Arts & CultureThursday, November 5
History Talks at the Schmidt House: 19th-Century Mail Routes to Olympia
Thursday, November 5 · 12-1 p.m. · Schmidt House
- When
- Thursday, November 5 · 12-1 p.m.
- Where
- Schmidt House330 Schmidt Pl SW · Tumwater, WA · 98501
- Good to know
About this event
Thursday, November 5, 2026 | Noon
How did mail reach Olympia in the 1800s? Join the Olympia Tumwater Foundation for a fascinating look at the transportation routes, people, and businesses that connected early Olympia to the rest of the world.
Stamp collector and postal history enthusiast Gerry Smith will explore 19th-century commerce and mail routes, from the Hudson’s Bay Company and the Cowlitz Corridor to the steamboats that traveled Puget Sound. Along the way, he’ll highlight the contractors and transportation networks that helped deliver mail to the growing community.
A lifelong stamp collector with a particular passion for the Railway Mail Service and Railway Post Office mail, Gerry will bring history to life through examples of early correspondence sent to Olympia.
Join us at the historic Schmidt House for this engaging journey through Olympia’s postal history.
Listed by Olympia Philatelic Society (Google Calendar), The Olympia Tumwater Foundation (The Events Calendar) and ThurstonTalk (The Events Calendar), gathered by the Olympia events calendar.