West End celebrates its history this weekend

KALALOCH — Storytellers, historic photographs and the chance for West End residents to record their stories for posterity will be offered during the second annual West End History Weekend from Friday through Sunday.

The event, sponsored by the Jefferson County Historical Society, will begin at Kalaloch Lodge, 157151 U.S. Highway 101.

A video exhibit of historic photographs for the society’s upcoming book, “Olympic Mountains,” will be mounted and available for viewing at the lodge from 4 p.m. Friday through 10 a.m. Sunday.

Residents can have their stories recorded throughout the weekend.

The recordings will become part of the historical society’s countywide oral and video history collection.

In addition, West End storytellers will tell tales at two Hoh River locations between 10 a.m. and

2 p.m. Saturday:

— Kathy Barlow Dickson will talk with guests at Hoh Humm Ranch.

Dickson, great-granddaughter of early settler John Huelsdonk — known as the Iron Man of the Hoh — will share stories of the Huelsdonk and Fletcher families’ homesteading days, and show visitors artwork by her mother, Elizabeth “Missy” Barlow, a West End artist.

— Upper Hoh River history will be shared by Gary Peterson at the Peak 6 Store, 4.6 miles up the Hoh River Road.

Peterson will share the story of Minnie Peterson, who ran horse-packing trips into the Olympics, as well as other tales from his family’s history.

He will also offer highlights from his newest publication, “Gods and Goblins: A Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park.”

Peterson is also the co-author of “High Divide: Minnie Peterson’s Olympic Mountain Adventures” and “Women to Reckon With: Untamed Women of the Olympic Wilderness.”

In addition, Ron Erickson will show people the remnants of the historic puncheon — or plank — road that once connected Forks with the Hoh River Valley.

He will meet visitors on the Upper Hoh River Road just east of Hell Roaring Creek from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Saturday.

At 4 p.m. Saturday, a program will be held in the library at Kalaloch Lodge featuring Jon Preston, lead interpretive officer for the Rain Forest Region of Olympic National Park.

Preston will tell stories about the rain forest.

To record your story, or for more information, phone the historical society at 360-385-1003.

Kalaloch Lodge is offering special room rates for the West End History Weekend.

For information and reservations, click on visit kalaloch.com or phone 866-525-2562. Use promotion code WSTEND when making reservations.

More in News

Sue Long, left, Vicki Bennett and Frank Handler, all from Port Townsend, volunteer at the Martin Luther King Day of Service beach restoration on Monday at Fort Worden State Park. The activity took place on Knapp Circle near the Point Wilson Lighthouse. Sixty-four volunteers participated in the removal of non-native beach grasses. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Work party

Sue Long, left, Vicki Bennett and Frank Handler, all from Port Townsend,… Continue reading

Portion of bridge to be replaced

Tribe: Wooden truss at railroad park deteriorating

Kingsya Omega, left, and Ben Wilson settle into a hand-holding exercise. (Aliko Weste)
Process undermines ‘Black brute’ narrative

Port Townsend company’s second film shot in Hawaii

Jefferson PUD to replace water main in Coyle

Jefferson PUD commissioners awarded a $1.3 million construction contract… Continue reading

Scott Mauk.
Chimacum superintendent receives national award

Chimacum School District Superintendent Scott Mauk has received the National… Continue reading

Hood Canal Coordinating Council meeting canceled

The annual meeting of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, scheduled… Continue reading

Bruce Murray, left, and Ralph Parsons hang a cloth exhibition in the rotunda of the old Clallam County Courthouse on Friday in Port Angeles. The North Olympic History Center exhibit tells the story of the post office past and present across Clallam County. The display will be open until early February, when it will be relocated to the Sequim City Hall followed by stops on the West End. The project was made possible due to a grant from the Clallam County Heritage Advisory Board. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Post office past and present

Bruce Murray, left, and Ralph Parsons hang a cloth exhibition in the… Continue reading

This agave grew from the size of a baseball in the 1990s to the height of Isobel Johnston’s roof in 2020. She saw it bloom in 2023. Following her death last year, Clallam County Fire District 3 commissioners, who purchased the property on Fifth Avenue in 2015, agreed to sell it to support the building of a new Carlsborg fire station. (Matthew Nash/Olympic Peninsula News Group file)
Fire district to sell property known for its Sequim agave plant

Sale proceeds may support new Carlsborg station project

As part of Olympic Theatre Arts’ energy renovation upgrade project, new lighting has been installed, including on the Elaine and Robert Caldwell Main Stage that allows for new and improved effects. (Olympic Theatre Arts)
Olympic Theatre Arts remodels its building

New roof, LED lights, HVAC throughout

Weekly flight operations scheduled

Field carrier landing practice operations will be conducted for aircraft… Continue reading

Workers from Van Ness Construction in Port Hadlock, one holding a grade rod with a laser pointer, left, and another driving the backhoe, scrape dirt for a new sidewalk of civic improvements at Walker and Washington streets in Port Townsend on Thursday. The sidewalks will be poured in early February and extend down the hill on Washington Street and along Walker Street next to the pickle ball courts. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Sidewalk setup

Workers from Van Ness Construction in Port Hadlock, one holding a grade… Continue reading