Key Peninsula Historical Society

10/12/2025

News coverage after the Columbus Day Storm, 63 years ago today on Oct. 12, 1962.

The historic Vaughn store and post office, built by Harry Coblentz and Alfred Van Slyke in 1888, collapsed and burned during the storm.

09/26/2025

TheSeptember 2025 Museum Messenger is now available on our website!

https://www.keypeninsulamuseum.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MM-Sep-2025.pdf

09/20/2025

Part 2 of the two-part series on the Vaughn Bay Public Library Association by Joseph Pentheroudakis.

Part 2 of a two-part series on the Vaughn Bay Public Library Association.

08/31/2025

Saturday, Sept. 6, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Museum!

Perking coffee and homemade coffeecake are calling you to socialize at the Mugnificent Morning at the Museum.

The museum is located at 17010 South Vaughn Road NW, just behind the civic center.

08/24/2025

📣 We are excited to announce that applications are open for funding for the 2025-2027 cycle of the Heritage Barn Grant Program, which is a program of the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), managed under contract by the Washington Trust.

🚜 Established in 2007 and now in its tenth round, the Heritage Barn Grant Program is specifically designed to assist in the preservation of Washington’s iconic historic barns, which stand as symbols of the state’s agricultural heritage. Barns must be listed on the Heritage Barn Register, a statewide list maintained by DAHP, to be eligible for funding through the Heritage Barn Grant Program. Approximately $900,000 in grant funds will be distributed among successful applicants to aid in the rehabilitation and safeguarding of these unique structures, ensuring their continued cultural significance for generations to come. Grant awards typically range from $25,000-$40,000, with the maximum eligible grant award capped at $75,000. The deadline to submit applications for the Heritage Barn Grant Program is Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 11:59 pm.

💬 If you have questions about your grant project or application, we can help! We will be hosting Office Hours sessions via Zoom for interested parties to drop in to ask questions on Friday, September 5 from 4:00-5:00 pm, and Wednesday, September 10 from 5:30-6:30 pm. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

🖥️Visit our website to register for one of these info sessions and find additional details about the Heritage Barn Initiative, including the online application form: preservewa.org/programs/grants/heritage-barn-initiative/heritage-barn-grants

08/10/2025

The story of public lending libraries in the United States is one of activist women committed to opening minds in their communities.

Part 2 of the article will appear in the September 2025 KP News.

The story of public lending libraries in the United States is one of activist women committed to opening minds in their communities.

07/24/2025

Is the world your oyster?

The Mason County Historical Society Museum will be hosting a presentation about the history of the Salish Sea oyster industry by Russell Holter on Saturday, July 26 at 2:00 pm at the museum at 427 West Railroad Ave in Shelton. It will highlight the rich oyster industry history of south Puget Sound. Tim McMillin will also be on hand to talk about the day to day activities on an oyster farm. This event is free and open to the public.

07/10/2025

This Saturday, July 12, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Museum!

Perking coffee and homemade coffeecake are calling you to socialize at the Mugnificent Morning at the Museum this Saturday.

Come join the chat and see if you can help identify some of the people in our old scrapbooks!

The museum is located at 17010 South Vaughn Road NW, just behind the civic center.

07/05/2025

We are excited to share the announcement of a new project at the Vaughn Bay Cemetery Association: A grant from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation allowed a collaboration and digitization of cemetery records with Chronicle, a cemetery mapping and digitization system.

Zoom in at the link below to browse through cemetery records. The link is also available via a QR code on the sign at the top of the cemetery.

According to the association, the project will allow visitors to engage with the cemetery through GIS mapping, public deceased search records, headstone photos, GPS-navigated walk-to-grave location, and eventually other features including an online historic walking tour.

The walk-to-grave feature will allow visitors to easily search for and find graves of loved ones and eventually there will be an option for families to actively engage and share life stories of their late family members, loved ones, and ancestors by submitting online memorials. This development will allow the community to learn more about the history of those resting in the Vaughn Bay Cemetery and the Key Peninsula community it serves.

Browse 1210 deceased records at the Vaughn Bay Cemetery in United States WA. Locate grave, read stories, add memorial, buy plot.

07/03/2025

Two events coming up!

Today, July 3, 5-10 p.m.: our quarterly fundraising dinner at El Sombrero -- dine in or take out. The money raised from these dinners helps pay for the $1,000 scholarships we award every Spring to two graduating seniors at Peninsula High School.

Saturday, July 12, 10:30-11:30 a.m.: Mugnificent Morning at the Museum. Come to the museum and share your stories! All ages welcome. Coffee and snacks supplied! Buy our new coffee mug!

06/23/2025

🚨 Freighthouse Square Faces Demolition Vote June 26 🚨

At its upcoming June 26 meeting, the Sound Transit Board is expected to choose a preferred route for the Tacoma Dome Link Extension—likely the 'Close to Sounder' option, which would require demolishing Freighthouse Square."

Freighthouse Square—originally the Milwaukee Railroad Freight Shed (built in 1909)—is more than a structure. It’s a historic and cultural hub, home to an indoor marketplace with dozens of small businesses, and one of the last buildings directly tied to Tacoma’s railroad history. While portions of the building have been modified over time, it remains a local landmark and a place full of memories for many in the community. Its destruction would represent a serious loss for Tacoma’s built heritage.

🛑 Historic Tacoma has listed it as “Threaten” on our WatchList and will be advocating for substantial mitigation if demolition proceeds.

🧭 Learn more:
📌 Sound Transit project page: https://www.soundtransit.org/system-expansion/tacoma-dome-link-extension
📌 Recent coverage via The Urbanist: https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/06/16/sound-transit-picks-new-preferred-light-rail-route-to-tacoma-dome/
📌 Our WatchList: Watch List | Historic Tacoma

📣 TAKE ACTION
If you oppose the demolition, make your voice heard:
➡️ Contact the project team directly
➡️ Attend or submit comments to the Sound Transit Board before June 26

04/06/2025

Join us at the museum on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 for a mug-nificent morning of coffee and history! Winter date will be announced soon!

Our address is 17010 South Vaughn Road NW, next to the civic center.

Hope to see you then!