Summer’s here. You can tell because every single road seems to be under construction. I-5 is under construction. So is I- 405 and Hwy 16. And for goodness sake, don’t even try to go to Seattle. In the nick of time, DuPont’s Dorothy Wilhelm presents a “Let’s Do Something Fun and Stay Out of Big City Traffic” Event. This week, on Saturday, June 29, she’s heading for Eatonville to tell historic stories from Puget Sound country. She invites you to come along.
Why Eatonville? Did you know that this historic little town is the origination point of the phrase “Painting the Town Red?” Well, it is. Do you know why? That’s one of the stories that will be told at Eatonville high school auditorium at 7:00 pm on Saturday, June 29. The stories are taken from her new book, True Tales of Puget Sound which is in its 6th printing, as reported by Arcadia Publishing this week.
The Eatonville stories will include the reason Thomas Van Eaton created the town that bears his name, and why his grandson, Pat Van Eaton still feels a little nervous remembering the smile his Grandfather kept on the dining room table. Eatonville stories include the fact that by 1916 Eatonville had the best education system in Western Washington and is still very proud of giving kids a great educational beginning. This event is sponsored by the Eatonville Arts and History Alliance.
Another loved story is how the town’s doctor, who arrived in 1909, choosing this logging town because his father had been killed in a logging accident when the doctor was a child. Dr. Albert Bridge went on to found one of the finest hospitals in the US, and named it for his mother.
There’s the story of how T.C. Van Eaton confused historians by refusing to give Mt. Tahoma its new name of Mt. Rainier – ever.
Now that’s just Eatonville. Dorothy Wilhelm will stories like the Buckley’s Great Wine and Swine Train Wreck, or Milton’s story of the Mule who Ran For Office – won and served and many more.
Of course, it’s possible to just buy the book, True Tales of Puget Sound, or even take it out at the library, but better to take a little time to get acquainted with Eatonville, and then at 7:00 pm join the crowd at the high school auditorium for True Tales of Puget Sound.
Wilhelm even breaks a long standing rule that she NEVER shows Powerpoint to include pictures of these historical people and places with the Puget Sound stories. She will be available after the talk with a substantial stack of books if anyone should wish to buy a personally autographed copy. In the meantime, as Dorothy Wilhelm likes to say, “Keep telling the stories.”
Event: Dorothy Wilhelm presents True Tales of Puget Sound, Saturday, June 29 at 7:00 pm Eatonville High School Auditorium, 302 Mashell Avenue North, sponsored by the The Eatonville Arts and History Alliance.
For information, call 1-800-548-9264 or Dorothy@mygenerationgap.com
