Cascade of History

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Lloyd Lytle, a leader of the grassroots group that had been fighting over the past year to save the historic Masonic Home of Washington in Des Moines, Washington. On Thursday, July 23, 2026, the group announce an end to their legal battle. Lytle posted a message on social media earlier Thursday. In this interview, he shares the group's thinking and what might come next as far as a possible timeline for demolition of the Masonic Home. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Lloyd Lytle on the evening of Thursday, July 23, 2026. GoFundMe...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Paula Johnson, Senior Archaeologist and Director-at-Large based in the Seattle office of WillametteCRA (CRA stands for “Cultural Resources Associates”). In this conversation, recorded on July 23, 2026, Johnson describes how the federal historic preservation regulations known as Section 106 work, and then outlines the threat facing 60 years of precedent in how the federal government treats historically significant resources. She also describes how the historic preservation community is mobilizing to push back against what amounts to a gutting of the rules - including elimination of public notice and input and tribal consultation - an...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel pays tribute to the late Chris Wedes, who played J.P. Patches on KIRO TV in Seattle from 1958 to 1981, and who remains one of the most beloved performers and broadcasters in the history of the Pacific Northwest. In this interview from 2010, Wedes looks back on what it meant to play J.P. for all those years, and how he continued to connect with “Patches Pals” even after his show left the air. This audio was originally produced by Feliks Banel and Casey McNerthney for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's local history podcast "Seat...

This special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY originated from a community bluegrass jam inside the historic Mikkelsen Barn in Walla Walla County near Waitsburg, Washington. Along with a lot of live music, interview guests include HERITAGE BARN HERO Kristin Darrow, who restored the circa 1920 barn and an adjoining grain elevator with support from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation’s Heritage Barn Grant Program, which is administered by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation; and Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Project (TVAMP) founder Kate Hockersmith, a longtime Waitsburg resident (and musician) who began organizing community bluegrass pe...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Ken Hong, who grew up in San Mateo, California. Mr. Hong now lives in Pennsylvania, where he serves as executive director of Make Us Visible Pennsylvania, a group that, according to its website, supports a "nationwide initiative to update school curricula with accurate information about Asian American & Pacific Islander history and culture." Mr. Hong visited the National Archives in San Bruno, California - one of the two branches, along with Chicago, which was abruptly targeted for closure by the National Archives and Records Administration - with his father 25...

For this SUMMER ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel presents a tribute to late Pacific Northwest radio DJ and pop culture renaissance man - and longtime hydro race announcer - Pat O’Day. With a vintage aircheck and two long excerpts from an oral history recorded by WSU Professor Hugh Rundell in the late 1970s, we hear directly from Pat O’Day about his early influences and his peripatetic radio career around the Evergreen State (and a corner of the Beaver State). O’Day, born Paul Berg, made his Seattle debut on radio station KAYO – and officially introduced his “Pat...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Harry Mok, assistant editor, columnist and editorial board member for the Opinion section of The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper. Mr. Mok published a piece earlier this week criticizing the imminent closure of the San Francisco (San Bruno) branch of the National Archives. The closure was quietly announced on June 26, 2026 on the NARA website; NARA leadership and public affairs officials have still not responded to CASCADE OF HISTORY's multiple inquiries seeking more information. Mr. Mok's piece is called "Trump is trying to bury Bay Area window into Chinese American...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Grant Din of Oakland, California. Mr. Din is a member of a grassroots group called SAVE OUR NATIONAL ARCHIVES (SONA) which is mobilizing to fight the planned closure of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) facility in San Bruno, California. The closure was quietly announced on June 26, 2026 on the NARA website; NARA leadership and public affairs officials have not returned CASCADE OF HISTORY's multiple messages. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Grant Din on the evening of Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Save Our National Archives (SONA) Website: https://www.saveournationalarchives...

Feliks Banel's guests on this special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park in Seattle's Pioneer Square include folksinger Al Hirsch; Charles Beall, Superintendent of Seattle Area National Park Sites; Seattle City Councilmember Rob Saka (District 1); Dan Evans, Jr.; filmmaker and documentarian B.J. Bullert and her husband Ken Workman, Chief Seattle descendant; Jon Scholes, CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association; Lisa Howard, Executive Director of the Alliance for Pioneer Square; NPS Trails & Rails volunteer Rob Carr; retired NPS Park Ranger Sean O'Meara; NPS Trails & Rails Coordinator Steve Lovell; Historic Seattle Executive...

Feliks Banel's guests on this ENCORE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY are longtime local journalist Essex Porter reflecting on his television career at KIRO 7 News (recorded not long after he retired in late 2021), and meteorologist Scott Sistek, in a conversation recorded just after the devastating June 2021 Pacific Northwest "heatdome." Both interviews are from the archives of COLUMBIA CONVERSATIONS, for which Feliks was the founding producer and host. This SUMMERTIME EDITION broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was presented at 8pm Pacific Time on Sunday, June 28, 2026. Scott Sistek’s Emerald City Weather Blog: https://emeraldcityweather.com/ Links to more information as well as...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel sheds light on actions of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) which were revealed last week via a leaked internal memo, including plans for the complete closure of the National Archives facilities in Chicago, Illinois and San Francisco (San Bruno), California. The memo also indicates that changes are coming to the Seattle facility, too, but what those changes entail remain somewhat murky. Special thanks to legendary broadcaster Dave Ross for his "dramatic reading" of the June 23, 2026 staff memo from NARA Chief Operating Officer Jay Trainer. Links to more information...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Richard Hiscocks, historian in the UK behind the website MORE THAN NELSON. Since he was a young boy, Mr. Hiscocks has been researching biographies of officers in the British Navy - several of whom who happen to be namesake for places and geographic features in coastal Washington, Puget Sound and British Columbia. The website's description reads: "Drawing on over two hundred and fifty published sources, this work in progress is a comprehensive and readable reference guide to the golden age of Naval History from the commencement of the...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Lloyd Lytle, a leader of the grassroots group fighting to save the historic Masonic Home of Washington in Des Moines, Washington. Lytle learned on Monday, June 22, 2026 that King County Superior Court in Seattle had ruled against Lytle’s group. They had been seeking to have a demolition permit for the Masonic Home revoked and sent back to the City of Des Moines for further review, and had taken part in a hearing in May 2026. Lytle says that following Monday's ruling, his group is now considering appealing the King Co...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel has a long, candid and far-ranging conversation with Charles Payton about the 1970s Bicentennial Era origins (and politics and backroom shenanigans) of heritage, history museums and historic preservation in Seattle and King County and the field's successes and challenges over the past half century. Payton has been a fixture in the Seattle and King County heritage community for more than five decades, and has assisted countless heritage groups, historical societies and history museums over his long career. He initially worked at Seattle’s Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) in the mi...

Feliks Banel presents on this ENCORE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY a tribute to the late “Brakeman Bill” McLain, longtime local kids’ TV show host who passed away on April 9, 2024 at age 96. Brakeman Bill was a fixture on Channel 11 KTNT/KSTW Tacoma-Seattle from 1955 to 1975. This episode features highlights from a long phone interview with Bill McLain and his wife Jean recorded July 6, 2021. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This encore broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTOR...

Feliks Banel’s guests on this ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY are a panel of expert local historians, researchers and authors who have been collaborating on a search for evidence of Peter Kirk's long-ago steel mill on Rose Hill, east of downtown Kirkland near the Costco. Matt McCauley, Kent Sullivan, Saundra Middleton (who is a descendant of Peter Kirk) and Michael Donnelly have been studying archives, maps, photos and other materials to paint a vivid picture of the partial construction of the mill in the 1890s, the specific whereabouts of various buildings and structures, as well as the ultimate fa...

Feliks Banel's guests on this special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the Stimson-Green Mansion 125th Birthday Block Party on First Hill in Seattle, Washington include Chris Moore and Abby Amato of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation; members of the musical groups Spanaway Bay and The Whateverly Brothers; Darren Guyaz of DRYFT Music; and Petra Jouflas of Frye Art Museum. This special live remote broadcast was presented from 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm Pacific Time on Saturday, June 13, 2026. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks Erik Bauer, archivist and historian for the regional Episcopal Diocese of Olympia in Seattle, Washington who was selected by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) to be a "fellow" in the 2026 History Leadership Institute. Bauer works as an archivist and public historian in the Pacific Northwest, and is taking part in the annual History Leadership Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Erik Bauer from Minnesota (while the Institute was underway) on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. More information about AASLH's History Leadership Institute and 2026 Fellows: https...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Patrick J. Sullivan, board secretary of the Puget Sound Coast Artillery Museum at Fort Warden near Port Townsend, Washington. In this conversation, Mr. Sullivan shares the news about the Coast Artillery Museum's imminent closure; after 50 years, the organization's board has voted to sunset its museum facility at Fort Worden, which will permanently close after Labor Day Weekend 2026. Mr. Sullivan explains that volunteers are harder and harder to come by and that revenue from cruise ship passengers has dropped off, and thus the board has chosen to cease operations...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks Linda Ziedrich, author of “First Fruits: The Lewellings and the Birth of the Pacific Coast Fruit Industry.” The book is published by Oregon State University Press in Corvallis, Oregon. Ziedrich spent several years researching the peripatetic Lewelling family and their mid-19th century migration from North Carolina, to Indiana, to Iowa and to Oregon and California. All along the way, the Lewelling brothers cultivated fruit trees, developed hybrid varieties and created a major and enduring (if nowadays somewhat hidden) legacy. More information about "First Fruits: The Lewellings and the Birt...

Feliks Banel's guests on this very special ENCORE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY are singer/songwriter Jon Pontrello and retired Seattle Times journalist (and maritime lyricist) Jack Broom. Jon performs several of his original songs of the sea on this episode, including a tribute to Peter Bevis, the late Seattle artist who brought home the old streamline ferry KALAKALA from Ketchikan in 1998. Jon also performs "Roll On, Kalakala" - a song based on "Roll On, Columbia" for which Jack Broom wrote special lyrics in 1998. Both Jon and Jack share the story of that song and how it was lost and...

Feliks Banel's guests on this special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from Heritage Day in Black Diamond, Washington include Bill Kombol of the WHEN COAL WAS KING history column for the Voice of the Valley, President George Washington, Zach Pratt of Black Diamond Historical Museum, Katie Garcher of Black Diamond Mine Regional Preserve, and Sherrie Evans of the Black Diamond Historical Museum. This special broadcast was presented live from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm Pacific Time on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Dr. Kate Burrows of the grassroots preservation organization in North Seattle called "Save Crown Hill Cemetery." Dr. Burrows founded the group with neighbors in December 2025. In this conversation, Dr. Burrows shares the good news - that her group's research and other work has apparently eliminated the threatened subdividing and development of a portion of historic Crown Hill Cemetery, which originally dates to 1903. She also outlines the work ahead, as the grassroots community group will to try and help secure the cemetery's future. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Dr...

Feliks Banel's guests on this very special LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY - sharing stories and memories of Paul Dorpat - include Clay Eals and Jean Sherrard of Seattle Now & Then; Alan J. Stein of HistoryLink; and historian Heather Pihl. Beloved Seattle historian Paul Dorpat passed away earlier this week (on May 27, 2026) at the age of 87. This impromptu gathering of some of those closest to him, sharing stories and memories, seemed like the most appropriate thing to do for this week's regular live broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY. Tribute to Paul Dorpat by Clay Eals and Jean Sherrard: https...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Frederic James Grant V, descendant of Fred Grant, the Seattle author, editor, historian, politician and man-about-town who disappeared in 1894 when the IVANHOE left Seattle for California and was lost at sea. In this conversation, Frederic James Grant V shares the story of his ambitious ancestor Frederic James Grant I, and surprisingly solves at least one small part of the mystery of the disappearance of the IVANHOE. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Frederic James Grant V on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Links to more information as well as images related to...

Re-posting this CLAMMY AND FISHY BONUS EPISODE in memory of beloved Seattle historian Paul Dorpat, October 28, 1938 to May 27, 2026. Anyone who works in history, public history or anything related to local history in the Pacific Northwest stands on the shoulders of the kind-hearted, brilliant and very funny Paul Dorpat. He was truly one of the good guys. REST IN PEACE. ORIGINAL EPISODE DESCRIPTION: On this CLAMMY AND FISHY BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY from November 2025, Feliks Banel (clam)digs into the audio archives to tell the twisted tale of the Ivar’s Billboard Hoax, aka "Underwatergate." Though, once you've listened, it...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Ray Poletti, a Seattle man who's financing an effort - and leading a skilled team - to build a full-scale replica of the "Bubbleator." The Bubbleator was a spherical plexiglas elevator first created for the 1962 World's Fair for the World of Tomorrow exhibit in what's now Climate Pledge Arena, and which was later moved across the Seattle Center campus to the Food Circus (nowadays called The Armory). The original Bubbleator is privately owned and attached to a home near Des Moines, Washington. The new Bubbleator replica will go...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BREAKING NEWS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Lloyd Lytle, a leader of the grassroots group working to prevent demolition of the historic Masonic Home of Washington in Des Moines, Washington. Lytle joined us by phone immediately after a hearing at King County Superior Court in Seattle was adjourned, and provides an update on the day’s proceedings. Lytle’s group is seeking to have a demolition permit for the Masonic Home revoked and sent back to the City of Des Moines for further review. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Lloyd Lytle on Friday, May 22, 2026. Back...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Lloyd Lytle, a leader of the grassroots group working to prevent demolition of the historic Masonic Home of Washington in Des Moines, Washington. Later this week, the group will appear in King County Superior Court, seeking to have a demolition permit for the Masonic Home revoked and sent back to the City of Des Moines for further review. Lytle’s group is called Citizens for the Protection of Des Moines Historic Resources. They formed a coalition with Des Moines Historical Society and the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation an...

Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Bill Yeend and Andy Ludlum, who were both working for KIRO Newsradio in Seattle in 1980 when Mount St. Helens erupted; Bill was host of the morning news and Andy was managing editor, and they share their memories and recollections in this live conversation marking the 45th anniversary of the May 18, 1980 eruption. Then, Nick Biermann checks in with an update on the (now since demolished) Ryan House in Sumner, Washington; and we hear audio from Feliks' visit to Westminster Abbey in London for the 80th anniversary of VE...

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Heather Bosch, longtime radio broadcaster for KIRO Radio and for CBS Radio News - who joined us moments after delivering her final "CBS hourly" national newscast (CBS Radio News will go silent this coming Friday, May 22, 2026); and Jennifer Ott of HistoryLink and author David B. Williams on their new book from UW Press "Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal: A History and Guide"; plus, we listen to vintage audio from "Farewell To Studio 9," a program produced by the CBS Radio Network in July 1964 featuring Bob Trout and Edward R...

Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY are Lisa Renouard, Lecturer at the University of Washington Architecture Department and Associate at Olson Kundig Architects in Seattle, and the architecture students in a class Ms. Renouard is teaching Spring Quarter 2026. The students have created and are continuing to add to an exhibit called "CITY ERASED: Mapping Seattle's Highway Cut." Through photos, maps and other research and field visits, the students are reconstructing the history and context of what was lost - the buildings, streets, neighborhoods, people and communities - when Interstate 5 was built through Seattle more than 60...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is David Nicandri, retired longtime director of the Washington State Historical Society, and prolific author on the era of explorers and exploration. For anyone who's ever wondered about the Missouri River and its impact on Pacific Northwest (or "Old Oregon Country") history, David Nicandri fills in the gaps, connects the dots and provides history and context for understanding how the geography and history fit together. From Lewis & Clark to the Astor Party, from the Oregon Trail to the Mullan Road, Nicandri weaves a rich tapestry of information and observations...

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Bob Antone, Snoqualmie Valley-based musician, artist and UFO/UAP scholar and Steve Edmiston, "Maury Island Incident" filmmaker on last week's government release of UFO/UAP documents; and Kevin Arnold, who recently digitized a treasure trove of audio recordings of "Northwest Barn Dance," a radio program broadcast live from near Olympia in the late 1940s and early 1950s. To support radio station SPACE 101.1 FM: https://www.space101fm.org/consider-a-gift-to-space-101-1-on-may-5-during-give-big-2026/ More info about Bob Antone and his band Tinkham Road: https://www.facebook.com/TINKHAM.RD/ ...

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include David Jepsen, author of the new novel "Unbelonging" about post-WWII Seattle; author David Norman Lewis on his new non-fiction history book "The Burning of Moses Seattle," about the death of Chief Seattle's grandson in 1905; and listener memories of Expo '86, the Vancouver, BC world's fair which kicked off 40 years ago this weekend - plus, some rare vintage audio of Mel Brooks (as the 2000 Year Old Man) singing a song about the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. To support radio station SPACE 101.1 FM during GIVE BIG or anytime: https://www.space101...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Barbara Swift of Gas Works Park Alliance with an update on the demolition currently underway at historic Gas Works Park in Seattle, and ongoing frustration with documents prepared by Seattle Parks and Recreation. Demolition began on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 with a ladder and cage being removed from one of the west towers just before 8:00am. Work has continued for two days, and the structures - the "cracking towers" - are noticeably different in appearance. Meanwhile, Barbara Swift of the Gas Works Park Alliance is trying to determine if the...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Sam Litzinger, longtime radio journalist who spent many years at the CBS Radio Network, and who happens to be an accomplished radio historian as well. Sam Litzinger grew up in Titusville, Pennsylvania and took his first job in radio at age 16 at a local station. He went on to a long career as a radio journalist, and someone who took great pleasure in studying radio history, and getting to meet and work with giants in the field, notably Richard C. Hottelet. With the end of CBS Radio News...

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Barbara Swift of Gas Works Park Alliance with an update on plans by the City of Seattle to begin demolishing and removing portions of the historic "cracking towers" at the landmark park. This conversation was recorded on the evening of Wednesday, April 22, 2026. A visit to Gas Works Park earlier this afternoon revealed no apparent activity as yet by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation or the company they contracted with for the demolition work. For more information and context, listen to this BONUS EPISODE from April 13, 2026 with...

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel digs into the audio archives for his interview from October 28, 2020 with Kathi Rennaker, spokesperson for Tacoma-based Brown & Haley, longtime local makers of Almond Roca and Mountain Bars. On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Seattle Times reported that Brown and Haley has officially merged with its “longtime import and distribution partner in China,” an entity known as BHM Group LTD. The Times also reported, “That company’s leader, Sam Meng, has been named Brown & Haley’s new CEO.” In this interview from 2020, Ms. Rennaker, who, according to the Times’ story, has been named Chief Operatin...

Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY are Elke Hautala and Cari Simson of Invisible Histories, a group that produces a monthly podcast and a series of history-themed performance events around Puget Sound. The pair spoke with CASCADE OF HISTORY on Monday, April 20, 2026 to share some of their origin story, as well as preview an event called “History Comes Alive at Harbor Island” taking place later this week - April 23-24, 2026 - on Seattle’s Harbor Island. The public is invited to take part in one or both nights of an open house and special performance-based tours...