COLUMBIA Conversations

COLUMBIA Magazine

COLUMBIA Conversations highlights authors, historians, archivists and others working to preserve and share the history of Washington state and the Pacific Northwest. Produced and hosted by Feliks Banel, editor of COLUMBIA, the quarterly magazine of the Washington State Historical Society.

  • 2 hours 2 seconds
    BONUS EPISODE: US Trade War's Early Days LIVE from Vancouver, BC in April 2025
    Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY – originally broadcast LIVE from the Museum of Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia in April 2025 in the early days of the Trump Administration’s trade war on Canada – include Vivianne Gosselin, director of the museum; Coll Thrush, University of British Columbia (UBC) professor and author of "Wrecked: Unsettling Histories from the Graveyard of the Pacific" from University of Washington Press; and a panel conversation with John Mackie of the Vancouver Sun; historian John Atkin; and Andy Yan, professor at Simon Fraser University (SFU). Special thanks to field producer/roving correspondent Ken Zick for his invaluable assistance with this broadcast. Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This special two-hour LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 11am Pacific Daylight Time on Friday, April 4, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via www.space101fm.org from the Museum of Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. CASCADE OF HISTORY programming also airs on affiliated stations around the Pacific Northwest via the CASCADE OF HISTORY RADIO NETWORK. To stay connected, 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. Also, be sure and "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page to get timely updates and other stories throughout the week, as well as advance notice of special LIVE REMOTE BROADCASTS taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    9 April 2026, 2:01 pm
  • 1 hour 59 minutes
    BONUS EPISODE: First World Flight Centennial LIVE from Magnuson Café & Brewery on April 6, 2024
    Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY – originally broadcast LIVE from the 2024 First World Flight Centennial Celebration at Magnuson Park - include guest co-host and aviation historian Lee Corbin; Elisa Law of Friends of Magnuson Park; General Frank Goodell of the Centennial Committee; and longtime Lake Washington underwater explorer and aviation historian Matt McCauley. This program also includes live coverage of the special event presented by the Friends of Magnuson Park to mark the centennial of the departure of the flyers on April 6, 1924. Special thanks to field producer/roving correspondent Ken Zick for his invaluable assistance with this broadcast. Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This special two-hour LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 2pm Pacific Daylight Time on Saturday, April 6, 2024 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via www.space101fm.org from Magnuson Café & Brewery at historic Magnuson Park, site of the old Sand Point Naval Air Station in Seattle. CASCADE OF HISTORY programming also airs on affiliated stations around the Pacific Northwest via the CASCADE OF HISTORY RADIO NETWORK. To stay connected, 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. Also, be sure and "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page to get timely updates and other stories throughout the week, as well as advance notice of special LIVE REMOTE BROADCASTS taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    6 April 2026, 4:43 pm
  • 1 hour
    Ep. 141: Pacific Northwest "Celebration of Life" for Doomed CBS RADIO NEWS
    Feliks Banel's guests on this SPECIAL BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Heather Bosch, Tim Haeck, Gregg Hersholt, Steve Knight, Andy Ludlum and Dave Ross. The group gathered to hold a wake - or "celebration of life" - for CBS Radio News, which will shutdown for good after May 22, 2026. Each member of the panel - an "AUDIO MOUNT RUSHMORE" for many longtime radio listeners - has decades of experience working in radio news at the local level in the Pacific Northwest (mostly at KIRO in Seattle), and several also worked at one time for the CBS Radio Network (which has also been known as CBS News Radio and CBS Radio News). All valued and depended on CBS for what its national and international coverage meant to local stations in a not-so-distant age when radio news was far less diminished in resources, listeners and impact. In this timely and topical conversation, which was recorded on Good Friday (April 3, 2026), each panelist shares his/her memories of CBS and reflects on the significance of the hourly radio newscasts, and theorizes about what will be lost by listeners in 700 communities where those newscasts currently air. Also discussed is the impact on already significantly reduced news operations at local stations, and what might come next - or what might replace the functions of CBS - for those 700 affiliates. Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8pm Pacific Time on Sunday, April 5, 2026 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming via www.space101fm.org from historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. CASCADE OF HISTORY programming also airs on affiliated stations around the Pacific Northwest via the CASCADE OF HISTORY RADIO NETWORK. To stay connected, 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. Also, be sure and "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page to get timely updates and other stories throughout the week, as well as advance notice of special LIVE REMOTE BROADCASTS taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    6 April 2026, 3:55 am
  • 44 minutes 56 seconds
    BONUS EPISODE: Mabel, The Spelled-Backward Namesake of Lebam, Washington
    Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Ruth Leonard of Lacey, Washington - the granddaughter of Mabel of Lebam. Ruth's grandmother's full name was Mabel Pearl Goodell Thompson. Mabel's father, Jotham Goodell founded the community of Half Moon, in what's now Pacific County along Highway 6, about midway between the communities of Frances and Holcomb . When the US Post Office rejected "Half Moon" for the post office there circa 1890, Jotham Goodell came up with an alternate: Lebam, which was his three or four-year-old daughter Mabel's name spelled backward. In this conversation, Ruth Leonard brings her grandmother to life through memories of Mabel and of the community of Lebam. Mabel Pearl Goodell Thompson, who gets no more than a sentence or two in Washington state placename books as Lebam's namesake, is rendered by her granddaughter as a three-dimensional human being. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Ruth Leonard on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    2 April 2026, 1:20 am
  • 31 minutes
    BONUS EPISODE: Washtucna's Bassett Hardware Building added to LIST OF MOST ENDANGERED PLACES
    Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Michelle Plumb, Secretary/Treasurer of the Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center in Washtucna, Washington. The non-profit group is owner and steward of the historic 1901 Bassett Hardware Building, which was donated to them in 2018. On Monday, March 30, 2026, the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation announced that the Bassett Hardware Building has been added to the Trust’s list of Most Endangered Places. The roof and original “false front” of the two-story historic structure were severely damaged in a windstorm in 2025. Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center is seeking financial support as well as expertise and in-kind donations to secure the Bassett Hardware Building and ensure its future restoration. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with Michelle Plumb on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. Washtucna Heritage Museum and Community Center (with donation info) website: https://washtucnahistory.org/ Washington Trust's Most Endangered Places Bassett Hardware Building page: https://preservewa.org/most_endangered/bassett-hardware-building/ Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    31 March 2026, 8:12 pm
  • 45 minutes 52 seconds
    BONUS EPISODE: Karen Munro Ellick and "The Last Orca Captures" Panel Discussion Preview
    Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is civic leader Karen Munro Ellick. March 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of a violent orca capture Ms. Munro Ellick witnessed in Budd Inlet near Olympia, Washington with her then-husband Ralph Munro, future five-term Washington Secretary of State. It was a momentous occasion that changed history, and a special online commemoration panel discussion, produced by Humanities Washington, will take place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026. In this conversation, recorded on Friday, March 27, 2026, Ms. Munro Ellick shares her memories and describes what happened in the immediate aftermath. More info and online registration for "The Last Orca Captures: A 50-Year Legacy" on Tuesday, March 31, 2026: https://www.humanities.org/event/online-the-last-orca-captures-a-50-year-legacy/ Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    30 March 2026, 11:30 pm
  • 1 hour 3 seconds
    Ep. 140: Save Crown Hill Cemetery Update; Retired Broadcaster Steve Knight; and 1976 "Last Orca Capture"
    Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Kate Burrows of Save Crown Hill Cemetery with the latest on the group's effort to protect a longtime cemetery in Seattle - including a public meeting taking place online on Monday, Aprii 6, 2026 which will be convened by the City of Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections; retired longtime journalist Steve Knight on covering the outbreak of the Iraq War for CBS Radio in 2003 and about the imminent demise of hourly national radio newscasts from CBS; and Karen Munro Ellick on the 50th anniversary of a violent orca capture she witnessed near Olympia with her then-husband Ralph Munro - and a special online commemoration coming up on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 from Humanities Washington. More info about Save Crown Hill Cemetery: https://savecrownhill.carrd.co/ More info about "The Last Orca Captures: A 50-Year Legacy" on March 31, 2026: https://www.humanities.org/event/online-the-last-orca-captures-a-50-year-legacy/ Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8pm Pacific Time on Sunday, March 29, 2026 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. "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    30 March 2026, 5:08 am
  • 1 hour
    ENCORE BONUS EPISODE: "Voice of the Sonics" Bob Blackburn Centennial Celebration
    Feliks Banel’s guest on this BONUS ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Bob Blackburn, Jr., son of legendary "Voice of the Sonics" Bob Blackburn. The NBA Board of Governors voted Wednesday, March 25, 2026 to “explore” expanding the league to Las Vegas and Seattle. Explore? Really? EX-PLORE?!?! The original Sonics left Seattle in 2008 and became the OKC Thunder. Anyhow, despite the NBA's goofy word choice, this seemed like the perfect occasion to revisit one of our most popular shows ever: when we marked the centenary of the late Bob Blackburn back in October 2024 with help from his son. The elder Blackburn was born in California on October 14, 1924, and became one of the most beloved broadcasters in Pacific Northwest history. Bob, Jr. shared memories on the eve of what would have been his father’s 100th birthday, and played highlights from a treasure trove of vintage audio from his father's broadcasts of Portland Buckaroos hockey, Portland Beavers baseball, OSU football and, of course, the Seattle Supersonics (including a postgame interview from 1971 with Wilt Chamberlain). This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8pm Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday, October 13, 2024 via SPACE 101.1 FM and streaming live via www.space101fm.org from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time. 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    26 March 2026, 8:38 pm
  • 32 minutes 56 seconds
    BONUS EPISODE: Historic Lighthouse, Geology and Whales at Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area near Newport, OR
    Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Andrew Smalldon, Education Technician at the Bureau of Land Management's Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area near Newport, Oregon. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and is open to visitors year-round. It features the tallest historic lighthouse on the Oregon Coast, an interpretive center, plus miles of trails that give access to the area's rich geologic history, as well as places to witness seasonal bird migration and watch for whales. CASCADE OF HISTORY spoke with the BLM's Andrew Smalldon on Monday, March 23, 2026. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area website: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/oregon-washington/yaquina-head-ona Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    24 March 2026, 5:25 pm
  • 32 minutes 46 seconds
    BONUS ENCORE EPISODE: Origins of Washington State's Threatened VOTE-BY-MAIL
    On this BONUS ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel speaks with three-term Republican former Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed about the history and origins of voting by mail in Washington state. This conversation was recorded in September 2025. Secretary Reed was in office from 2001 to 2013, and previously served as the elected auditor of Thurston County. In this earlier role, he was one of the first public officials to support efforts to adopt voting by mail in the Evergreen State back in the early 1980s. Washington became the second all-vote-by-mail state in 2011; Oregon was first a decade earlier. With Trump Administration legislation before Congress which would effectively outlaw voting by mail - and, in addition, the US Supreme Court's expected decision in a case from Mississippi which might also impact Washington state - it was critical to listen again to Secretary Reed and learn the history and context for the practice in the state of Washington, and also look ahead to what might happen should the Trump effort proceed. 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.
    23 March 2026, 8:52 pm
  • 1 hour 43 seconds
    Ep. 139: LIVE from Historic Fort Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington
    Feliks Banel's guests on this special LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from historic Fort Steilacoom in Pierce County, Washington include Walter Neary, board secretary, and Claire Keller-Scholz, board president, of Historic Fort Steilacoom Association, on the history of the fort; Lt. Colonel Erik Flint, president of the Friends of Lewis Army Museum at JBLM on the recent reversal by the U.S. Army of their 2025 decision to close Lewis Army Museum; historians Mizu Sugimura and Michael Sullivan on taking history personally in Tacoma and Pierce County; and Nicholas Vann - who was confirmed last week by Governor Bob Ferguson as director of the Washington State Historical Society and Washington State History Museum - giving his first media interview since getting the job. Musical breaks were performed on fiddle by the multi-talented Claire Keller-Scholz. This special live broadcast originated from one of the historic 19th century buildings at Fort Steilacoom on the grounds of what's now Western State Hospital. The broadcast took place from 8-9pm Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday, March 22, 2026. Special thanks to Walter Neary for hosting the CASCADE OF HISTORY crew at Fort Steilacoom. Thanks, as always, to Mitch Etter of SPACE 101.1 FM for running the board back at the station. Historic Fort Steilacoom Association website: https://historicfortsteilacoom.org/ Friends of Lewis Army Museum website: https://lewisarmymuseum.com/friends-of-the-fort-lewis-military-museum/ Michael Sullivan's Tacoma HIstory website: https://tacomahistory.live/ Mizu Sugimura article on HistoryLink: https://www.historylink.org/File/21136 Washington State Historical Society/Washington State History Museum website: https://www.washingtonhistory.org/event/coffee-with-director-26/ CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station 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. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.
    23 March 2026, 6:11 am
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