January 2024

Happenings

The last month was full of exciting developments at the Olympia Tumwater Foundation! Read on to learn more.

Honey, Wake Up! We're On The News!

King5 News came to Tumwater Falls on January 15th to get footage of the stunning ice formations and snow here in Brewery Park! This footage and some incredible photos were included on their evening news coverage. If you haven't been down to the park to see the ice and snow lately, make sure you visit before it's gone!

Patrons of the Park

Due to the chilly conditions as of late we have seen some Antarctic friends hanging around Tumwater Falls! The snowy trails and icy water are the perfect habitat for many penguin species (at least this week). Make sure you keep an eye out for these flightless birds on your next walk through Brewery Park...

Stickers are Restocked

Our popular logo stickers are back in stock! These premium vinyl stickers are the perfect size for your water bottle, skateboard, computer, or car! All of our designs are meant for outdoor exposure so don't worry about putting them wherever you think they'd look best.

A New Arrival to the Gift Shop

Don Trosper, a local historian, is the author of "The Tumwater We Never Knew: 40 Short Stories of Historic Tumwater, Washington, 1945-2021". This book tells many historic tales of community events and stories from Tumwater dating back into the 1800s! For those of you who love local history, make sure you get your copy! These books retail for $45 which, like all items in our gift shop, benefits Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls.

Come Tour the Schmidt House

The next tour of the Schmidt House is scheduled for January 23rd at 11am-12:30pm.

Join us for a guided tour of one of Tumwater’s most iconic homes, the Schmidt House, built in 1904 for Leopold Schmidt, founder of the Olympia Brewing Company and his family. Your Tour Guide will take you through four levels of the house from the basement (which houses our archives) to the top floor. Find yourself immersed in the rich history Tumwater has to offer. Doors will open at 10:45am. Please note: The first floor is ADA accessible, but the rest of the house requires climbing stairs.

An Old House With A New Furnace

For the past month the Schmidt House has been battling an ailing furnace. If you attended any of the recent History Talks or House Tours you can attest to the chilly temperature within the house! This past week we had the furnace replaced and are very excited to report that it is working well and now keeping the Schmidt House staff and visitors toasty warm.

February's History Talk:

The Whitman Mission and the Oregon Trail

Held On February 1st



Join us each month for a free hour-long talk on social or natural history, each presented by a recognized expert. All talks will be at noon on a specified Thursday. First come first served until capacity is reached.

The Oregon National Historic Trail does not pass through the Whitman Mission just west of Walla Walla, even though the first emigrants traveled that way. The original route to the Mission has been undocumented for more than 170 years. The story of finding that route through evidence in trail documents and field research is presented by Dave Welch, long-time member, officer, and current chair of the mapping and marking committee of the Oregon-California Trails Association.

Thank You To All Who Participated In Our Give Local Campaign!

Our Campaign

We raised a total of $4,536 for Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls' maintenance and improvement fund through our 2023 Give Local campaign! This funding will keep our trees and plants maintained, our walkways kept clean, and aid in any other project that arises within the park. We sincerely appreciate each and every contribution.

About Give Local

Give Local South Puget Sound is an annual online giving campaign that promotes community generosity and collaboration as we all come together to support nonprofits across Lewis, Mason, and Thurston counties. During Give Local, everyone who loves the South Puget Sound can boost their favorite local causes by donating to one or more participating nonprofits or volunteering to help nonprofits reach their fundraising goals.  

It Was Icy Back Then Too!

In the early 1900s, Leopold Schmidt (seated) and friends sit atop a large block of glacial ice in Alaska.

Want to see more photos like this?

Explore the history of the Tumwater area through vintage photos! In 2020, OTF was awarded a grant from the Thurston County Historic Commission. This grant allowed OTF to digitize over 4,400 images from its collection. We are still actively adding more photos so make sure to check back regularly!