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March 2026

Happenings

A Look Back at the Olympia Brewery

From top to bottom, left to right, these archival images offer a glimpse into the people, processes, and presence of the Olympia Brewery—an operation that shaped both the landscape and the culture of Tumwater for generations.

• For many years, this view—along with Oly’s iconic clock—welcomed motorists traveling along Capitol Boulevard.
• An Olympia advertising poster from the early 1980s.
• The keg house in the valley. The new construction shown here was used to store beer for Ore-Ida, which famously used Oly in its beer-battered French fries (circa 1985).
• Randy Ames cleans yeast from a fermentation tank. While most tanks were rectangular, a few were cylindrical.
• Tanks in the A-1 cellar. The stainless-steel door in the background led to the brewery’s gift shop area.
• Xavier Smith, whose full-time job was washing windows—no small task given the extensive glass throughout the brewery buildings.
• Cleanliness was a top priority at the Oly plant. Here, a worker sterilizes his boots before entering a tank for interior cleaning.
• Liz Moore, microbiologist, at work in the laboratory, ensuring quality control at the microscopic level.
• A schematic used by tour guides to walk visitors through the brewing process—part education, part storytelling.

Together, these images capture not just how Olympia beer was made, but the pride, precision, and community behind it.

March 5 History Talk:

Unraveling a Local Mystery: Who Was O. C. Lacey?

Join us each month for a free hour-long talk on social or natural history, each presented by a recognized expert. Doors open at 11:30. First-come, first-seated until we reach capacity.

March 5 Talk

Join us at noon on Thursday, March 5, for a fascinating presentation by Lacey Museum Curator Erin Quinn Valcho: “Who Was O. C. Lacey? A Century-Old Mystery Solved!”

Though not the city’s founder, O. C. Lacey became a prominent figure in early Olympia and left a lasting mark when the local post office was named for him. Then, following a public scandal in 1895, he abruptly left town—and seemingly vanished from history.

While past research uncovered where he went after leaving Washington, one question remained unanswered for more than a century: Where did he come from?

Now, that mystery has finally been solved. Come hear the story, the research, and the surprising discoveries behind it on March 5.

Where: Schmidt House, 330 Schmidt Place SW, Tumwater

When: Noon, Thursday, March 5, 2026

Cost: Free! Donations are gratefully accepted.

Doors open at 11:30.

For more information, contact Karen Johnson at 360-890-2299 or karen@olytumfoundation.org.