John Flett and his family made a difficult journey from the Red River area (near modern Winnipeg) across the Canadian Rockies to Puget Sound in 1841.  These “Red River” settlers arrived in this area several years ahead of Americans coming across the Oregon Trail.  Although the Hudson’s Bay Company sponsored this migration, they provided little support to the settlers once they arrived.  Many, including John Flett, moved south of the Columbia River where American homestead laws allowed settlers to claim up to 640 acres of rich farmland.  Eventually, John Flett returned to Puget Sound in 1859 and for a time taught on the Puyallup Indian Reservation.  He homesteaded near Fort Nisqually and the community of Flett, which included a streetcar station, grew up in the area of his home.  Flett was later absorbed into the town of Lakewood.

Ellen Flett, John’s wife, presents a fascinating glimpse into the lives of pioneering women who endured continual hardships but ultimately settled into a life of comfort and refinement.  Ellen outlived John by many years and some of the artifacts shown in this exhibit relate to her long years of widowhood. 

The Flett name continued in the history of south Puget Sound as their descendants founded the Flett Dairy, a Pierce County business that was in operation until 1994.

Featuring family photographs and possessions that reflect this family’s hardships, growing stability and comfort in a new land, the Flett family is an example and an essential part of the history of Pierce County. Their story is one we can all share and take pride in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explore the unique “post-in-sill” construction of the Fort’s 1850 Granary, one of the few surviving American examples of this style.

With just a handful of tools, the laborers of Fort Nisqually constructed substantial buildings in the wilderness, without the benefit of sawn boards.  Long-time Fort Nisqually clerk Edward Huggins remarked that the result was, “a good piece of work done with the axe.” 

Fascinating examples of 19th century woodworking tools, such as axes, adzes, hand saws, augers, froes and mallets, are featured in the exhibit.  The men of the Fort used this small assortment to shape square timbers and build the Granary.

 “Post-in-Sill” was the favored construction method of the men of the Hudson’s Bay Company. The finished product was more weathertight and finished looking than a traditional log cabin. The exhibit illustrates how post-in-sill differed from the other construction styles of the mid-19th century.

The Fort’s Granary is one of oldest standing buildings in the Puget Sound area, and is a National Historic Landmark.  The exhibit serves to kick off a restoration project of the Granary scheduled for later this year. For more on the restoration, visit www.fortnisquallyfoundation.org/capital-campaign.                                      

 

 

 

With the promise of making a laborious chore one of comparative ease, the Wheeler and Wilson Company smartly marketed their sewing machines to mid-19th century women weary of long hours spent with needle in hand. When Letitia Huggins received her new machine in 1862, her workday life was altered forever.  See how changing sewing technologies made life easier for women.