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Company towns in Western Washington is focus of author talk at Yelm library

Writer and researcher Linda Carlson will visit the Yelm Timberland Library at 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 17 to share her discoveries about life in Western Washington towns of 1900 to 1950 that were built by timber, coal and other companies. The talk is free of charge and open to the public.

Company-owned towns were built around an industry. Usually remote and often subject to severe weather, many developed into tight-knit communities with a variety of social and cultural activities. In this informal lecture, Ms Carlson shares anecdotes about daily life in these communities. She describes how the people lived, ate, worked, played, shopped, educated their children and worshipped—and what eventually became of the towns.

Carlson grew up in Pierce County, not far from several former timber and coal towns. She has a degree in journalism and has written several books, most recently, Company Towns of the Pacific Northwest. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing.

This is a Humanities Washington, Inquiring Mind presentation. The Yelm Timberland Library is located at 210 Prairie Park Street, Yelm. For more information, please call the library at (360) 458-3374.

Revised 10/05/06