What was Life Like In Puyallup in 1865?

160 years ago there was no electricity, no running water, and definitely no internet. What did folks do for fun? How did they live?

At 4 pm we’re hosting a performance by the Seattle theatre company Living Voices. This unique troupe of performers brings history to life! "Klondike: The Last Adventure," the story of a determined young lady who goes on a great adventure to Alaska to find gold. Learn more about what to expect on their website.

Arrive before that to get a look at what life would have been like for native people and white settlers. The team from the Meeker Mansion will come in period costume with their Oregon Trail interactive display. Our own Pioneer Room will be freshly remodeled. We’ll have hands-on activities that replicate the era whether living a transient lifestyle like a trapper, or a stationary lifestyle like a homesteader. You’ll even get to see what life was like as a kid! We’ll have craft stations set up where you can make toys kids played with in 1865.

Dr. Karshner grew up on the frontier and lived in Puyallup in 1865. His dad went on to Alaska during the Klondike gold rush. Dr. Karshner wrote down all the stories from his youth and they’re published in the book Bearkiller. Buy your own copy and take home wild stories from the pioneer era!

Don’t miss all the fun:

• 4 pm: Living Voices Performance

• Grand reopening of the Pioneer Room

• Meeker Mansion’s Oregon Trail

• Try your hand at carding or spinning wool

• Craft a cornhusk doll

• Build your own button twirl toy

This event will be held from 12-5 p.m. on Saturday, January 18th at the Karshner Museum, 309 4th St. NE.
Just like all Karshner Museum events, admission is FREE for all!