Monday, November 10, 2025
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Looking Back

Looking Back: Memories of the Great Depression and World War II

When the U.S. stock market collapsed on what is known as Black Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1929, it ushered in almost 10 years of the most severe and long-lasting depression...

Looking Back: Discovering there really are monsters living among us

The 1930s was known not only as the decade of the Great Depression and the ending of prohibition, it was also a time of high-profile kidnapping-for-ransom of children with...

Looking Back: The Cressey Family of Lynnwood and Edmonds, Part 4  

You can read Part 1 of this series here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here. Soon after Lewis Cressey arrived in South Snohomish County, his name became a familiar one....

Looking Back: Lynnwood moves forward to incorporation, Part 3       

You can read Part 1 of this series here and Part 2 here. After a vigorous campaign by Lynnwood’s Commercial Club, on June 16, 1948, the Federal Post Office Department...

Looking Back: Lynnwood — beginnings and Days of Progress, Part 2  

You can read Part 1 of this series here. Historically, Lynnwood had its beginnings in 1888 when the land ownership at what is now Lynnwood at the Crossroads consisted of...

Looking Back: Deception Pass, before and after

Before – a treasured photo For me, old books hold a special place in my heart. A few years ago, as a volunteer at Humble House, Sno-Isle Genealogical Society’s library...

Looking Back: Location confusion and Lynnwood history, Part 1

Recently an article in an Edmonds historical publication reported on a disastrous fire in November of 1938—a fire which destroyed Charles Cressey’s Garage and Service Station. However, the article...

Looking Back: The Korean Conflict and Joseph L. Hendricks, Jr.

Each year, before Memorial Day, my objective is to feature one local service member whose name is engraved on the Edmonds School District’s Veterans’ Memorial Monument, or one who...

Looking Back: Daniel Hines – a solitary man of mystery

History remembers the celebrated – genealogy remembers them all Readers of my Looking Back columns may have noticed that I often go beyond history to include genealogy research in my...

Looking Back: The story of Edmonds developer Zophar Lanning Howell III

The people who came to Edmonds when it was still a developing small town, came from various places and backgrounds.  Some had very little money and others were lucky...

Looking Back: 9/11—two decades ago

Twenty years ago, when American Airlines Flight No. 77 was hijacked by five terrorists and deliberately flown into the west side of the Pentagon military headquarters in Washington, D.C.,...

Looking Back: Remembering midget race cars of the past at Aurora Speed Bowl

During the early 1930s, as our nation struggled to survive the Great Depression, a new sport burst upon the scene, and oval tracks for midget car racing began appearing...

Looking Back: Taming a town while still having a good time in Edmonds

When the little village of Edmonds incorporated as a fourth-class town in August of 1890, even though there had been some hard times, the residents must have been filled...

Looking Back: The meaning of Memorial Day — and plans for a remembrance this year

Nothing appears to symbolize the true meaning of Memorial Day in our country more than the beautiful and poignant poem In Flanders Fields. This poem was written 106 years...

Looking Back: More on a man named Fred Drew and some Lynnwood and Edmonds history

Part 2 of two parts. You can read Part 1 here. In 1910 – on the way to the waterfront mills in Edmonds Nothing depicts the early days of the town...

Looking Back:  A man named Fred Drew and some Lynnwood and Edmonds history

Part 1 of two parts Before Lynnwood – a peaceful land of giant trees When the loggers and the homesteaders came to the area we know today as Lynnwood, except...

Looking Back: Remembering March 29, 1973 – a day of return from Vietnam

The latest issue of the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Magazine reminded me that on Monday, March 29, our country will pay honor to the veterans of the Vietnam...

Looking Back: The history of a small baby spoon—a family treasure

Sometimes writing articles about history can be frustrating, controversial, and even boring. Right in the middle of putting together an article about a large lumber company, its long-time log...

Looking Back: Shopping—the past and the present

Some changes in my own life inspired me to look at the history of shopping from a different perspective, and to realize that through the years, even though new...

Looking Back: History of the waterways of South Snohomish County  

Recently, a reader commenting on my April 9, 2019 article, “Looking Back: South Snohomish County place names from the past,” asked how Shell Creek got its name? In my reply to...