Our Interim Executive Director Tara McCauley recently joined Phil Andrus on KPTZ’s Attention Please! to talk about JCHS’s many summer activities with a special focus on our downtown walking tours. This summer, we’ve been delighted to offer two tours every week—one that’s become a standard plus a brand new one.
Returning this summer and offered every Saturday at 11:00 AM is Vanishing Murals of Port Townsend, a guided look at some of the fading advertising murals throughout our downtown district. While many of our murals come from a proliferation of national advertising campaigns at the turn of the 20th century, did you know we have some examples of more contemporary murals right here in Port Townsend? Join us any Saturday through August to learn more about eight of Port Townsend’s most iconic ghost murals on this tour that highlights not only the stories behind them, but also how they’re made and preserved.
Our newest tour, Legends and Lore of Port Townsend, combines two things Port Townsend has in spades—lore and a rich historical record—to invite participants to consider how we discern fact from fiction. Drawing from some of the more infamous, mysterious, and salacious stories in Port Townsend’s history, this tour offers a glimpse into how documents, photos, physical evidence, and stories passed down all play into the stories we tell today. Legends and Lore tours run every Saturday at 2:00 PM through August. Join us to revisit some stories you might already know and maybe learn some new ones—all through the guiding lens of how we know what we know.
Check out Phil’s conversation with Tara for some more insight on both tours. Tara discusses some highlights from each tour, why our understanding of history is always changing, and how tours like these are researched and developed. Listen to the midway point (14:09) to hear the spot on Port Townsend’s waterfront that Phil thinks is overdue for a mural of its own. And listen to the end (23:45) to hear Tara reflect on how, even if it can never be proven or disproven by the historical record, lore enriches our sense of history and place.
If after listening, you feel enticed to join us for a guided walk through local history this summer, pre-registration is required. If you can’t make a Saturday tour this summer or just want to book a tour with a big group of friends or family, we’re thrilled to now offer private tours between March and December for groups of up to 12 people! Visit our walking tours page to register for or book a tour and find out more about a variety of guided and self-guided ways to explore local history.
Historic image from JCHS collection: Captain Tibbals and Pioneer Buildings, with Palace Hotel and Townsend Theatre at Water and Tyler Streets. Taken before 1946 when upper two floors and tower of neighboring Kuhn Building were removed. Cars are late 1920s to early 1930s. Newest car is a 1933 Chevrolet (ID 2002.81.15). The Palace Hotel is the site of one story highlighted in our new Legends and Lore tour.
Our downtown walking tours were also featured recently in the Leader! Check out the story from earlier this month.