As part of her monthly video series "Here in Redmond!" and in honor of Women's History Month, Mayor Angela Birney recently met with the Redmond Historical Society to learn more about a few of the incredible women who helped make Redmond what it is today. You can also read about five interesting women we've highlighted this month! Naomi Hardy Emma McRedmond Madhavi RajGuru Miye Yoshitake Christine "Chris" Himes The first woman on our list has a special place in our hearts as a driving force behind the establishment of the Redmond Historical Society! Naomi Hardy: The Redmond Historical Society was co-founded by Naomi “Nao” Hardy in 1999, with those who shared a similar passion in researching and sharing Redmond’s unique history. She was a dedicated volunteer, who served the Society as the Board President, and later as Vice President. Naomi was determined to document Redmond’s history and worked to share this valuable information with as many interested citizens as possible. To this end, she collected thousands of historic photographs, documents, and artifacts that are the foundation for the Society’s collections today. She was also an accomplished writer who published a mystery novel, poetry, and wrote humorous editorials for several newspapers. She eventually wrote Redmond Reflections: From Settlers to Software – a publication highlighting photos from Redmond’s past. Naomi passed away in 2012, but her significance and importance to Redmond was recognized by Mayor John Marchione, naming the Redmond Clock Tower, located at O’Leary Park, after her. Learn more about the Naomi Hardy Clock Tower here. Speaking of founders, this name of this next individual may sound familiar to you, as her father is a well-known early pioneer, and Redmond's namesake. Emma McRedmond: Emma McRedmond was born in Seattle to Irish immigrant Luke McRedmond and his wife Catherine Morse on February 11, 1869. Emma was just 3 years old when her family moved to Redmond. At 16, Emma became Redmond's postmistress. On July 20, 1891, she was deeded a small piece of land, which became the site of Redmond’s second post office, making her one of the first women to own land in the Redmond area. At 29, she married William Henry White, who would soon become a Washington Supreme Court Justice. Emma operated their 14-room hotel, which still stands in historic downtown Redmond today Much like Emma, many women in Redmond's history first moved to Redmond with their families, working to build a home in this community. Madhavi RajGuru: Madhavi RajGuru and her family moved to Washington from New Delhi, India in 1969. They are believed to be the first Indian family to immigrate to Redmond. Before moving she worked with an American filmmaker making a film for international charities, and eventually at the American Embassy. In Redmond, she was hired as the assistant to the Lake Washington School District's Deputy Director, due to her fast typing skills and knowledge of shorthand. Her husband “Raj” was later hired as a budget supervisor -- in the following years they were promoted and eventually found themselves working together as a high level assistant and the Deputy Superintendent. Madhavi and her family experienced many firsts in Redmond -- their first car, owning their first home and first snow! The family became citizens in 1974, which was "a badge of pride" she and her husband wore until their last day. Although they all share a connection to our community, each of these women followed a unique path to Redmond. Miye Yoshitake: Following the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII, Miye Shiogi Yoshitake and her husband Frank moved to the Beacon Hill area in Seattle. In the summer of 1955 they moved to Redmond, in search of "good soil" and a place to call home. They purchased land on Avondale Road, with enough space for a house, a home for Frank’s parents – and to start a nursery and landscape business, Sunset Gardens. They later turned it into a 3-par golf course, Lil Augusta. Today, Redmond's Sunset Gardens Park honors their legacy -- and all they did to build a life in Redmond for their family. The accomplishments of these women have had a lasting effect on the community we know today, but history is still happening here! Christine (Chris) Himes: When she first moved to Redmond, Christine volunteered at her children’s schools – Horace Mann Elementary and Redmond Junior High – where she was eventually honored with the Golden Acorn service award. She would go on to serve as Vice President of the PTSA, a Board Member of Faith Lutheran Church, and in 1975, a Redmond City Councilmember. While on the city council, she was appointed chairman of the bicentennial celebration, and worked with Dorothy Hanscom to develop the first Redmond Walking Tour. In 1979 Chris was elected Mayor of Redmond by 63% of the votes, making her the first woman to fill the role. She served from 1980 to 1984; and was an advocate for the preservation of parks, horse trails, and open spaces in Redmond. At the end of her term Redmond could boast of 19 parks, a trail system and 14 designated historical landmarks. She has remained civically active, as a past president of the Redmond Historical Society and one of its long longstanding supporters.

Lisa Rich, a space commercialization expert, founder, and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore, coined the name of the Redmond Space District. The city has become a leading global satelite hub, with more satellites made in Redmond, WA than anywhere else in the world. Learn more about Xplore and the Redmond Space District below. How did the Redmond Space District (RSD) name come to be? Lisa Rich, a space commercialization expert, founder and Chief Operating Officer of Xplore, coined the name The Redmond Space District. The phrase has a two-fold purpose: it describes Xplore’s location, it also serves to communicate that Xplore is among the cadre of high-quality satellite companies in Redmond growing the emerging space economy. Ms. Rich started using the term in press appearances – and when she shared the fact that more satellites than anywhere in the world are produced in Redmond, Washington, the significance of the term gained traction. The Redmond Space District resonated with Kristina Hudson, CEO at OneRedmond whose collaboration with Xplore and neighboring space companies resulted in Redmond Mayor Angela Birney’s proclamation, and Representative (WA-01) Suzan DelBene’s resolution (H.Res. 646) which was introduced into the Congressional record. Tell us about your company's work. What brought Xplore to Redmond? Xplore's satellite constellation is engineered to provide data products, sensors, data fusion and edge computing from our XCRAFT® satellites. This powerful platform delivers video, optical and hyperspectral imagery to solve global economic, security, climate, education and science challenges. Xplore’s decision to move to Redmond in 2021 was based on criteria such as local access to professional talent from space and non-space companies, specialized testing and manufacturing businesses, its proximity to Seattle and other Eastside communities, and the ability to secure a high-quality, purpose-built, 22,000 sq ft satellite assembly facility. Xplore is a thought-leader in the space sector – and the first to introduce the concept of Space as a Service to the industry. Our innovative focus on services helped drive the evolution of an industry focused on selling hardware in exchange for government cost-plus contracts to a commercial model where space companies sell services to government and an array of commercial customers. Xplore’s range of services include providing data products, sensors, data fusion and edge computing from our XCRAFT® satellites. Our powerful platform of advanced sensors and data products expand the use of remote sensing data to solve global challenges and achieve societal benefits among commercial, government, national security, education, science and environmental customers. Today’s small satellites typically carry one or two instruments and acquire data at a high cost. Xplore is disrupting the quantity, quality and cost of data it can acquire from space with a multi-sensor satellite that is the equivalent of 8 satellites in 1, and is uniquely engineered to deliver high quantities of data at a low cost. The XCRAFT platform also supports on-board compute and edge processing - a next-generation capability that processes data to deliver insights from space. To date, Xplore has won over $5M in government and commercial contracts, most recently with the National Reconnaissance Office for high quality hyperspectral imagery. Xplore is listed on the Silicon Valley Defense Group NatSec100 list as a top venture-backed dual-use company whose capabilities have high value to national security. Xplore is building its XCRAFT satellites at our 22,000 sq ft facility in Redmond, WA and is preparing for its first launch with SpaceX.

By Laura Lee Bennett “Wagner’s book is an impassioned ode to the scientific method and the irrepressible resilience of the natural world."—Ben Goldfarb, Author, UW Press On November 11th, 10:30 am at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse, the Redmond Historical Society welcomes writer and biologist Eric Wagner, who will discuss the resilience of the Mount St. Helens ecosystem, following its giant volcanic eruption in 1980—now known as the greatest natural experiment in Pacific Northwest history. Based on his book, After the Blast: The Ecological Recovery of Mount St. Helens, the author takes us on a journey through the blast zone. He explores not just the surprising ways plants and animals survived the eruption, but also the complex roles that people have played, all while showing how fascinating Mount St. Helens still is, 40 years after the blast. Wagner is speaking courtesy of Humanities Washington. We caught up with Eric for a bit of Q&A. RHS: How old were you when Mount St. Helens blew in 1980? What were you doing when you heard the news? Eric: I was actually just two when Mount St. Helens erupted, so I don't remember it at all. I'm told that the eruption could be seen from Astoria, Oregon, where I grew up. My first memory of Mount St. Helens is going on a hike there in 1986, or thereabouts. I think we were on the Johnston Ridge (west) side of the blast area. I remember it being very hot and dry and dusty, and drinking a lot of white grape juice. I also remember my dad having eventually to carry both my and my sister's backpacks! RHS: What first prompted or inspired you to write about Mount St. Helens? Was it based on news stories, personal experience, or...? Eric: I was pointed to the idea by an editor at UW Press who was interested in a book on Mount St. Helens since the 40th anniversary of the 1980 eruption was approaching. I'm a seabird biologist by training, and so more of an ocean person, but I love the mountains and found the idea of spending time around Mount St. Helens and learning more about it really attractive. Five years later the book was done! Way past deadline, of course…. RHS: Were any non-native species discovered in the "new" ecosystem? If so, to what do you attribute this phenomenon? Eric: Oh, there are many non-native species at Mount St. Helens. It's just kind of the nature of the beast―species move around, humans help move them, humans move through Mount St. Helens spaces and bring other species with them, etc., etc. One of the most interesting examples of this phenomenon is the rainbow trout in Spirit Lake. RHS: What is the most intriguing part of your investigation of the recovery of this ecosystem? Eric: Ooh, tough to choose just one thing! I suppose the most intriguing part was learning just how idiosyncratic the response was all over the mountain. There were very few blanket statements to be made―things that happened in one spot didn't necessarily happen in another. So I guess in the end the most intriguing element was learning just how important it is to look closely at a place for a long time and learn as much as you can. RHS: You've been giving this talk through Humanities Washington for the last two years. What questions do audiences most frequently ask? Eric: People tend to ask about wolves at Mount St. Helens (watch this space!). They ask about logging and its effects on the post-eruption landscape. There's also a lot of memory sharing, i.e., people telling me where they were when they learned of the eruption. I love learning all the different ways that people relate to the mountain. RHS: Will Mount St. Helens erupt again? Eric: Absolutely! I mean, it erupts about every 140 years on average, so we'll be due in a little bit. It might not be a catastrophic eruption like the 1980 one—perhaps more of a dome-building eruption, as in 2004–2008. There are lots of ways for mountains to erupt. RHS: What does the future look like for this ecosystem? Eric: The future of the Mount St. Helens lies in the reestablishment of large conifers. You can see this process beginning on the Pumice Plain and in the Debris Avalanche areas. Big firs and hemlocks and cedars and such are starting to come back. Once that happens, the mountain landscape will be more or less enfolded back into its surroundings, much the way it was before―and then it will erupt again, and everything will change!

Every town has a history. Discover ours! Read our Newsletter The Redmond Historical Society serves our community through collecting, preserving and sharing Redmond’s unique heritage. We are recognized as a primary source for everything historical in our city. Through our staff, volunteers and programs we serve the diverse community – families and schools, business and civic organizations, and government – as we celebrate the unique heritage of the greater Redmond region. Multiple Dates Historic Downtown Walking Tours 2024 May 19, 2024, 1:00 PM Justice White House Since 2003, Tom Hitzroth has led walking tours of Redmond’s historic district. Over the years, the tour has evolved from one hour to two, with the script changing as new information is discovered. RSVP Read the Latest from our Blog Celebrating Women in Redmond: Women's History Month 2024 Redmond Space District: Xplore In Step With Eric Wagner: Journey Through Mount St. Helens Blast Zone―40 Years Later A Redmond Historical Society Exhibit in Partnership with VALA In Step With Laura Da’: ‘Poetry That Engages with History and Image in Cascadia’ Making History: Writing in Response to Art 1 2 3 4 5 Research Resources Explore our collections to learn more about the vibrant history that our Society works so hard to preserve. View our Collections Check out our App Take a self-guided tour of Downtown Redmond with our free Historical Redmond Walking Tour app. Download the App Bill Brown's Garage The original location of Bill Brown's garage, on the corner of 164th Ave NE and Redmond Way. Bill Brown Building The Bill Brown Building, now the home of Matador Restaurant. On the corner of Leary Way and Cleveland Way. Skjarstad's Boot & Shoe Repair "Ole Skjarstad" came to Redmond from Colorado in the spring of 1904, and was the town's first cobbler. Bill Brown's Garage The original location of Bill Brown's garage, on the corner of 164th Ave NE and Redmond Way. 1/7 Thank you to our Major Sponsors & Business Members To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Learn about our Sponsors

Redmond Writing Archive Are you curious about Redmond's literary history? The list below collects published works with a significant connection to Redmond, as well as materials within the Society's research library. Is something missing? We are looking for any book or other publication from or about or connected to Redmond at any time in history to produce a list that's as comprehensive as possible—and ongoing. Additional titles may be submitted below! Works must meet one or more of the following conditions ​ Written about Redmond, an individual from Redmond, an organization primarily located in Redmond, or other closely related topic Written by someone while living or working in Redmond Written by other notable community members with a significant tie to Redmond Inspired by Redmond, it s history, landscape or other features ​ For example, works written by a Redmond Poet Laureate, during their tenure, would be eligible for inclusion. Their works outside of this time period may not be, if they do not live or work in the area, unless inspired or otherwise informed by their time in Redmond. ​ Please note, not all included publications are currently held by the Redmond Historical Society. To learn more a bout how to access works within our collections, please contact the Society's offices at 425-885-2919 or manager@redmondhistoricalsociety.org . ​ Filter by Category Biography Business Children's Book Fiction History Memoir Nonfiction Other Photography Poetry Title Author Connection to Redmond Publisher/Editor Year At RHS 10 x 10: Ten Poems Inspired by Ten Photographs Rebecca Meredith, editor Poetry anthology edited by former Redmond poet laureate. #2 of 100 copies. City of Redmond 2012 Yes 88 Years of Hockey in Seattle: From Metropolitans to Thunderbirds Jeff Obermeyer Regional History, Seattle. Tracing hockey in Seattle from 1911 to 1964. Nostalgia Magazine January 2004 Yes A Hidden Past: An Exploration of Eastside History Arlene Bryant, editor Regional history including a Redmond chapter. Seattle Times 2000 Yes A History of Tolt/Carnation; A Town Remembered - Second Edition Isabel L. Jones, Editor Historical photos, facts and stories re: industry, people and places of regional significance to Redmond. Tolt Historical Society 1997 Yes Becoming a Haiku Poet Michael Dylan Welch Book about haiku poetry by former Redmond poet laureate. Press Here 2015 Yes Bellevue Timeline: The Story of Washington's Leading Edge City From Homesteads to High Rises, 1863-2003 Alan J. Stein and The HistoryLink Staff Regional History, Seattle. Prepared as part of the 50Fest, a commemoration of Bellevue's 1953 incorporation, this book covers lots of history with assorted photos. It has some Indigenous/First Peoples history too. A HistoryLink Book, Distributed by the University of Washington Press 2004 Yes Bellevue: Its First 100 Years Lucile McDonald Regional History, Bellevue. A study of 100 years of Bellevue's history. Lots of photos. Ye Galleon Press 1984 Yes Blossoms Bloom at Night Frank T. Methven Longtime Redmond resident and owner of Lion's Paw restaurant. Dorrance Publishing Co. 2010 Yes Bones Beneath Our Feet: A Historical Novel of Puget Sound Michael Schein Covers 1850s-era history of Puget Sound at war in a "fictional" account of Native Americans and American settlers fighting over land. Author is a long-time Puget Sound resident. Bones & Hastings Publishing 2011 Yes Doc Maynard: The Man Who Invented Seattle Bill Speidel A biography of Doc Maynard, a doctor and one of the white founders of Seattle. Nettle Creek Publishing Company 1978 Yes Page 1 of 11 Form Add a publication title to our database Title Author Publisher/Editor Year Connection to Redmond History Nonfiction Fiction Memoir Biography Business Poetry Photography Children's Book Other (Please include more information in the section above.) Email I have a copy of this work and would be iterested in donating it. Submit We've recieved your suggestion. Thank you!

About Redmond Historical Society founder, Naomi Hardy The Redmond Historical Society was co-founded by Naomi “Nao” Hardy. Hardy is credited for founding the society in 1999 with those who shared a similar passion in researching and sharing Redmond’s monumental history. Hardy’s contributions include a 800-plus photo essay called “Redmond Reflections” and bringing the Redmond Historical society to light with countless documents and photos. Hardy passed away in 2012, but her significance and importance to Redmond was recognized by Mayor John Marchione, naming the Redmond Clock Tower after the leading force behind the Redmond Historical Society, located at O’Leary park. Hardy saw the Redmond Historical Society flourish, as the society grew to 140 members in just a decade. From gathering a few local history buffs in Redmond to 1999, her hard work and passion devoted to the society is the reason why the society is highly respected and valued in the community of Redmond, WA. No one had a bigger impact on the development of the Redmond Historical Society than co-founder Naomi Hardy. The Dedication of the Redmond Clock Tower The clock tower and kiosk that anchors Redmond’s historic core along Leary Way now has a name—one that city officials, the Redmond Historical Society, and long-timers who knew Redmond when it had just one traffic light honored in May, 2016. "The Naomi Hardy Clock Tower” was dedicated by Mayor John Marchione as a tribute to the founding force behind the Redmond Historical Society. Naomi Hardy was determined to research and share Redmond’s history, gathering a few other local history buffs in 1999 and then seeing the Society flourish, growing to more than 140 members in just a decade. ​ “Nao” Hardy passed away in 2012, but her legacy includes all the research for the heritage kiosk that’s part of the clock tower, as well as the script for the first walking tour of Redmond’s historic core. She also penned the Society’s book Redmond Reflections, and amassed a “Who’s-Who of Redmond” with hundreds of names. A plaque and sign in Hardy’s honor let passersbys know that one person can make a significant difference in their community. For Hardy, it was sharing Redmond’s history so that long-timers would feel treasured, and newcomers would learn about Redmond’s roots and have that in common with their new neighbors. "No one had a bigger impact on the development of the Redmond Historical Society than co-founder Naomi Hardy," says Society President Joe Townsend. “Naomi loved to say ‘History is Happening in Redmond’; naming the tower after her makes Naomi a larger part of that history.” ​ The Naomi Hardy Clock Tower is located at O'Leary Park , on the corner of Leary Way and Redmond Way.