Video: Parlour Tour Preview

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.

Christmas Greetings from 1901

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A newsprint copy of this rare historic photograph of a church service in progress was found in the Methodist church folder on file in the Snohomish Historical Society Archives, with the caption: “1901 was a good year to hold a Christmas pageant. This one at the First Methodist Church in Snohomish came complete with all the trimmings including ten angels on front stage. Photo, courtesy Everett Library Historical Collection.”

Please follow this link to read more.

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

Lucetta 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. Ferguson's calling cardMrs. 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.

Season’s Greetings

This Christmas card, signed by Mary Ursula Lenfest, the eldest sibling of the Blackman brothers, was left behind when the Blackman family heirs sold the home and most of its contents to the Society, over 40 years ago.

Mary was born in 1837, of Adam and Mary Blackman, in Bradley, Maine. She married John Lenfest in 1863 and the union gave birth to their only child, Elmer, a year later. Mary and John waited to join her brothers living in Snohomish until after Elmer received his degree in civil engineering. The family arrived in town in 1889, where Elmer landed a job with the newly incorporated city as its engineer. He married Sylvia Ferguson in 1891 and their only child, Norman, was born two years later. Mary lived to reach 90 years of age, passing on in 1927, the same year that our Ella Blackman also died.

Please allow us to add our sincere wishes to Mary’s for every happiness for you and yours in the New Year!

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

Trudy Stack
Trudy Stack with one of her paintings.
Trudy (Wood) Stack (1916-2013) was born in Snohomish,  in the front bedroom of the home her father built at 404 Avenue C.  The family moved to Seattle a couple years later, but Trudy continued to visit since her sister Ruth taught at Snohomish High School for many years.

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.