March 2024

Happenings

The last month was full of exciting developments at the Olympia Tumwater Foundation! Read on to learn more.

An American Revolution Exhibit Coming to the Schmidt House

Visit us April 5 through April 17, 10 AM to 4 PM (excluding Mondays and Tuesdays) to see the exhibit. Admission is free!



In April, an exciting new exhibit about the American Revolution is coming to the Schmidt House. The exhibit was created by the American Battlefield Trust and the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. We are pleased to be one of only three venues in western Washington that will host the exhibit in 2024.

(Left) Towhee, (right) Steller's Jay. Photography by Liam Hutcheson.

April's History Talk: Backyard Birding

Held On Thursday, April 4th at Noon

Join us each month for a free hour-long talk on social or natural history, each presented by a recognized expert. All talks will be at noon on a specified Thursday. First come first served until capacity is reached.

Join our guest speaker, George Walter, to learn how to better appreciate and enjoy our avian neighbors. In this illustrated talk, George will discuss local birds, their habits, and identifying characteristics. George is the environmental program manager at the Nisqually Indian Tribe’s natural resources department. He’s been observing birds for over 40 years, and writes a birding column for JOLT News.

History Talks are free to attend, and start at noon. Doors will open at 11:45am.

The 2024 Traditional Scholarship Application is Here

Do you know a Thurston County graduation senior who is planning to attend a college within Washington State? If so, make sure to encourage them to apply for our 2024 Traditional Scholarship!

We award around 20 scholarships each year, from $5,000 to $15,000, to graduating seniors in Thurston County who plan to attend college within Washington. Last year we gave out $140,000, and we've given over $2.4 million since the beginning of our scholarship program in 1962! Applicants will be screened for financial need, academic promise, a 3.0 grade point average or better, work ethic, and community involvement.

Riverwalk Tours Are Back!

Join us next Tuesday, March 19th, at 5pm at the Brewery Park office for a guided

hour-long tour through Brewery Park. Admission is free.

Learn the history of Euro-American settlement along the Deschutes River – now the location of Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls – and the relationship between people and the river over the last two centuries, from trusted local guides.

Can't make it next week? No worries! Join us next month on April 2nd or 16th.

Patrons of the Park

This month's patron of the park is a little shy, very short, and definitely elusive. He didn't want to pose for a photo so we only managed to get a sneaky picture of his pot of gold! We're forecasted to have some sunny weather this weekend which means there won't be any rainbows in Brewery Park. Just in case you were thinking of looking for said pot of gold...

Tour the Schmidt House

The next tour of the Schmidt House is scheduled for April 2nd from 11am-12:30pm.

Join us for a guided tour of one of Tumwater’s most iconic homes, the Schmidt House, built in 1904 for Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company and his family. Your Tour Guide will take you through four levels of the house from the basement (which houses our archives) to the top floor. Find yourself immersed in the rich history Tumwater has to offer. Doors will open at 10:45am. Please note: The first floor is ADA accessible, but the rest of the house requires climbing stairs.

A Schmidt Sketch

Elva Ingalls sketched this flower in her college art class at UW, circa 1944. In December 1945, Elva married Peter G. Schmidt, Jr., who was serving in the Navy during World War II. Their marriage lasted 69 years.

Want to see more photos like this?

Explore the history of the Tumwater area through vintage photos! In 2020, OTF was awarded a grant from the Thurston County Historic Commission. This grant allowed OTF to digitize over 4,400 images from its collection. We are still actively adding more photos so make sure to check back regularly!