On the 53rd anniversary of the infamous skyjacking, Feliks Banel's guests on this encore episode of CASCADE OF HISTORY are Eric Ulis, D.B. Cooper expert, searcher and researcher with a lesson in 'D.B. Cooper 101,' and roving correspondent Ken Zick, who joined us live from the monument at rainy and windswept Alki Beach in West Seattle to mark the 172nd anniversary of the arrival of The Denny Party, considered the city's founders, on November 13, 1851. SPOILER ALERT: It was rainy and windswept back then, too.

This encore broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was presented at 8pm Pacific Standard Time on Sunday, November 24, 2024 via SPACE 101.1 FM and streaming live via space101fm.org from studios at historic Magnuson Park – formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Ep. 86: 'D.B. Cooper 101' with 'Cooper Studies Professor' Eric Ulis

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Washington State Archivist Heather Hirotaka.

Ms. Hirotaka joined the show from Spokane, where she had just escorted the original 1889 Washington State Constitution - on its first trip over the Cascades - for a special public event on Monday, September 15, 2025 from 3-5 p.m. at the Spokane Public Library in downtown Spokane.

For more information the 1889 Washington State Constitution's Spokane Visit:
https://www.sos.wa.gov/events/2025-09/constitution-viewing-spokane-public-library

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.

BONUS EPISODE: Original 1889 WA State Constitution Makes First Trip Over The Cascades . . . and YOU'RE INVITED!

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the Masonic Home in Des Moines, Washington include Moira Nadal of the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation; Lloyd Lytle of the grassroots group working to stop the demolition of the historic building; neighbor George Pettibone; several other neighbors who took part in the DES MOINES HISTORY TRIVIA CHALLENGE; and the Noteworthy Quartet (Chris Cone – lead; Bill Esworthy – bass; Dave Foss – baritone; and Brad Lathrom – tenor). This marks the third birthday of CASCADE OF HISTORY and the start of the program's fourth season, and was presented in partnership with the Washingotn Trust for Historic Preservation.

The broadcast originated from Marine View Drive South in Des Moines, Washington across the street from the historic Masonic Home of Washington. The City of Des Moines, WA has issued a demolition permit, and the Masonic Home was added by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation to its list of Most Endangered Places. A local grassroots group of concerned Des Moines citizens is leading a legal challenge which will be heard in court in October, and raising money to help cover legal costs.

Washington Trust for Historic Preservation MOST ENDANGERED Listing for the Masonic Home:
https://preservewa.org/most_endangered/masonic-home-washington/

GoFundMe in support of the legal challenge:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-masonic-home-of-des-moines-support-our-appeal

This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8:00pm Pacific Time on Sunday, September 14, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via www.space101fm.org. CASCADE OF HISTORY usually broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. 

Special thanks to Eric Zappa, Shane Burnett and Jay Burnett for in-studio engineering for the live remote; and special thanks to Lloyd Lytle for graciously hosting this broadcast. Extra-special thanks to roving correspondent and field producer Ken Zick.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.

Ep. 119: LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST from The Masonic Home in Des Moines, WA

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Jason Miller, publisher and editor of The CONCRETE HERALD newspaper in Concrete, Washington.

Miller brought the beloved newspaper back to life in 2009, and made it essential reading all through the Skagit Valley in places such as Lyman, Hamilton and Rockport. Now, he’s put the CONCRETE HERALD up for sale. In this interview recorded September 15, 2025, Miller discusses Concrete history, CONCRETE HERALD history, and the reason why he's looking for a new owner for the historic paper.

For more information about the CONCRETE HERALD and Jason Miller:
https://concrete-herald.com/

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.


BONUS EPISODE: Historic CONCRETE HERALD is FOR SALE - Interview with Publisher/Editor Jason Miller

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Bud Withers, longtime Northwest sportswriter and author of a new history about the Apple Cup - the annual cross-state college football rivalry game between the University of Washington Huskies and Washington State University Cougars. The first meeting of the two teams was in 1900, and this year will mark the 117th edition of the Apple Cup (it was cancelled a few times in the past due to wars and pandemics).

Withers' book is called “Too Good to Be Through: The Apple Cup is Distinctive (and in Peril).” In this interview, he talks about the history of the game, and the recent conference realignment which has meant moving the game from late November to mid September, and which may mean it goes away entirely after 2028.

This year's Apple Cup will be played on Saturday, September 20, 2025 in Pullman, Washington. Bud Withers spoke to CASCADE OF HISTORY on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

For more information on “Too Good to Be Through: The Apple Cup is Distinctive (and in Peril)” by Bud Withers:
https://budwithers.com/

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.

BONUS EPISODE: New History Book says Washington's Apple Cup is "DISTINCTIVE AND IN PERIL"

Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Scott Schaefer, founder/publisher/editor of the B-Town Blog with news they broke today of the upcoming closure of the beloved Pancake Chef restaurant in SeaTac, WA; Nick Biermann with the latest from Sumner, WA in the aftermath of the destruction of the Ryan House by the City of Sumner; Al Mackenzie, member of the ASUW Shellhouse Community Advisory Committee with his analysis of recent developments in the effort to restore the historic "Boys in the Boat" hangar on the Montlake Cut at the University of Washington; and Eric Ulis, D.B. Cooper researcher and hunter, with a report following his ground search last week at Tena Bar along the Columbia River (near where part of the infamous 1971 skyjacker Cooper's cash was found in 1980).

Links to information about all of these stories are available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory

This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8pm Pacific Time on Sunday, September 21, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via www.space101fm.org from historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.


Ep. 120: Pancake Chef in SeaTac to close; plus Ryan House, ASUW Shellhouse and D.B. Cooper Update

CASCADE OF HISTORY learned late Monday, September 22, 2025 that Dr. Quintard Taylor, History Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington, has passed away.

Dr. Taylor contributed incalculably to Pacific Northwest history and to Black history. He was author of “The Forging of a Black Community: Seattle’s Central District from the 1870s through the Civil Rights Era,” and founder of the website www.blackpast.org.

CASCADE OF HISTORY’s Feliks Banel spoke with Dr. Taylor in August 2020 for the old “Columbia Conversations” podcast for the Washington State Historical Society. Dr. Taylor had recently retired, and an updated edition of "Forging of a Black Community" had recently been released.

For more information on Dr. Quintard Taylor:
https://blackpast.org/blackpast-org-announces-with-profound-sadness-the-passing-of-founder-dr-quintard-taylor/

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.


SPECIAL EPISODE: Archival Interview with the late Dr. Quintard Taylor, Prof. Emeritus at the UW and BlackPast.org Founder

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Josephine Tsai, a journalism graduate student in Brooklyn, New York.

CASCADE OF HISTORY has been covering the threatened closure of the Lewis Army Museum at Joint Base Lewis McChord near Tacoma for the past few months. As we have reported, Lewis Army Museum is one of many U.S. Army museums targeted for closure around the United States and at bases overseas.

While researching the threatened closure of the Army's Harbor Defense Museum at Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton, Ms. Tsai discovered what she believes is a pattern that reveals why some Army museums were added to the planned closure list and others were not.

According to Josephine Tsai's research, it all seems to come down to one thing: local history.

CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Josephine Tsai on Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Earlier CASCADE OF HISTORY episode featuring Lee Reynolds of the U.S. Army's Center of Military History:
https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-episodes-secretary-army

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.


BONUS EPISODE: Journalism Student Discovers Hidden Pattern in Army's Museum Closure List

On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with Mariana Imaz, program manager of the Speakers Bureau for Humanities Washington. The Speakers Bureau provides a range of topics and speakers covering arts, culture, history - and so much more - and non-profit groups and public agencies around the Evergreen State can submit applications to request speakers to appear in their communities.

Humanities Washington just released the list of speakers and topics available for 2026-2027. Deadline for applications to request a speaker for First Quarter 2026 is November 15, 2025.

Humanities Washington website for more information for groups requesting speakers:
https://www.humanities.org/programs/speakers-bureau/host-a-speaker/

Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau 2026-2027 Roster
https://www.humanities.org/programs/speakers-bureau/upcoming-speakers/

Humanities Washington Calendar of Upcoming Events:
https://www.humanities.org/events/

Feliks Banel's 2026-2027 Presentation Description - All Over The Map:
https://www.humanities.org/speaker/feliks-banel-3/

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station is located at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss an episode.

BONUS EPISODE: Apply Now for FREE Speaker Programs for Communities around the Evergreen State

Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Bruce Ramsey, veteran business journalist and author of "Seattle In The Great Depression." The book was published in 2025 by WSU Press in Pullman, Washington.

In our conversation, Mr. Ramsey explains how he came to write the book and describes his research methodology, and introduces some of the real-life characters who come to life in the pages of "Seattle In The Great Depression." Ramsey dug deep into newspaper archives as well as academic publications to craft a narrative aimed at a general audience.

For more information on "Seattle In The Great Depression" by Bruce Ramsey from WSU Press:
https://wsupress.wsu.edu/product/seattle-in-the-great-depression/

For more information on Mr. Ramsey's earlier title "The Panic of 1893: The Untold Story of Washington State's First Depression" from Caxton Press:
https://caxtonnnn.myshopify.com/products/the-panic-of-1893-the-untold-story-of-washington-states-first-depression

CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle.

Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes.


BONUS EPISODE: "Seattle In The Great Depression" Author and Veteran Business Journalist Bruce Ramsey

CASCADE OF HISTORY is the only LIVE radio show presenting news and stories about people doing cool things with and for history in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. We talk about people, artifacts, books, maps, photos, places, landmarks, public lands, state and national parks, trails, highways, and the historic events that can bring us all together.

The show is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time on SPACE 101.1 FM (and streaming via http://www.space101fm.org ) from studios located on the shores of Lake Washington in historic Magnuson Park in Seattle, former site of Sand Point Naval Air Station (though sometimes CASCADE OF HISTORY originates from remote locations around the region). The podcast feed consists of the weekly broadcast, plus frequent bonus episodes with timely and topical interviews, vintage local audio or other Pacific Northwest history-related content - and sometimes even BREAKING NEWS.

Producer and host Feliks Banel is an Emmy-winning and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning broadcaster, and former deputy director of Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI).

Send your questions, comments, guest suggestions, news tips and other correspondence to cascadeofhistory@gmail.com.

Ep. 86: 'D.B. Cooper 101' with 'Cooper Studies Professor' Eric Ulis

Cascade of History