KINGSTON — The Kingston Historical Society’s founding has ties to horse racing.
Bill Reynolds lived on a portion of what was once Newellhurst Farm, a 100-acre racehorse farm in Kingston whose owner raced the last horse to sweep the Longacres Mile and Longacres Derby in the same year.
Reynolds wanted to find a safe place for a sign from the farm, as well as a ledger from the Newells’ shingle mill. The Kitsap County Historical Society was a willing taker. But wait, Reynolds thought, those items will go to Bremerton and we’ll never see them again.
And so, he founded the Kingston Historical Society in 2003. In the ensuing 10 years, the society would collect enough photos and artifacts to fill a five-drawer filing cabinet, a closet and two glass display cases in the Kingston Community Center’s Indianola Room. The collection has provided enough content for current president Harriet Muhrlein’s monthly history column in the Kingston Community News — even when she’s in Indio, Calif. during the Northwest’s five seasonally-affective months. The society also owns the copyright to the local history book, “The Little City By The Sea.”
At its peak, meetings of the fledgling society pulled in 14 or 15 members, as well as several people who did not join but attended out of interest. Meetings were informal, Muhrlein said, a time to “share stories and catch up with old friends.”
Today, the society’s membership has dwindled to four, compelling those remaining members to temporarily team up with the Hansville Historical Society.
Kingston’s remaining members asked to come under the umbrella of the Hansville Historical Society, a request the Hansville board approved June 21.
“Right now, I’m president, secretary and treasurer,” Muhrlein quipped about her society’s membership. Muhrlein said she, Duane Sabin, Johnny Foster and Bob Smiley will meet alongside their Hansville counterparts until Kingston’s membership numbers improve. If they don’t, the Kingston Historical Society may ask to merge with another organization.
“Most of the older people who were interested in preserving [local] history have died off,” Muhrlein said. “There are some who are interested in sharing with me, but they’re not interested in coming to more meetings.”
Among those who have died: Reynolds, a former port commissioner and president of five organizations, in 2009; and über-volunteer Jack Minert on May 13.
In addition to dwindling numbers, the historical society’s meeting space is not always accessible. Muhrlein expects that will change when the new community center is built at Village Green.
The two historical societies meeting together is important, because they each have their defined areas and need to ensure that they don’t duplicate efforts. Plus, what makes for better conversation — a group of 12, or a group of four?
Muhrlein, who has been president of her organization since 2007, hopes the Kingston Historical Society can rebound. She believes the historical society can help people learn from the past and get to know those things that make the community unique.
There’s the town’s entrepreneurs, for example. Like Bob Lair, who opened a filling station so he could have a place to work on his inventions. (Lair’s filling station, incidentally, is now The Filling Station tavern.)
If you’re interested in being a part of the Kingston Historical Society’s rebirth, contact Muhrlein at (360) 297-2448 or muhrleinharriet@comcast.net.
