Rhododendron Park sits on 13 acres of land in the city of Kenmore and was once the home of rhododendron enthusiast Reginald A. “Charlie” Pearce. An Englishman who immigrated to the Pacific Northwest at the turn of the 20th century, Pearce became a Seattle clothier and Alaska equipment outfitter. He…
SuzanneGFebruary 26, 2023
Working for a Better Habitat This is the story of an unlikely villain and an unlikely hero. Both were transplanted from unfamiliar climes. One pushes out diversity, the other is helping it to thrive. Like many stories, this one begins many years ago. A Strange, New Breed In the Pacific…
SuzanneGFebruary 26, 2023
Harry and Lydia Anderson arrived in Bothell from Deer Lodge, Montana, in 1922 with their children: Ferne (Huber), Harry Jr., Leslie, Doris, Ruth, Dick, and an eleven-month-old baby girl, which was me. My mom and dad rented a home in Bothell, awaiting an opportunity to purchase their own property. By…
SuzanneGSeptember 30, 2022
History of Pride Month Every year in June, people around the world celebrate diversity, inclusion, and the LGBTQ+ community. To us, celebrating Pride means promoting self-affirmation, dignity, and equal rights for all. It’s a time for people from all walks of life to stop and reflect on what it means…
SuzanneGMay 30, 2022
Motorboat, Sammamish Slough Race, Redmond, April 9, 1952 Photo by Stuart Hertz, Courtesy MOHAI (PI26528) Source: Historylink.org Sammamish Slough Race During the early years of pioneer settlement in the 1870s and 1880s, the Sammamish River (also known as the Sammamish Slough) was the primary transportation route from Lake Washington and…
SuzanneGMarch 6, 2022
Go Bananas! Bananas made their way west from Asia by traveling with Arab conquerors as long ago as 300 BC, and they have been growing in popularity ever since. Banana bread was first developed and started to become popular back in the 1930’s, during the Great Depression. American housewives of…
SuzanneGFebruary 28, 2022
When you turn on your faucet, water flows. But it wasn’t always that way in Kenmore. How Kenmore’s water system developed from private wells to what we enjoy today. Excerpts from “Kenmore By the Lake, A Community History” 1922: Charlie Pearce, founder of the rhododendron nursery that is now Rhododendron Park,…
SuzanneGOctober 31, 2021
Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club Provides Programming to Kenmore The Seattle Flying Dragon Boat Club was formed in 2007 as a growing infant of the Tacoma Dragonboat Club. SFDBC has expanded rapidly through the years since then and was chosen by the City of Kenmore to provide programming at the…
SuzanneGMay 30, 2021


