People and Stories

Issaquah has many interesting buildings and historic features, and a rich collection of characters from its past. This page consists of an index of biographical, genealogical, and assorted information about just a few of the interesting people from Issaquah history.

• New! "Our Swimming Hole," by Mike Atkins.  Mike tells the story of how the neighborhood boys enhanced a swimming hole on Issaquah Creek one lazy summer.
• "The Morgan Family of Issaquah" by Diane Dambacher and Erica Maniez in Past Times newsletter Winter 2005.
• "Holiday Memories of Issaquah" by Don Anderson published in Past Times Winter 2005.
  Don Anderson, who currently resides in Wheeling, Illinois, kindly submitted these memories.
• "75 Years of Service: History of Issaquah Kiwanis" by David Jepsen (first 50 years) and Dan Anderson (the next 25 years)
• "Soda Fountain Days": Issaquahians Remember the Honeysuckle and the Shamrock by David Miller published in Past Times of Summer 2004.
• Fifteen Minutes With a Person From the Past published in Past Times of Winter 2004.
• Bad Ben Legg: Issaquah Outlaw published in Past Times of Winter 2004.
• Women of Issaquah in WWII published in Past Times of Summer 2003.
• Tibbetts Family: Henry’s Branch published in Past Times of Spring 2002.
• The "Fire Laddies": Issaquah's Volunteer Firemen - By Christina Asavareungchai, Issaquah Historical Society Intern - Past Times Newsletter of Summer 2002.
• Gilman's First Mayor: A Profile of Dr. Frank Harrell:  An excerpt from History of Washington, The Evergreen State, From Early Dawn to Daylight (1893).
• Biography of James W. Bush - James W. Bush was one of Issaquah's very first settlers.  This biography is excerpted from Clarence Bagley's History of King County, Volume III.
• Biography of Martin Monohon - The story of the namesake of the Monohon community, as excerpted from Clarence Bagley's History of King County, Volume II.
• 1893 Biographical Sketch of Ingebright. A. Wold - From Illustrated History of the State of Washington,  by Rev. H. K. Hinds, D.D.
• 1916 Biographical Sketch of Herbert S. Upper - Herbert S. Upper platted Upper's 1st and 2nd additions to Issaquah on both sides of the railroad right of way in the vicinity of Gilman Village and the Visitors Center. From Clarence Bagley's 1916 History of Seattle, Volume III.

See Also:

• Issaquah Historic Families - Biographies of select pioneer Issaquah families, as published in the Issaquah Press.
• Preserving The Stories of Issaquah On-Line - A full compilation of responses from residents surveyed in 2000 and 2001 during the creation of the book "Preserving the Stories of Issaquah."

Publications:

This page is not a complete or exhaustive collection of resources about historical characters from Issaquah History. A lot more information is available in our Publications & Gifts and you may browse the extensive files at our Town Hall museum. We especially recommend our 2001 publication Preserving the Stories of Issaquah

If you have corrections or further information about historic people from Issaquah,  please send them to us at for consideration in these pages.