RHS News

We here at RHS& GC had a great time reading over 300 entries for our Celebration Essay Contest. It was hard to choose! Our winners were invited to a City Hall event where they were honored. Though we didn't receive permission to share all of them, please enjoy the winning entries below!

May ushered in exciting contest results for the Renton Historical Society. We received over 320 entries for the Renton’s 125th Birthday Essay and Video Contest, and were able to reward 13 elementary schools with $500 donations to either their PTA or ASB for participating. The 35 classrooms that had at least one student participate in the contest all received an $80 gift card for a class pizza party. The 25 winning students all received recognition from the City Council as wel

Greetings RHS&GC and Renton Community Members, We are thrilled to invite you to our 60thAnniversary & our Annual Membership Meeting! This spring, we aren't just gathering to socialize and look back on 60 years—we are welcoming you into our new permanent home. Please join us for food, drinks, and celebration: When: Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 2:00 PM Where: RHS&GC Headquarters, 1025 S. 3rd St., Downtown Renton(The 3-story brick building across from the Renton History Museum, form

We are so excited to share all the amazing happenings going on with RHS&G! Check out our April Newsletter: Coming to your mailbox soon!

Love and light to those who have lost their loved ones. Robert “Bob” Anderson | 1933 - 2026 Robert “Bob” Laurence Anderson passed away at his home in Ocean Shores, surrounded by his loving family, on February 7, 2026. He was 92 years old. Bob was born on March 5, 1933, in Aberdeen, Washington, to Albert Edwin Anderson and Winifred Bertram (Laurence) Anderson. He grew up in Hoquiam, where he graduated from Hoquiam High School. An accomplished athlete, Bob was an All-State guar

The Renton Historical Society is excited to celebrate the City of Renton’s 125-year birthday! As part of the celebration, we want to highlight the work of the Renton School District's students. All grade levels are invited to submit their work as part of the contest. Deadline: Students must submit work by May 1, 2026 at lunch time. Winners are announced in mid-May. Elementary educators : Students can submit an essay (250 words or less): Theme: What does Renton mean to you?

Stan Greene 1930-2025 Born Stanley David Greene on February 24, 1930, in LaGrande, Oregon. Stan attended Western State College in Bellingham, Washington, as an undergraduate, and pursued graduate work in library audiovisual technology at the University of Washington. Stan met the love of his life, Rose Mary Dewar, and they were married on August 24, 1951. During the Korean War, Stan was in the Navy and served in Adak, Alaska, and Oak Harbor NAS. Stan and Rose Mary lived in Re

RHS is proud to share our Winter 2025 Q4 Newsletter with you! Click HERE for a downloadable PDF! Didn’t get your copy via email? Go to the front page of our website, scroll down, and sign up! Signed up & still haven’t received it? Let us know! Email us at info@rentonhistory.org

A shared headstone at Greenwood Memorial Cemetery¹ in Renton, Washington memorializes two young adults, Debra Marie Evans and Larry Scott Leek, who died in 1984, with the inscription: “Sweethearts. They Died for Love in the Green River Gorge.” Young sweethearts died on May 28, 1984, Memorial Day Weekend, at the Green River Gorge near Black Diamond, WA. When we are no longer able to tell our own life stories, we will be left to the writings of others. What do your relatives kn

Please help us welcome new members of the Renton Historical Society! Alice Lockridge Jacob Winter Steve and Avanti Bergquist and family Dan and Liz Hemenway Greg Bergquist Large Donors: Linda Della Rossa Kirk Mathewson Alice Lockridge Kristy Sharkey Bernie O'Donnell Karen Boswell New Lifetime Member: Bernie O'Donnell Would you like to view a PDF of the full, print newsletter? Please click on the Download image to the right, below.

Photo Credit: Bill Gaw, November 2025. Newly accessioned projector. A big thank you to our 2025 artifact donors! We look forward to featuring more unique relics from Renton’s history donated to RHS each quarter. Jack Bradley, a Renton local since 1962, recently donated a nice selection of projectors. We are grateful Jack thought of us to safeguard his impressive collection of historical significance, and look forward to creating an exhibit to share the story of the projectors