The historic Ferguson Cottage will be open for the 2015 Parlour Tour, December 13th, 12-4p, a rare opportunity to see the inside of Snohomish’s first residence of city founder E.C. Ferguson. The structure was saved from falling down by Rebecca Loveless who tells the story in the first part of this eight minute movie.
Historic Images Online
Join us for a RUMMAGE SALE!
Please stop by the Historical Society’s Annual Rummage Sale this weekend~
We have collectables, dishes, books, and too many other treasures to list!
Friday, March 21st, 2014 9 am – 4 pm
Saturday, March 22nd, 2014 9 am – 4 pm
The Waltz Building
116 Avenue B
Snohomish, WA 98290
Mrs. E. C. Ferguson
Mrs. E. C. Ferguson was born Lucetta Gertrude Morgan in 1849 in Iowa and settled with her family in Olympia, Washington Territory when she was only 11 years old. Eight years later, she met and married E. C. Ferguson, who was serving as a legislator. Together they named and laid-out the city of Snohomish along with founding their own family of three children. Several descendants still live in Snohomish to this day.
Mrs. E. C. Ferguson’s calling card was found in the house when purchased by the Society in 1970. We imagine she was a frequent visitor to the Blackman Home. And frequent visitors to the house museum today will recognize the painting and piano in the photograph that are part of the museum furnishings.
Many objects were donated from the Ferguson estate. By the way, the addition of “Wednesday” in the lower left corner of the card indicates the day of the week that Mrs. E. C. will be receiving guests.
The photograph is from the Ferguson Family Album held by the Society. This image along with many others from our collection are now online thanks to a “Digitize Our Community History” initiative by the Sno-Ise Library System to host historical images in partnership with our Society.
Please follow this link to view the results.
The Snohomish Historical Society proudly presents the 2014 Parlour Tour!
Tour Date: Sunday, December 14, 2014. 12 pm — 4 pm
Please join us for a stroll through some lovely homes, decorated for the holidays and ready to welcome you! Gather up your friends and family members, grab a hot beverage, and come spend an afternoon wandering through parlours. Whether you’re looking to cultivate some inspiration for your own holiday decorating or you just need a break from the chaos of the season, we’d love to visit with you! Your ticket includes admission to Blackman House Museum where complimentary coffee, tea, and scones will be available.
If we’ve been fortunate enough to have you visit Snohomish previously, thank you! If this will be your first time joining us…start a new annual tradition with the Snohomish Parlour Tour!
Ticket prices and availability are as follows:
Seniors and kids (ages 12 and under) $10.00
Adults $15.00
Pre-sale tickets are available at the following local merchants:
McDaniel’s Do-It Center
Joyworks
Annie’s on First
Please support these fine businesses as you shop for holiday treasures!
Day-of-tour tickets will be available at the Waltz Building, 116 Avenue B, Snohomish (next door to The Blackman House Museum), beginning at 11 am.
Happy Holidays! We look forward to seeing you!
Trudy Stack, Friend of the Society, Passed Away May 19, 2013
Married to Harold Stack, who survives her, 70 years ago, they would often make the trip to Snohomish to visit Trudy’s birth place.  A few years before Trudy was born, her father, William, was a three term Mayor of Snohomish, winning in the 1911 election with 343 votes of the 366 cast.
The Stack Family Foundation made an unsolicited donation to our Historical Society in the generous amount of $6000 in 2008.  It was used to purchase museum software for cataloging our photo collection, and the hiring of an museum studies intern to help us get started.
As the president of the society at the time, I continued to stay in touch with Trudy and Harold, as have the new owners of the grand home, Joelle and Andy Blair.  Just the other day, I came across a short story in a 1910 issue of the Tribune about her father taking the family of eight children to the new beach home at Moclips. I planed on sending it to her.
Trudy was the ninth child, but I can’t imagine how any of the others could have loved Snohomish more than she.
Are You Making History Today?
Annual Parlour Tour
Thirty-Four Years of Memories
Eleanor Leight with the second Chinese Dragon puppet head
The first puppet head wore out. So Bill Jack built another one, now on exhibit at the Blackman House Museum’s Gallery — along with costumes, props and photos galore!
Besides, the first one was to big. Eleanor tells the hysterical story of her oldest son, Steven, who was wearing the puppet head in one of the early shows and couldn’t get through a door. The dragon puppet glows wen lit with only black-light and is an audience favorite.
Eleanor led the Leight Fantastics dance troupe along with a variety of talent through 34 years of shows that came to end this past Mother’s Day weekend.
It all began when the first president of the Society, Everett Olsen asked Eleanor if she might put a show together as a fundraiser for the new historical society — never thinking it would turn into an annual event.
(Scroll down for a documentary excerpt of Everett.)
But Eleanor, who celebrated her nineth birthday this year, will continue on with rehearsals for smaller shows at the Evergreen Fair and other venues. So, it’s still not too late to learn tap.
You can join Eleanor and the gang on Monday evening’s at St Michael’s Hall, and on Thursdays at the Snohomish Center Center; which is a good place to contact Eleanor for more information. “No one is turned away,” she emphasized.
The Blackman House is open Saturday and Sunday afternoons from noon until 3 o’clock, and by appointment — call 425.315.2256 to make arrangements.
You may read more about Eleanor on the web at The Women’s Legacy Project.
Blackman House Museum Goes Hollywood
For the past week the interior of our house museum has been cast in the role of a brothel.
The independent feature, “You Can’t Win” is based on the book of the same name published in 1926. Black’s autobiographical novel tracks his life on the road freight-hopping across the western United States and Canada, and his experiences with the Yegg Brotherhood of hobos, bums, tramps and criminals who rode the rails in turn-of-the-century America. In the movie treatment, Jack finds redemption from his wild ways in the love of a prostitue — hence a brothel.
Staring in and producing is Michael Pitt, recently appearing in “Boardwalk” an HBO production. He is pictured here with Mayor Karen Guzak (and a Society super supporter), with an unidentified cast member.
Mayor Karen was invited to join the cast and crew for their “lunch” break. The Waltz Building played the role of lunch room for the cast and crew of close to 100 people.
Shooting in Snohomish ended on May 14th.