Snapshots of Thurston County’s history: Looking Back for December 2025
By The Olympian staff
Looking Back’s theme for 2025 features Thurston County area photographers, artists, and their subjects.
Photographs are selected and captioned by Deborah Ross on behalf of the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, https://olympiahistory.org.
These are the images selected for December 2025.
James Wickersham is remembered for his Alaskan career as an ethnographer, judge and politician. In his earlier career he lived in Washington Territory and befriended members of the Squaxin Tribe in Mud Bay, advocating on their behalf for the legitimacy of the Indian Shaker religion. As an amateur photographer he documented images of tribal members and living conditions. 1905 political poster Courtesy of the Washington State Historical Society
Wickersham is best remembered for his connection with Alaska, but had an earlier career in the Puget Sound area. He befriended members of the Squaxin Tribe in Mud Bay, and as an amateur photographer he documented images of tribal members and living conditions. Shown here is his photograph of a Squaxin home, from the late 1880s or early 1890s. James Wickersham photo, late 1800s University of Alaska Wickersham Collection
Robert Blankenship was a member of an early settler family. Along with his business partner Ed Winstanley, he operated a stationery and tobacco store in Olympia. The partnership also produced postcards featuring local scenes. Robert is pictured here with an unidentified friend and three bicycles. Unknown photographer, about 1911 Courtesy of the State Capital Museum collection, Washington State Historical Society
The partnership between Blankenship and Winstanley also produced postcards featuring local scenes. This photographic postcard, labeled “Old State Capitol,” was taken in the early 1900s, before its demolition to make way for the current Legislative Building. Winstanley and Blankenship photographic postcard, 1902-1908 Washington State Archives
