Oral Histories - Kitsap History Museum

ORAL HISTORIES

Dive into the soundscape of the community and discover the myriad ways the county touches the hearts of its people. This collection of audio recordings features long-time residents of Kitsap who share their stories about living in the county. Interviews were conducted by Carolyn McClurkan, former Kitsap History Museum archivist and active member of the community. Over 20 years, Carolyn conducted these oral histories to document the unique experiences of living in Kitsap throughout the 1900s.

Special thanks to intern Kara Shepard from Colgate University for the many, many hours spent organizing and digitizing these tapes*.

Audio was enhanced using DenoiseIT and RNNoise to remove background noise*. Written transcripts were auto-generated using OpenAI’s Whisper speech recognition software.

*Please note: The original recordings were made on cassette tapes, which may affect the audio clarity. During digitization, efforts were made to enhance intelligibility, which may have resulted in some audio distortion.

Below are a few excerpts from our oral history collection, paired with photos from our archives.

Click on the image to play the video.

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Alton Barker’s father, Clark Barker, arrived in Kitsap County from Chicago as a young man with a wife and daughter, in 1910, and bought 20 acres from departing homesteader, Leonard Wager’s property, near Pearson Point; he later added 40 acres more. The family were active ‘stump farmers’, raising chickens, cattle, pork and vegetables. They were[...]
Amy Burnett is Kitsap’s best-known artist. Her great-grandfather, J.W. Allen came by covered wagon at the turn of the 19th century. He homesteaded on land which is now the Bremerton National Airport. J.W. Allen and his son, Bruce Henry Allen both helped build the first Navy Yard (future PSNS). A team of their horses had[...]
This is a very interesting saga of a long-time mosquito-fleet captain who ended up managing the Seabeck Conference Center and was instrumental in the establishment of Scenic Beach State Park (a very good narrative about the development of the Park). In between, there are family tales of the Alaska gold fields, the development of Colman[...]
Mr. Rogers is one of the last "live outside" inhabitants of the county. He prides himself on not ever having held an 'inside' job, supporting himself by logging, trapping, and land. Andy was born in the San Juan Islands, where his father had been practicing. At about age 50, when World War One was over,[...]
This interview is mostly the story of Art Anderson, who founded Art Anderson Associates, which has grown to become one of the largest and best known ship design company in the world. He was born to Norwegian immigrant parents, who moved to Phinney Bay in Bremerton in 1917, when Art was 3 years old. His[...]
The charming 93-year-old narrator is a poet and artist, who loved art, music, nature, and trees. She was married to two bridge designers. The first was Washington State Bridge Designer Edward Harper Thomas (“Harper”), whose first bridge was the Aurora Ave. Bridge, the second was the first I-90 Floating Bridge. He designed the second Tacoma[...]
Billie Barner was the widow of Henry A. Barner, M.D.; Dr. Barner was born Henrick Adolph Barner. Dr. Barner was one of the founders of the Kitsap County Medical Association and was that organization’s first President. Mrs. Barner was a founding member of the Bremerton Garden Club and was a long-time supporter of t he[...]
This is a brief history of the Bremerton Yacht Club, founded in 1929. It was originally on the waterfront close to Charleston, then moved to the head of the Bay, by Gorst, in the early 1930’s. It was moved to its present location on Phinney Bay in the mid 1940’s. Lewis Morris , the narrator[...]
King Frank Farrell, first to arrive in Kitsap, came as a master Ironworker/forge specialist/electrical sheetman at the Shipyard in 1916. King’s son, William Edward,”Bill”, was born 1914, in Salt Lake City and moved to Bremerton with his family in 1916. Bill grew up in Bremerton, was Student Body President at Coontz Junior High, and made[...]
Charles “Chuck” Hiber was born August 31, 1937 in Helena, Montana. His family came to Kitsap County in 1942. His father worked in the Shipyard as a master machinist and a tool and die maker. Custody of Charles was given to his father when he and his mother divorced in Montana. He grew up in[...]
Mrs. Brinton, “Cora Mae”, had a very interesting background. Her great-grandfather was Cushing Eells, the founder of Whitman Seminary, which became Whitman College. Her grandfather, Cushing Eells, Jr., was the Director of the Indian School in Tacoma. Her parents, Gertrude Eells Coates and Palgrade Coates) moved to Harper and built the large clinker brick home[...]
In 1907, Dr. Wolfle’s father, David Wolfle, accepted a job teaching at the Union High School and the family moved from Puyallup. After five years of teaching, he was elected County Superintendent; the family moved to Port Orchard and their home there, built in 1913, was Port Orchard’s first house to have electricity. Mr. Wolfle[...]
Mr. Schremser arrived in Kitsap County in 1944. He first enlisted in the Coast Guard; served in Alaska and on the Columbia River. He then worked on the Black Ball and Washington State ferries as an Able Bodied Seaman. He then worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as an electrician and planner, was a[...]
Donald “Don” and Jolanda “Lonnie” Christensen were proprietors of Christensen’ Shoes and the Francis Shop, both long-time businesses on Pacific Avenue in downtown Bremerton. The interview details business life in Bremerton from the 1930’s ( includes with the Bremer family and their business practices) through the 1970’s and ‘80’s. There were two ‘founding’ Christensen brothers,[...]
This interview is the story of the second and third generation of the four Lent brothers who arrived in 1907. Llewellyn Lyon “Lou” Lent partnered with his two sons, Ernie and Harold, and Ted Bloomberg, to start “Lent’s Mechanical”; the company operated until 1985. Harold’s son, Harold, Jr. (“Doug”) began working in the family business[...]
Dr. Charles Lester “Les” Salmon practiced medicine in Kitsap County from 1950 to 1985 and was one of the founding members of the Doctors’ Clinic organization. Before coming to Kitsap County, he discusses his time in medical school, the Army, the Rotary Club and his family. In 1950, he joined a small group medical practice[...]
Dr. Clark William “Bill” Biedel was a pediatrician in Kitsap County from 1949 to 1988. He, along with his wife, Margaret, talked about his medical school years, the time he served in the Army. His duties included caring for a diphtheria ward in Germany and the “war bride hotel” in Italy, moving European brides back[...]
Dr. John's memories were taped by his family in about 1957, and gifted to the museum. His tale of how he finally had practiced long enough to officially become a physician is very pioneer America. His tales of early Kitsap County medicine, with house calls by boat and bikes, and surgeries on beaches, are fascinating.[...]
Part 2: Dr. John's memories were taped by his family in about 1957, and gifted to the museum. His tale of how he finally had practiced long enough to officially become a physician is very pioneer America. His tales of early Kitsap County medicine, with house calls by boat and bikes, and surgeries on beaches,[...]
The Bright family has been prominent in Bremerton life since 1900, when Thomas Bright arrived to work as Master Painter in the Shipyard, and purchased 10 acres in Manette. His son, Dr. Jacob Bartineus Bright, was one of Bremerton’s early dentists. Jacob’s first son, Dr. Robert Bartineuse Bright., was a physician with a 50-year practice[...]
Dr. Proteau is a prominent dentist who grew up in Bremerton and came back after service in the U.S. Navy to practice dentistry. He describes his own dental practice and discusses Bremerton’s earlier dental history. A long-time member of the Bremerton Central Lions Club, he describes the Lions’ activities in the community, and the creation[...]
fDuey and Ginny have been pillars of Kitsap County since they arrived as newly-weds from Seattle in 1961. He had his own Pharmacy on the corner of Marine Drive and Kitsap Way. That pharmacy grew into the first McBride’s Hallmark Shop, which expanded to a chain of six more throughout the County and beyond. While[...]
Edna Mae Kennedy was born in Billings, Montana on April 3, 1918. She moved from Billings to Seattle, Washington when she was 9 years old and in third grade. After the death of her mother, Hilda Matilda Seierstad, Edna Mae and her 4 siblings, moved to Lemolo with her grandfather, John Seierstad. After fifth grade[...]
This is really the Ross Family interview. Effie’s husband, C.A. “Pete” Ross had an inventive mind, and worked as a chemist assistant to Thomas A. Edison until Edison closed his shop. Then he worked at a New Jersey shipyard until moving the family to Kitsap in 1943. During this time, he was working on a[...]
Elaine Valencia was the Executive Assistant to six Bremerton Mayors and a “temp” for another. The interview is a unique perspective of the workings of the Mayor’s office under different mayors, elections in Bremerton, and a description of the re-development of downtown Bremerton during the past forty years. Also discussed are the Fountain Park, the[...]
Four Lent brothers arrived in Bremerton together. The narrator, Donna Gay Lent (Stirrett) Boyle is the granddaughter of Llewellyn Lyonud (“Lou”). The Lent family, and especially this branch, has been active and influential in Bremerton and Kitsap County for five generations. (For family arrival information, see the “Bremerton” section of the Green Book.) The first[...]
With an adventuresome Finnish father and a Nordic love of the outdoors, Mr. Salmela led an active and interesting life. His father, Henry J. Salmela, owned bakeries in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bremerton, but in 1922 took his wife and son on a 5-month road trip to Tijuana and back to Bremerton. After a degree in[...]
Geraldine “Gerry” Gossett Peret came to Kitsap County in 1931 at the age of one. Around 1942, her father, Buel Gossett, purchased a home in Bremerton that is known as “The Castle.” The previous owner and builder, James d’Orma “Dorm” Braman owned a millwork in Bremerton. She shares stories of some of the people that[...]
At the time of this interview, Mrs. Gyger had just celebrated her 99th birthday. She arrived with her parents, at the age of 3, to a hard scrapple 20-acre farm outside Kingston, and lived in Kitsap County all her life. This is a wonderful description of her life and that of her family and friends,[...]
This is the story of the Arthur Olson family, as told by the widow of Arthur Olson. He arrived as a middle child of a 13-child family who lived in a large house at an eastern corner of Eighth St. and Warren Ave. The father was a painter. The family moved to Whidbey Island, but[...]
Gordon Hudson was born in Wenatchee, Washington on April 4, 1913. His family came to Kitsap County in 1916. He was raised in Bremerton. His father, Levi Hudson, worked for the Navy Yard. His sister was a Yeomanette during WWII and was secretary to the base commander. Gordon was active in scouting (He was in[...]
The two narrators are sisters. Their father was younger brother to Lulu Haddon, one of Bremerton’s most famous ladies. Mrs. Haddon was born ca. 1880, and after raising a large family, served on the School Board in the ’20s, then served in the House of Representatives, then in the State Senate and Superintendent of Public[...]
This interview is the story of one remarkable woman whose life reflects many parts of the culture of the Great Northwest. Born in a Yukon goldrush camp, Hannah experienced most facets of NW life on her way to becoming the first woman president of a bank west of the Mississippi. Anton Norum arrived from Norway[...]
The Bishop family came west by wagon train after the Civil War, and arrived in Seattle when Washington was still a territory. They lived in Gig Harbor for several years, then moved to Long Lake, where Mrs. Bishop taught school in the 1890’s. Mr. Bishop bought property in Harper before Washington became a state, where[...]
The Bishop family came west by wagon train after the Civil War, and arrived in Seattle when Washington was still a territory. They lived in Gig Harbor for several years, then moved to Long Lake, where Mrs. Bishop taught school in the 1890’s. Mr. Bishop bought property in Harper before Washington became a state, where[...]
J. Nicholas Hein was one Kitsaper who claimed his homestead in 1889, proved up, and his family lived there until just before the homestead and its nearby Lake (Hein’s Lake) became part of Kitsap County’s watershed. Tinsmiths, farmers, plumbers, Shipyard workers, County officials, Charleston business owners, innkeepers during Prohibition, a founding member of the Kitsap[...]
Ester Aune Starcevich was born on April 14, 1916 in Chimacum, Washington. Eric Herreid family, homesteaders; Aune family, Poulsbo; .In 1920 her family moved to Poulsbo, where her father, Berndt Aune, taught school. Her maternal grandparents settled in Old Bangor in 1906, the same house and property where this interview occurred. Ester speaks of her[...]
Mrs. Snypp, the narrator, is the daughter of James S. Kenyon. Her father arrived in Bremerton from New York State around 1900. He arrived with family and his horses and set up a successful business on Washington Ave. at the dock. By contract with the city, he paved the first streets in the City, in[...]
Janet Yuckert was born June 8, 1936 in Coulee City, Washington. Her family moved to Bremerton when her father came to work in the Shipyard. She grew up in Manette close to the location of a Barrage Balloon. These are memories of a young child during World War II: the Barrage Balloons, blackout curtains, shopping[...]
Morris and Isaac Soriano came to the Northwest from the island of Rhodes; Morris was born in 1900 and Isaac two years later; they were 19 and 17 when they arrived in Seattle. Their families chose Seattle for their home because there was already a group of Sephardic Jews from Rhodes who had settled there.[...]
Chuck Haselwood arrived in Bremerton from Ellensburg in 1941, directly from graduation from high school. He found a job at a gas station in downtown Bremerton until he was drafted into WWII. He served with General Patton through Italy, and was on his way to Japan when the war ended. He bought his own gas[...]
The narrator, John F. Mitchell, is a descendant of the McPherson and Keith families of the South Colby area, and connected to the Birkenfeld family as well. The early McPhersons are covered in the “Green Book”, later McPhersons were public servants: Kitsap County Auditor, Civil Service Director for the City of Bremerton, many educators. The[...]
“Jorgen Nelson” was the oldest and the premier jewelry store in Bremerton from the time the narrator’s father established his shop in the early ’20’s. He brought a beautiful Joseph Mayer clock with him and installed it in from of his shop on Pacific Ave. [The clock was gifted to the Kitsap History Museum and[...]
Judge Robert Bryan is a Senior United States District Judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He was born and raised in Bremerton and attended Bremerton schools. He received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Washington. His father, grandfather and uncle were lawyers and active in the community. He reflects on[...]
Judge Robert Bryan is a Senior United States District Judge appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. He was born and raised in Bremerton and attended Bremerton schools. He received his B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Washington. His father, grandfather and uncle were lawyers and active in the community. He reflects on[...]
Emil Klinghammer arrived in Kitsap County in 1897. He was born in Germany, stopped in Portland, Oregon where he married his wife Ida, also from Germany. He was hired as the Naval Shipyard’s first draftsman, and was Supervising Draftsman from 1901 until his sudden death from a heart attack in February, 1936, at age 68.[...]
Lile Anderson chronicles the life of his family, who settled in the late 1880’s on property located in Olalla, Washington, now called Anderson Point. Lile’s paternal grandfather, B. Roy Anderson, purchased 44 acres of the property in 1901. The property was eventually sold to Kitsap County as a park in 1999. Lile reflects on visiting[...]
Mary Higashi Hirata is a daughter of the Higashi family, who were interned during World War II, at Minamoto. She was a resident of King County at the time of internment, and the story of those families is just a bit different from the Kitsap families from Bainbridge Island, although very similar. It tells the[...]
This is an interesting (and surprisingly cheerful) account of an early Kitsap logging/fishing family, with a life of lots of chores, with social life revolving around church on Sundays. "Minnie" and the First Lutheran Church of Port Madison are teh same age; she was the first baby baptized there. Her father (Andrew Sorensen) was lost[...]
This large and active family has been prominent in Kitsap County in the fields of land development and public safety. Both Morken and Fitzwater first generations worked at the Shipyard. Art Morken, Jr was a leader throughout his youth and became the youngest Chief of Police, then served as Kitsap County Sheriff for many years.[...]
Morna Blessing’s father came around the Horn at the age of one, while Washington was still a territory. He finally arrived in Bremerton about 1916, at the age of 31. He fell in love with a young lady, and settled down. This is the story of a lower middle-class family making its way “up the[...]
Norma Card was born in Bremerton on January 15, 1929. She grew up in Bremerton and lived there most of her life. Her husband was Arthur Card who was also born in Bremerton and raised in Manette. He was an electrical engineer and worked in the Navy Yard for a short time. His father was[...]
Both the Dahl family (from Norway) and the Usitalo family (from Finland, via Minnesota) arrived in the Central Kitsap area, with a very typical immigrant life-style: bought enough land to feed their family. Elaine’s grandmother was the oldest of eleven children and at 16, went to work in a Seattle clothing manufacturing firm. Her mother[...]
Orville “Orv” R. Burns was born August 3, 1925 in Tacoma, Washington and moved to Bremerton in 1935. He attended Bremerton High School and graduated in 1943. Orv then joined the Army where he traveled with the Ameri-Cal battalion,to the Philippines and Japan. After he mustered out, Orv worked at Fort Lewis until he took[...]
Pat Sebring was a long time resident, teacher, and newspaper columnist in Kitsap County. Raised in Seattle, she earned her teaching certificate at Seattle Pacific College and moved to Kitsap County in 1950, living in Southworth. She taught elementary school for South Kitsap for almost thirty years and was one of the districts’ founding members[...]
Louis Mentor was Mayor of Bremerton 1990 through 1994. Paulette is his widow; they had been married 18 ½ years when he died very unexpectedly of a severe brain hemorrhage on September 16, 2003, sixteen days after his brother Joe Mentor died of a massive stroke. The history relates the history of the Mentor family,[...]
Carl Gustof Berglind (not Berglina as in the “Brown” history book), arrived in Manette in 1893, to work as an ironmonger/blacksmith on the original drydock at the Shipyard; he worked there until he died in 1916. Their daughter Rosa was born in 1895; she was the first white child born in Bremerton. Their son Hugo[...]
Lamb tells of the gallons and gallons of hard liquor stored at his home during and after WWII; his mother, Vera Lamb, was manager of the Officers’ Club and the BOQ (Batchelor Officers’ Quarters) Club and was a friend to most of them. When they got unexpected orders out, they would gift them to her[...]
These two families’ first Kitsapers arrived in 1900/1902, the Brights arriving from Norway (paternal) and Germany (maternal). The Attridges arrived via Ellis Island (maternal) and New England (paternal). From Shipyard and Manette beginnings, the Bright line has featured prominently in Bremerton social life, and has included several medical practitioners. The second generation included Dr. Jacob[...]
The three narrators are the great-grandchildren of James A. Thompson, who arrived with the original founders of Port Gamble. He was the saw filer, probably the most important person at the lumber mill; if the saws weren’t filed properly, the mill didn’t operate. Port Gamble had three generations of Thompson saw filers: James, his son,[...]
The Cline family came to Kitsap County in 1883 where they homesteaded in Long Lake. In 1885 Henry Cline moved to Mitchell Point and opened a grocery store and post office. In 1886 he moved to Sidney and opened a grocery store and post office on the corner of Frederick and Bay Streets. His son,[...]
Mr. Woodward was the long-time owner-editor of the weekly newspaper, the Bainbridge Review, transforming it from a “boiler plate” paper to an actual newspaper. He and his wife did everything, for 23 years, including setting the linotype machine. After December 1941, and the Japanese and Nissei citizens were expulsed and sent to Manzanar, the Review[...]
The first William Henry Gates arrived in Bremerton from Seattle before 1917, and operated a small hotel/boarding house called the Gates Hotel on Burwell, between Washington and Pacific. With Roy Morrison and his son, the second Wm. H. Gates, they started the U.S. Furniture Company in 1917, located in approximately the same area as the[...]
Yula May Harris was born in Monroe, WA and was raised in Montana. She came to Kitsap County in 1942 with her husband, Lee Harris, who worked in the shipyard. In 1953, they started an autoparts store in Manette. It was there until 1968 when it moved to Wheaton Way in East Bremerton. They retired[...]