As a longtime staff historian for HistoryLink.org, Maple Leaf resident Paula Becker has written plenty about her own neighborhood.
But lately, Becker has had her hands full with a couple of other projects that span Seattle’s many neighborhoods as well as into other cities, states and even other countries.
On Oct. 21, HistoryLink published a book Becker co-wrote, “The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and Its Legacy,” whose release coincides with events already taking place at Seattle Center to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the Seattle World’s Fair.
“It was a complete honor to get to meet some of the people who were so important to civic life then,” Becker said. It was a stark difference from the book she and co-writer Alan J. Stein had just finished, “Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition,” a centennial book to celebrate the 1909 event that left them with a lot more research than people to interview.
Not that Becker minds. “I love doing research,” she said. “That for me is the candy.”
That was obvious even before she started freelance writing for HistoryLink.org, a free website that uses a journalistic model to present Washington state history.
“I was a HistoryLink fan even before I had a computer,” Becker admits. When her children were young and she’d take them to the library, she spent much of her time perusing Washington’s history through the website — enough to convince her that she should try her hand at writing a few articles for them.
A decade later, she’s not only writing articles for the nonprofit organization, but she’s now got two books under her belt.
Becker also is getting plenty of public exposure, including an upcoming talk with co-writer Stein at the Central Library, from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the Microsoft Auditorium. Although the first part will be an illustrated lecture (which she explains is just a modern term for a PowerPoint slideshow), Becker says they like to open up most of the time for people in the audience to share their stories.
“So many people who come have stories from the fair,” Becker said. “We really love it when people stand up at these events and talk about what they did.”
As soon as Becker gets done promoting the book, we’re hoping she’ll be able to delve a little more deeply into the history of the neighborhood she’s lived in since 1998.
“We’re so lucky to have a real community here,” Becker said about Maple Leaf.
As evidence, she shared a tale about the Maple Leaf Playground, just as it was transitioning in the 1920s into a playground from the practice grounds for the Seattle Archery Club. Apparently, some members of the community were not very happy about the conflicting interests.
“Some of the letters are hysterical,” Becker said.
Contrast that now with the passion that many members of our community are expressing toward the development of the new Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, and it’s nice to know that the sense of community in Maple Leaf really hasn’t changed.
So far Becker doesn’t have any book-related events planned in Maple Leaf or Northgate, but we’ll be sure to let you know if one is scheduled.
I know both Paula & Alan and have read both of these books. To anyone who has an interest in Seattle history, these books are must haves!
Yay! to Paula. She is wonderful. I love when we are both attending a community meetings when something historical is mentioned, her ears perk up in interest. Congrats to Paula. I think I know some friends and family who will appreciate getting this book for cmas.