The “Heritage Builders” program of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation had a special treat on Friday, July 1st, as we hosted 10th District Congressman Denny Heck for a guided history tour of Tumwater’s Schmidt House. During his visit with his aide David Bremer, he was not only led through all three floors of the home of the founding family of the Olympia Brewing Company, but also explored the many treasures and stories of the rich historic archives with Curator Karen Johnson and Public History Manager, Don Trosper. Great stories were shared back and forth as the Congressman shared his love of local and state history and learned about the history program here at the foundation.
The executive director of the Foundation, John Freedman, along with two of the trustees (Waite Dalrymple, and Lee Wojnar) also met with Mr. Heck while he was here, both to welcome him and to talk a little about the work of the non-profit Olympia Tumwater Foundation. The visit lasted an hour and a half and everyone involved agreed it was a good, informative time well-spent. The Foundation hopes to be a good resource for him and other public servants for a historic perspective on our area’s rich culture and heritage.
by Don Trosper
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