by B. W. Paschke; quartet, Mr. and Mrs. Paschke, and Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Houghton; salutatory, Anna Drew; valedictory, Margaret Lenhardt; duet, Mr.Paschke and Mr Houghton; commencement address, Edwin Twitmyer, state high school inspector;
presentation of class, Mrs. Marie
Lundeen, principal of the high
school; presentation of diplomas,
W. J. Houghton, clerk of school
board. Closing number, “America,” audience. Members of the class were Margaret Lenhardt, Anna Drew, Lillian Gellein, Bernice Warlund, Edwin Lundberg and Elmer Matson."

IN THE NEWS: 5/31/1918.During WWI, ci******es were widely sent to soldiers as a form of comfort and morale boost. The to...
05/31/2026

IN THE NEWS: 5/31/1918.
During WWI, ci******es were widely sent to soldiers as a form of comfort and morale boost. The to***co industry actively promoted this, with organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army distributing ci******es. This widespread distribution, coupled with the stressful conditions of war, contributed to a significant increase in smoking rates among soldiers and the normalization of cigarette smoking in society.

LAKE STEVENS
"​The Smoke club was pleased with the interest the Red Cross and the community responded to their call for the dance supper and workers. They wish to mention in particular the work done by Boy Scouts, Harold Austerberg and Ernest Huss, in collecting the supper supplies and selling $20 of supper tickets, Saturday afternoon. The net proceeds of the dance was $73.05. There has been taken in this month, $125.55 for “smokes.”

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Letter to the Editor from Floyd Nourse, LSHS '36.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Letter to the Editor from Floyd Nourse, LSHS '36.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Hyland Bus Route.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Hyland Bus Route.

Thanks to George Bourcier for providing this information and map that shows the area that used to be called the HYLAND bus route.
#1 Bourcier, 10 acre triangle included the Little Pilchuck Creek. #2 Hansen
#3 Kiehn
#4 Gregory
#5 Hinds
#6 Bertsch
#7 Cooper
#8 Bryce, Berry Valley/Pilchuck Berry Farm
#9 Dodge.

The Schwartzmiller Road followed the Pilchuck River, families include Stine, Dawson, Grow Schwartzmiller, Adsit , Nordstrom. Cushman on Russell Rd. There were others.

The bus left LSHS and went past Mt Pilchuck, then left on Machias Rd. Right on Hyland at swints Station , left on Scott Rd , right on 44th (Gregory Rd, right on Tanner Rd and Russell Rd. U turn on Russel, back to Schwarztmiller to Lochsloy , Graite Falls / 92 return to school.

My stop was always the next to last on or off the route. Lochloy store show on the wrong side of the highway. It was a long distance phone call to Russell Cooper, they were considered Granite Falls by Ma Bell. Hartford ball field was the location of the Hartford school. The Centennial Trail used to be the Northern Pacific Railroad line from Auburn to Sumas.

It is important to document memories such as this and we thank George for taking the time.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Construction of the "new gym" which is still being used at North Lake Middle School.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Construction of the "new gym" which is still being used at North Lake Middle School.

IN THE NEWS: May 31, 1952. "Going Up. Girders for the new physical education building at Lake Stevens High School were put in place this week by Newland Construction Company of Everett. The structure, scheduled for completion by October, will be able to accommodate three physical education classes at the same time. Partitions enable the main floor to be so divided if desired." Everett Herald.

Note: The Grand Opening was held December 6, 1952. View of North Cove can be seen in the background.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Boeing Tool Tags or Chits
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Boeing Tool Tags or Chits

We posted that we needed help identifying what these tags were used for and we immediately received three responses. It is so great to be able to get collective input😊

Devon Brown: Tool chits from Boeing. Marked with SSN and used to swap for tools at the tool room. I still have mine.
Boeing got rid of the SSN several years ago and issued Employee ID called BEMSID. I no longer work there and from what I recall were moving to kiosks with electronic monitoring.

John Richardson: Tool tags from Boeing Aircraft Co. They were still around in the 1980's when I hired in. By the time I retired after 32 years everything was barcode controlled. Some of the greybeards still had on on their keychain.

Loren Nordby: I briefly worked for Boeing in late 1963 after completing a class provided by the Manpower Development and Training Act to learn the basics of airframe construction. When first hired, we each had to have our own toolbox with some basic stuff, but the power tools (I think they were all air powered) and specialty stuff would be retrieved from the tool crib, using the above tool chits. I worked on the 41 section (nose of the 707), and would collect the parts necessary for a certain job from boxes on shelves, assemble and ream the holes and leave it held together with Cleco fasteners for the riveters to finish up. I ended my Boeing career about 5 months later after a layoff. I wasn't laid off, but I was reassigned to bucking rivets, which I decided after a couple weeks wasn't a long term career choice for me.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Fred Countryman's memories of early Lake Stevens.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: Fred Countryman's memories of early Lake Stevens.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Rucker Mill fire of 1920.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: The Rucker Mill fire of 1920.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: A vintage school map for the White School Exhibit.
05/31/2026

FROM THE ARCHIVE: A vintage school map for the White School Exhibit.

Address

12301 N Lakeshore Dr/PO Box 874
Lake Stevens, WA
98258

Opening Hours

1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+14252123320

Website

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