The Historic Fort Steilacoom Association (HFSA) is thrilled to announce the acquisition of artifacts belonging to Private Christopher M. Mahon, an Irish-born soldier stationed at Fort Steilacoom in 1849. This remarkable discovery sheds light on the lives of early military personnel and their enduring connection to the Puget Sound region.
Mahon, a member of Company M during the Mexican-American War, may have been the first of thousands of military personnel who served in Pierce County and subsequently chose to make the Pacific Northwest their permanent home. This donation underscores the fort’s crucial role in the region’s history and its lasting impact on the community. It was 175 years ago in August that the US Army founded its first fort in Puget Sound – in what’s now Lakewood and the nationally designed Fort Steilacoom Historic District that encompasses Western State Hospital, Fort Steilacoom Park and parts of Pierce College.
“If you go anywhere in Lakewood, Steilacoom, Tacoma – anywhere in Pierce County, – you meet active duty personnel or people who retired from JBLM or other military facilities,” said Walter Neary, HFSA board president. “Mahon started the tradition. Mahon, his wife Elizabreth, and their children represent the beginning of a long tradition of military retirees contributing to Puget Sound.”
A generous and anonymous donor gifted the HFSA with a pair of musket powder horns and a flask that once belonged to Private Mahon. These artifacts, framed with a map of the fort, include a message inscribed on the flask reads, “Given to C.M. Mahon by Lieutenant Murphy at Fort Steilacoom 1849.”
“These items provide a fascinating glimpse into the life of a soldier stationed at Fort Steilacoom,” said military historian and museum volunteer Alan Archambault. “While not military issue, the powder horns and flask suggest Mahon’s involvement in hunting, a vital skill for survival in the frontier environment.”
After leaving the Army in 1850, Private Mahon became a pioneer settler in what is now Parkland, Washington. His story is emblematic of the countless soldiers who transitioned from military service to civilian life, contributing to the growth and development of the state.
The Mahon family, including his wife Elizabeth, an Army laundress, and their children, played a significant role in the early history of Pierce County.
“The donation of these artifacts offers a unique opportunity to honor their legacy and connect with the thousands of military veterans who have called Pierce County home since that time,” Neary said. “It also speaks to the way that thousands of immigrants to the United States became citizens thanks to their military service. The majority of Fort Steilacoom’s soldiers before the Civil War were immigrants from Germany and Ireland.”
The artifacts are on display during the fort’s regular open hours, 1 to 4 p.m. on first Sundays of the month. It is free to visit the interpretive center. If you’d like to walk on the same floors as Civil War soldiers, you can get tickets to tour all four buildings here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tour-historic-fort-steilacoom-museum-tickets-405453441157
Historic Fort Steilacoom in Lakewood, on the grounds of Western State Hospital, is the only ‘first fort’ of its kind in the nation to be managed entirely by private volunteers.
1st: I wish to thank the anonymous donor for volunteering to move the above-described artifacts from their private collection to a more public venue. Very generous.
2nd: The fact that Private Mahon and thousands of other members of our military decided to retire in the Pierce County, Washington State area reminds me of an interesting phenomenon or observation that has repeated itself thousands of times.
Quite frequently after military personnel are forced by a new duty assignment to transfer to Fort Lewis or McChord, they arrive and experience the rain we are famous for.
At first military transferees hate living here, but continue to reside in Pierce County because, until their next change of duty station orders come in, they have no choice.
While on their forced march in Washington State, they learn to love and understand Pierce County and our weather. They adjust and discover that while it rains often, there typically is never enough rain to feel compelled to own an umbrella.
I lived in Washington State for 77 years and never bought an umbrella. A hat with a bill is all I ever needed.
Once retired, Washington becomes a favorite location for the military to retire. They love it here and appreciate the high quality our military bases.
Thank you Private Mahon for starting the retirement phenomenon and for your advance support of the Joe Boyle Hate-Love Military Retirement Theory.
Joseph Boyle – Former USAF E-5 Staff Sergeant who retired in Washington State.
As the daughter of a USAF retiree who promised to “love, honor and live in Western Washington ” I suspect your theory to be correct. Dad was stationed at what became JBLM three separate times. Second time got married, third time retired.
I too am very glad the anonymous donor decided to give such a nice gift to the museum. It’s great when local artifacts stay in the community and are somewhere that community members can see them and learn about people who lived in their neighborhood generations ago.