March 4, 2010 – March 10, 2010

Women Prevail

This week, HistoryLink.org travels back to a century ago and looks at the Women's Club Movement in Washington, beginning with the Woman's Club of Olympia founded on March 10, 1883, which is credited as the first association of its kind in the state. The organization dedicated itself to charitable efforts, self-improvement, and civic reform, as did the many women's clubs that followed.

Many early clubs focused on the need for public libraries. Beginning in 1894, the Everett Woman's Book Club -- seen above -- helped establish what would become the Everett Public Library. Similar groups in Seattle, Walla Walla, and other cities did the same.

In Seattle, groups of women helped to create hospitals, raise money for the needy, buy and sell real estate, foster cultural and intellectual development, and help women toward self-support. Most women's clubs got their start in the state's largest cities, and in 1896, the Washington State Federation of Women's Clubs was formed to provide assistance to clubs throughout the state.

The women's club movement provided a stronger voice for women through great strength in numbers. By the early twentieth century, many clubs shifted their efforts towards lobbying, and pushed for more government involvement in women's working conditions and other social needs. But the strongest influence women's groups had on the political landscape was in support of woman suffrage.

In 1883, Washington women won the vote, but then lost it in 1888. Two decades later, suffrage groups coalesced behind two distinctly different leaders, Emma Smith DeVoe and May Arkwright Hutton. These two factions were strong but contentious, and created quite a fracas at both the state and national Suffrage Association conventions held in Seattle in 1909. But eventually they pooled their efforts along with those of other women's groups and in 1910, Washington women secured the vote 10 years ahead of the nation.

Trimmin' the Sail

On March 9, 1922, the Virginia V was launched in Pierce County, and today it is the last surviving steamer of Puget Sound's mosquito fleet. This venerable vessel has been owned or operated by a variety of people over the years -- including hit-maker Joe Boles -- and has hosted countless wedding receptions, high-school proms, scouting trips, and other excursions.

This week also marks a "berth day" for the Lady Washington, which took to the waters for the first time on March 7, 1989, at her home port of Aberdeen. Launched during the centennial celebration of Washington's statehood, the ship is a full-scale replica of the original Lady Washington, once captained by Robert Gray, eponym of Grays Harbor.

But while these ships sail on, it was one year ago this week, that Puget Sound lost one of its more memorable wooden boats when the Wawona left her berth in Lake Union on March 4, 2009, to be dismantled. Although parts of the ship have been preserved for display, HistoryLink.org mourns the loss of one of the region's last historic cod schooners.

News Then, History Now

Ready to Rumble: After the murder of William Young, an engineer under the employ of Charles Terry and William Renton, a posse went out in search of justice. Instead, they met with ruin on March 6, 1854, when a battle broke out on Whidbey Island, leaving many dead or wounded. Military action fared no better, and in the end, Young's confessed killer walked away scot-free.

Rough and Tumble: On March 7, 1888, Okanogan County established its county seat. The honor went to the mining town of Ruby City, but voters were so disgusted that a town of "whores, thieves, and drunkards" should represent the county's interests that the seat was later moved to Conconully.

Power Lines: On March 4, 1902, Seattle voters flipped a historic switch by approving bonds for a tiny hydroelectric plant at Cedar Falls. The first juice for streetlights flowed three years later, and because the new "City Light" electricity was cheaper than private power, residents were quick to ask for connections to their homes and businesses.

Highway Signs: On March 8, 1911, the state's Permanent Highway Act became law, to aid commerce by connecting trade centers. But construction and maintenance of roadways didn't speed up until the gas tax was enacted in March 1921, and doubled two years later.

Grand Designs: The newly flattened Denny Regrade was slated for an ornate Civic Center in Seattle's first and most audacious comprehensive plan. Engineer Virgil Bogue's urban vision excited the new Municipal League but alarmed downtown interests -- and voters, who trounced it on March 5, 1912.

Booze and Smokes: On March 7, 1922, a week-long bootlegger's convention held in Seattle came to a close, with regional booze smugglers and rumrunners coming to agreement on the rules of their "trade." Prohibition had been in effect since 1916, but it wasn't until 1933 that the illegal flow of liquor was stanched for good. Interestingly enough, the bootleggers held their convention on the anniversary of Washington state's first law banning cigarettes, one of several failed attempts at cigarette prohibition from 1893 to 1911.

Burgers and Fries: On March 10, 1961, the first Burgerville USA drive-in opened in Vancouver, featuring 19-cent hamburgers, tasty fries, and delicious shakes. The "USA" was later dropped from the name, and the Burgerville chain prides itself on its Northwest roots, featuring Tillamook cheese, onion rings made from Walla Walla Sweets, and shakes made from real ice cream and local berries.

Making a Scene: On March 8, 1970, Native American and other protesters (including Leonard Peltier and Jane Fonda) clashed with military police in an attempt to reclaim Fort Lawton for local tribes. The protests were led by Bob Satiacum and Bernie Whitebear, who would go on to found Daybreak Star Center in today's Discovery Park.

Field and Stream: On March 7, 1991, U.S. District Court Judge William Dwyer blocked sales of timber from national forests to protect the Northern Spotted Owl. His ruling was later relaxed, but concerns for the survival of salmon runs have put new pressure on the region's timber industry.

Quote of the Week

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it.

                                 --Margaret Fuller

Image of the Week

On March 8, 2008, the Northwest African American Museum opened in Seattle's old Colman School building.