Review:  Ravensdale Reflections: An Oral History , by Barbara Nilson (2004), privately published, undated. In a recent Genealogy Chat, Michele Mattoon, who grew up in Black Diamond, mentioned the book Ravensdale Reflections,  of which I had never heard. It is no longer in print, but Abe Books had a copy. The town of Ravensdale, originally 'Leary' has a rich history beginning before Washington Statehood.  Mine Tragedy This historic photo shows the crowd waiting at the top of the shaft as the bodies are brought out after the Ravensdale mine explosion November 15, 1915, that killed 31 men. (Renton Historical Society collection). Ravensdale History Ravensdale inhabitants asked the Renton author Barbara Nilson to write a book about them and their history, which took her some years of interviews, site visits and extensive research and photographs. There is an interview with the author here:  Local icon reflects on a life of travel and history writing . In an ar...

Image by  Miroslava Chrienova  from  Pixabay   Covid stopped us cold in March 2020, and yet only two meetings were cancelled. As we learned how to host virtual meetings, our online group communication became busier and more of a comfort to all of us. The time just to chat after meetings became so precious that we created " Genealogy Books Q&A " April 27 and it was a huge success.  We've not traded lookups much since, but our monthly chats have continued, now the fourth Monday afternoon each month. We have made friendships, deeper and stronger than one would ever expect with joy in having found each other.  We even had a New Year's Eve party! Virtual is safe, fun and EASY Since April, our monthly third Saturday general meetings have continued with presentations by society members and nationally known speakers, all accessed safely by virtual media.  And we aren't through yet!  We have speakers planned through May 2021 and a virtual seminar with...

By Michele Norton Mattoon Grandma worked on the railroad. No, that’s not a typo. Grandma worked on the railroad. No, not a cushy desk job! My grandmother, Mary Grady, of Ravensdale, Washington, at age 40, went to work on an all-woman railroad section gang and worked eight hours a day doing back-breaking manual labor. Women do all the jobs men do now, but that wasn’t the case in 1942. In fact, it was such a big deal that The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Pathé and Time Magazine all came to town to report on it.  First, let me tell you a little about Grandma. Born Marija Bele in Slovenia in 1902, Grandma lived on and worked the fields (haying) at the family farm in her small community. Our family has always said we were from “good peasant stock” and I think Grandma’s beginnings prove that. After marrying and immigrating to America in September 1922 at age 20, Grandma arrived in Hobart, Washington. Her husband had settled there the year before. Alone, and not knowing a word of...