HERITAGE REFLECTOR October 2011 Volume XI Issue III

VisionTo be a destination heritage

museum and research facility that enhances community identity

through the preservation and stewardship of the

Eastside’s history.

MissionTo steward Eastside history

by actively collecting, preserving, and interpreting

documents and artifacts, and by promoting public

involvement in and appreciation of

this heritage through educational programming and community outreach.

Journey Stories...........................Heritage News............................Programs......................................Wish List..................................... Education Happening.............. Recent Accessions..................... Heritage Corner.........................Volunteer Corner....................... EHC Membership......................

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In this

Journey Story: Dinesh Indurkar

continued on page 2..

To conclude our Journey Stories features this year, Eastside Heritage Center would liketo share the story of Dinesh Indurkar, who travelled from India to make the Eastside his home.

I was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra State, India to parents who at that time had a modest income.To the best of everyone’s knowledge I was born hearing; my mother told me I was saying “mama” and “papa” at 8 months of age. At the age of about one I became very sick and almost died of fever and dehydration.

When I was about two a neighbor child saved my life as I was sitting on the train tracks -I could not hear the approachingtrain. My parents took me toseveral doctors and all of themsaid that I was deaf and mute. However, my mother put me inspeech therapy, and at the ageof eight I finally spoke.

My Father tried to find a school to best fit my needsbut none of the schools inour area were deaf schools.

I was put into a hearing school using an FM systemhearing aid (an amplifier connected to ear buds).One day I was given anassignment to make theyearly calendar for my class.

When it was completed, I was told it was a beautifulcalendar. My parents realized my gift of art, and my mother put me in art classes to improve my skills.

Save the Date

Eastside Heritage Benefit DinnerFebruary 16, 2012 6:00PM – 8:30PM Meydenbauer Center

E A S T S I D E H E R I T A G E C E N T E R

C o n n e c t i o n s f o r y e s t e r d a y , t o d a y , a n d t o m o r r o w .

Dinesh Indurkar...continued from page 1

Page 2 HERITAGE REFLECTOR October 2011

www.akcho.org

At the age of 17 I painted alandscape; the frame I made wasfrom scrapes of wood I foundon the streets.

I was the first person with adisability to graduate from Mumbai (Bombay) University. However, I had difficulty finding good work. Many timesI would not be paid after I would finish a job. I guess theyfigured they could get awaywith cheating a deaf person. Ialso took a job with a man who ended up being physically abusive.

I purchased to hopefully give asa gift to my future wife.My father gave me his watch, and my mother gave me a small sewing kit, a pressure cooker, and a tin of spices.

I started my studies at Seattle Central and I was very surprised by all the services available. Sign Language gaveme a new beginning that I didnot know was possible. I couldexpress myself fully and finallytell people how I felt and havefull intelligent conversations.I learned I had a whole second “family” - the deaf community.Since coming to America, I have married and obtained US citizenship.

I now work at the FAA as a staffsupport assistant, and I live inthe Eastgate neighborhood.

I still draw and paint in my spare time and have started a small business called Cherished Art. I will always be Indianand love my homeland, but Ialso describe myself as a veryproud American.

It is provided as a service of AKCHO - the Association of King County HistoricalOrganizations.

To subscribe to HeritageAdvisor, visit the AKCHO website at www.akcho.org and look for the sign-up box in the left column on the home page.

Are you interested in learningmore about historical organizations and historymuseums throughout King County?

The Heritage Advisor is a freemonthly online newsletter that provides news about events, advocacy efforts, grants, educational opportunities, exhibits, newpublications and more.

My parents and I realized that I could never be successful inIndia. My father found out abouta program for deaf internationalstudents at Seattle Central Community College, and in 1991 my parents sold a portion of their land to buy me a plane ticket.

I did not really know much about America. I had never used anAmerican toilet, never rode in aplane, never used a seatbelt and the list goes on. I felt like I was on another planet when I satdown in that plane. In my suitcase I had, among other things, cooking utensils, pictures of my family, and a vase

Board of TrusteesMichael LuisPresident

Kim Radcliffe1st Vice President

Karen Klett2nd Vice President

John StokesTreasurer

Betina FinleySecretary

Rick CarlsonBrian CasserlyReagan Dunn

Sherry GrindelandTim Johnson Ross McIvorBernice NurseKathleen McDonaldKen SchiringJan Van BlaricomStu Vander HoekHouston Wagner

StaffHeather TrescasesExecutive Director

Megan CarlisleArchivist

Jane MortonEducation Coordinator

EndorsersBob & Clodagh AshGeorge BraceBob BurkeNan CampbellDick ChapinDoris CooperMike CreightonJean FlotenKemper Freeman, Jr.Stacey GravenJerry HenryRoss Hunter

Carol JamesFred Jarrett Sarah LangtonPamela LeeKen Johnson Leslie LloydDoreen MarchioneDan McDonaldLouise MillerRose NoharaBob NuberRon Sher

Lee SpringgateBill PtacekColin RadfordDaphne Schneider David SchoolerKarl ThunemannJohn ValaasJanice & DP Van BlaricomBob WallaceScott WallaceRosalie Whyel

Charter/Founding MembersBrad BestJohn BetrozoffC.Keith BirkenfeldRichard & Margot BlackerCharles BoveeDianna BroadieJohn CannonKaryl DeanSteve & Kathy DennisPhyllis FenwickDiana FordPeter GulickBirgit HansenPeggy HansenBob HennigThomas K. HitzrothBill LagenCharles Le WarneAnne LongJim & Pat LoughranKaren & Duke LuetjenLouis & Patty MarshBeatrice MatewsonPhilip MaxeinerLee MaxwellJohn McClellandRosa McDonald

Louise MillerAlex ModelskiCharles MorganBob NeirPhil & Shelley NobleC. & W. O’ DonellArnold OlsonSally PolkConnie ReedBetty Ann RizkBob & Pat SandboVictor SchefferDaphne SchneiderDick & Susan SchwasnickBarbara SharpeW. & V. ThompsonKarl ThunemannIris TocherD.P. & J. Van BlaricomStuart Vander HoekLibby WalgamottJohn WalkerDoug & Patti WardJames & Gwen WarrenRobert & Barbara WelshRosalie WhyelMarcy Williams

Page 4 HERITAGE REFLECTOR October 2011

EASTSIDE HERITAGE CENTER

Congratulations to Eastside Heritage Center’s Archivist and Collections Manager, Megan Carlisle, for receiving her professional Certification through the Academy of Certified Archivists. As a Certified Archivist (CA), Megan has been recognized for her broad knowledge of archives in seven distinct areas:- Selection, Appraisal, and Acquisition- Arrangement and Description- Reference and Access- Preservation and Protection- Outreach, Advocacy, and Promotion- Program Management- Professional, Ethical, and LegalEastside Heritage Center is proud to have Meganleading our collections management efforts!

For the Office:- Blank cassette tapes

- Plastic paper clips (for archival records)

For the Collection:- Early Eastside photographs, including postcards.

- Eastside newspapers published prior to 1950.

- Any written material on Eastside topics published prior to 1918.

Note: The Kirkland newspaper office burned down in 1918. KirklandHeritage Society and Eastside Heritage Center together have only managed to find about two dozen Eastside papers published before then.

For Strawberry Festival 2012- Children’s prizes: activity books, comic books,

young adult books with a historical theme (e.g., Anne of Green

Gables, Laura Ingalls Wilder, etc.)

- Historic books for EHC’s Used Books Sale

For Display:- Souvenirs from Century 21, the Seattle World’s Fair in 1962

Page 3HERITAGE REFLECTOROctober 2011

Upcoming

ProgramsFraser Cabin Heritage Program – Farm FairDate & Time: Saturday, October 8, 2011 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM Location: Kelsey Creek Farm Park, (410 130th Place SE, Bellevue)

HERITAGE SERIES Warship Under SailDate & Time: Thursday, October 20, 2011 7:00 PM Location: Winters House (2102 Bellevue Way SE, Bellevue)

For More INFORMATION

on any Eastside Heritage Center porograms,

visit www.eastsideheritagecenter.org

Program Ideas?

Contact EHC at 425-450-1049 or

email director@eastsideheritagecenter.org

Hands-on History at KidsQuest MuseumEarly Settler LifeDate & Time: Friday, November 4, 2011, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PMLocation: KidsQuest Children’s Museum (Factoria Mall, Bellevue)

Cost: FREE

What was it like before washing machines, clothes dryers, runningwater or supermarkets? Children can help with household choresby rolling dough, washing clothes and hanging them out to dry, or beating rugs. These were daily chores that kept the early settlers busy!

Presented by Eastside Heritage Center in partnership with KidsQuest Children’s Museum, through the support of 4Culture.

Visitors are invited to participate in hands-on activities thatrelate to early settler life at the historic 1888 Fraser Cabin. The log cabin experience is magical and will transport you back in time. Eastside Heritage Center staff and volunteerspresent the activities and interpret the log cabin that wasbuilt and lived in by the Fraser family over 100 years ago!

This program is being presented in partnership with BellevueParks & Community Services, as part of the annual Farm Fair at Kelsey Creek Park.

Ordered to join the Pacific Squadron in 1854, the U.S. Sloop-of-war Decatur sailed from Norfolk, Virginia through theStrait of Magellan to Puget Sound, then to San Francisco, and on to Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

The Decatur was in Washington waters during the TreatyWar, from October 1855 until June 1856. The ship's records- log book, punishment roll, medical journals - offer aunique and unexpected perspective on Native peopleand early settlers on Puget Sound.

Dr. Lorraine McConaghy, public historian at MOHAI in Seattle, spent many years working on this project, includinga summer-long research fellowship researching the U.S.Navy's archives at the National Archives in Washington,DC. The result was Warship Under Sail: The USS Decatur in the Pacific West, published by University of Washington Press.Join us for an illustrated presentation drawn from thisproject, addressing political, military, Native and naval history. Lorraine will be available afterward to chat withvisitors and to sign copies of her book. Makes a greatholiday gift!

Page 5HERITAGE REFLECTOROctober 2011

Metal Document Box owned by J. W. Clise, 2011.022

Thank you for your donations to the collection:

Heidi Clarke- Rocking chair owned by the Brown sisters, early Eastside teachers

Anne Taylor- Norwood Village maps and blueprints

Jim and Paddy Loughran - Photographs of early Bellevue, an issue of the Bellevue-American, and a cherry-stoner

Eastside Heritage Center hasreceived a $5000 4CultureHeritage Special Projects grantto offer hands-on historyactivity nights at KidsQuest Children’s Museum in Bellevue.

Six programs will be offered inconjunction with KidsQuest’s “Free Friday Nights”. These will begin on the first Fridayin November and conclude thefirst Friday evening of Aprilrunning from 5:00 pm– 8:00 pm.

The activities will be set-up inthe classroom space in the heartof the Museum. Each eveningwill have a theme beginningwith Early Settler Life on November 4 .

Other evenings will include: December- Early 1900 children’s crafts; January - Then & Now Discovery with Artifacts; February -The Log Cabin Experience; March -Remembering the Past, Looking to the Future -personal time capsules; April - Eastside Farm Life.

Our first program, Early SettlerLife, will celebrate Bellevue’shistory by exploring the pioneerifestyle. What was it like beforewashing machines, clothesdryers, running water, or supermarkets? Visitors willparticipate in a variety ofhousehold chores including

Attendees are residents from allover King County with a greatdiversity of ethnicities and nationalities. Providing heritage programming during these evenings will helpEastside Heritage Center connect with a diverse group of youth in our community.

Jeff Kembel - Bellevue 25th Anniversary commemorative plate Lorraine Weltzien -Child's sled

Museum of History and Industry- Metal document casebelonging to J. W. Clise

Jane MortonEducation Coordinator

rolling dough, washing clothes,churning butter and more.

Free Friday Nights at KidsQuestChildren’s Museum are open to the public and have proven to be immensely popular with 600-800 people participatingeach night.

Visitors are 60% children, ranging in age from 0-8 years,and 40% adults (parents,grandparents and extended family members).

th

....

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Page 6 HERITAGE REFLECTOR October 2011

Bellevue Women's Club, June 1923 (L 84.029.032)

Josephine Godsey, a charter member and the first secretary of the club, gave more detailsin her 1978 oral history.

Phyllis Knick: Where’s Wildwood [Park]?

Josephine Godsey: Let’s see…it’s where the yacht club is now. Out at the end of the bay. Lookfarther. That’s Schupp’s wherethe yacht club is. But look farther, clear down at the end. It was a park, a wild park and theyhad a baseball field and they hada dance place and every night they brought a load of people over to dance. Some of [themwere] always from Seattle, I believe, the excursions. They would take their little organizations, I guess… And sometimes they had lots of beer.Remember that being consistent?

Unknown Man: They had their own beer, they always broughtbeer. I remember my father would wrap it up very carefully. These beautiful bottles that Iwould love to have now. Withthe corks and so on.

JG: And Leschi used to have adance place too.

PK: What type of dancing did they do there, down at the park?

JG: Oh, just social dancing.

UM: Was that where the Bellevue Boys Club is now?

JG: Yeah. Whoever was running the clubhouse back thenwould rent it out, just to anybody. And lots of timesthere’d be gangs and drinking. Well, the Bellevue women justdidn’t like it too much, so theythough well, we’ll organize andwe’ll put on some real nicedances for Bellevue people. Sothat’s what we did.

UM: So that was thebeginning…

JG: That was really the beginning of the Bellevue Women’s Club.To develop something right herelocally where we could control things.

The Bellevue Women’s Club, also called the Bellevue Study Club and the Bellevue Business and Professional Women’s Club, was in operation from the 1920s through the 1970s. Article II of the club’s constitution reads:

“This club is constituted for the purpose of fostering and developing [the] best possible social and civic relations between residents of this district and to interest them in all matters and movements that will tend to makeliving conditions therein clean, healthful and attractive.”

PK: Around what year was that?

JG: Around 1920, 21. And then, of course…well, originally, that was it. But then there was the library business, and we were talking about that and developing Meydenbauer Park. And then, of course, any man’s organization needs a women’s auxiliary. So the men’s club startedout doing Strawberry Festival, and thegot thewomen and they had themdoing all the work. So weworked our heads off for Strawberry Festival everyyear.

JG: Do you know why the Women’s Club was formed?

PK: No.

JG: Well, Wildwood Park, of course that was free to everyone around the city of Seattle. All kinds of peoplewere coming over here; we just didn’t know who they were or anything about them. So, therewas no place for Bellevue young people to have a good time at all, unless they go down to thepark. Go down, you know, and join the strangers. And so the club house was there and … andthey really did have a chamber of commerce early but it fizzled out,they didn’t do anything. And then they started renting the clubhouse out.

Volunteer Corner MEMBERSHIP LEVEL:

□ Benefactor $1000 □ Contributor $100□ Steward $500 □ Family $40 □ Supporter $250 □ Individual $25□ Organization $100 □ Student $15

Enroll me as: □ New Member □ Membership Renewal □ Gift

_____________________________________________________________MEMBER’S NAME

_____________________________________________________________ADDRESS

_____________________________________________________________CITY/STATE/ZIP CODE

_____________________________________________________________PHONE_____________________________________________________________EMAIL

This membership is a gift from:

_____________________________________________________________

PAYMENT INFORMATION:

□ Check (make checks payable to the Eastside Heritage Center)□ Credit Card□ Visa □ Master Card □ American Express

_____________________________________________________________NAME ON CARD

_____________________________________________________________CARD #

_____________________________________________________________EXP. DATE V-CODE (last 3 digits on back of Visa/MC)

Additional Contribution: ___________ Total Enclosed: _______________

□ My company will MATCH my gift

Company Name: _______________________________________________

The Eastside Heritage Center is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.

PLEASE MAIL THIS FORM AND PAYMENT TO :Eastside Heritage CenterP.O. Box 40535 Phone: 425-450-1049Bellevue, WA 98015 Fax: 425-450-1050

www.EastsideHeritageCenter.org

Eastside Heritage CenterMEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

All Eastside Heritage Center Members receive:

- Membership Card - Quarterly Newsletter with historical features and program updates - Invitations to exhibits and programs - 10% discount on books and gift shop items

CATEGORIES:

Benefactor - $1,000 Receives Steward Benefits, plus: Honored at Annual EventSteward - $500 Receives Supporter benefits, plus: Special publication Curator’s Tour of the collection

Supporter - $250 Receives Organization benefits, plus: Historic photo reproductionOrganization (schools, scout troops, etc) - $100 Receives Contributor benefits, plus: Free Treasure Box rentals Discounts on filed trips and classroom presentationsContributor - $100 Additional benefits include: Access to Archives fee waivedFamily - $40Individual - $25Student (under 18 years of age) - $15

Page 7HERITAGE REFLECTOROctober 2011

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. William James

The Bellevue Strawberry Festivalagain owes many thanks to Terri Young and the VanderHoek Corporation!

Terri did an amazing job as theVolunteer Coordinator fieldinghundreds of emails, schedulingover 100 volunteers and graciously responding to lots ofphone calls. We could not havedone the Festival without her and the generosity of the VanderHoeks!

And many kudos to all the energetic and dedicated volunteers who helped with the myriad of tasks that needed tobe done for two full days in June.

For many who helped it wastheir second or third year as avolunteer, which speaks to how much fun the event is foreveryone! Thanks to the ‘hullers’on Wednesday and Thursdaybefore the Festival who prepared over 3,000 pounds of strawberries!

We are deeply indebted to students from Interlake, Sammamish, Newport, Bellevueand the International school.

P.O. Box 40535Bellevue, WA 98015

EASTSIDE HERITAGE CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 40535, Bellevue, WA 98015Tel: 425-450-1049Fax: 425-450-1050E-Mail: director@eastsideheritagecenter.orgWebsite: www.eastsideheritagecenter.org

McDOWELL HOUSE (EHC Administrative Offices)Visiting Address: 11660 Main Street, Bellevue, WA 98005Tel: 425-450-1049

WINTERS HOUSE (National Historic Site and EHC Research Services)Visiting Address: 2102 Bellevue Way SE, Bellevue, WA 98004Tel: 425-452-2752 Hours of Operation: EHC Research Office Hours Tues., 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Winters House Public Visiting Hours: Tues 10:00 AM-4:00 PM ; Thurs-Sat 10:00 AM-2:00 PM ; Closed Mon, Wed & Sun.

ACTIVITIES OF THE EASTSIDE HERITAGE CENTER ARE SUPPORTED BY

HERITAGE REFLECTOR - Editors in Chief: Lynn Sherk and Heather Trescases with Graphic Design / Layout: Shadi Sadoughian

HERITAGE REFLECTOR © 2011 Eastside Heritage Center. All rights reserved.