The Kittitas County Historical Museum's Third Friday Lunch and Lecture

Our special guest speaker this month is Grace Elkins. Her presentation will address, ?Catherine Maynard: A Woman Who Touched the Kittitas Valley?. Grace Elkins was born and raised in Kittitas County and has lived here for the past 75 years. She was born and raised in Roslyn and during her sophomore year of high school, she moved to Ellensburg. Elkins served as curator of the Kittitas County Historical Museum from 1991 to 1995 and again in 1999 to 2001. She was also on the KCHM Board of Directors for several years and is well-known for her research on local history. Catherine Simmons Broshears Maynard was an early Seattle pioneer. She assisted her husband David (Doc) Maynard (1808-1873) in founding Seattle?s first hospital. Catherine is sometimes remembered as the second wife of a man who for a time lived with her husband and his first wife under the same roof, scandalizing Seattle society. However, Catherine Maynard was in her time a respected and honored member of the Seattle community. Catherine is believed to have introduced dandelion seeds to the region by cultivating the plant for medicinal purposes. Well into her 80?s she traveled all over the state on horseback alone. As a result of her being one of the early Seattle pioneers she provided detailed first-hand accounts of many important events from Seattle?s early days.