Saturday Speaker Series - All Over the Map: Surprising Places and Placenames of the Evergreen State

The names given to places and things reflect the history and culture of the people who have called this area “home” for centuries, and even for time immemorial. Formal names – such as “Washington Territory” – only reflect part of the story, while boosterish titles – “Evergreen State” – reflect other dreams and aspirations. Along with these formal monikers, informal nicknames for communities and community institutions hint at the creativity and fluid nature of the shared identities of the places and things that we feel belong to all of us. Broadcaster and historian Feliks Banel has been studying place names since his sister gave him a copy of “Washington Place Names” when he was 10 years old. In this illustrated presentation, Banel explores the stories behind some of the formal and informal names of places and things around Western Washington – including some not found on any map.

Speaker bio:

Feliks Banel is a broadcaster and historian who focuses on Pacific Northwest history, geography, cartography, and pop culture. He presents stories about Northwest history twice each week on KIRO Newsradio, and is host of the weekly radio program and podcast "Cascade of History" heard live Sunday nights from historic Magnuson Park on SPACE 101.1 FM. Prior to joining the staff at KIRO, he created the history series "This NOT Just In" for KUOW Public Radio. Feliks also produces history documentaries for the Seattle Channel. He lives in Seattle.