Retiring historian will keep telling stories of the area where everyone knows his name
Walking through the historic Schmidt House in Tumwater, historian Don Trosper reflects on photos of the original owners, the care they put into the house and all the lives that came in and out of it.
The house, built in 1904, was home to the Olympia Brewing Company founder Leopold Schmidt and his wife. These days it’s home to public history programs and events, many hosted by Trosper, who found a love for telling the stories of the people that make up Tumwater.
“Places like the Schmidt House, the old brewhouse and the park, those kinds of things are worth saving,” he said. “I just like to get the stories out there and keep this visible, not keep it quiet.”
Trosper, now 68, announced he’s retiring from his position as public history manager for the Olympia Tumwater Foundation after more than seven years in the role. He said he’s taking a step back from heavier duties to focus on more long-term projects and to allow for a more digitally driven mind to take the foundation into a new era. His last day was Friday.
The Trosper legacy
Trosper recalls playing in the Schmidt House when he was little, never thinking he’d end up with an office in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
During his tenure, Trosper spearheaded getting the local history program up and running for the foundation. On top of conducting history talks and tours of the Schmidt House, he takes groups on walks along the Deschutes River and Tumwater Falls.
Trosper also wrote a book on the history of Tumwater titled, “The Tumwater We Never Knew — For people who love history, but don’t realize it yet.” He set it up as a fundraiser for the foundation’s local history program, and he said they’ve raised more than $15,000 so far.
Trosper was born and raised in Tumwater and has deep roots in the community. His family settled in the area in 1892, after Trosper’s great-grandfather bought land from a family member who was part of the pioneering Bush-Simmons party that founded the city.
His ancestors are buried along with original settlers, a road is named after the family, and Trosper Lake feeds Percival Creek, which flows into Capitol Lake.
But it’s not all in the past; he likes to remind people we’re all part of history at any moment in time.
“People ask me, ‘Have you lived here all your life?’ And I say, ‘Not yet.’”
A personal approach
Trosper said he tries to make learning history fun through his book by taking a more personal approach and tossing in some jokes now and then. The stories range widely, but they all focus on the people making history, not just old buildings and cool pictures.
“People think it’s boring learning about history in school, but that might be because it was taught in a boring way,” he said. “They didn’t talk about local history, local sites, or local people. That’s what makes everything come alive in these stories.”
One of the stories included in the book details the lesser-known origins of Tumwater. The Bush-Simmons party settled here after an attempt to settle south of the Columbia River in American territory and being rejected based on the race of some of the party members.
The party approached the then-British-owned territory north of the river and worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company for a winter to show good character. They then traveled further north to Puget Sound, where they settled on the southernmost point and called it “New Market” for its running waters and the potential for a water-powered saw mill industry.
Trosper said since then, his family hasn’t moved a muscle. They still own about 25 acres of the original land they bought in 1892, as property was sold off and the area continues to grow more “citified,” Trosper said.
He said he’s excited for things to come and that he’ll continue to work with the foundation for river walks and history tours, Zoom talks and more. He said former assistant curator Megan Ockerman will take over the job, saying she’ll be perfect because she is well-educated in Tumwater history and good with people. He likes the idea of writing another book.
“To me, it’s stories about people and their character traits that brought us to where we are today,” he said. “There’s always been a real positive attitude in Tumwater with every generation, and I want to highlight that.”
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