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About the FWOH Program
The volunteers of the Fort Worden Oral History Program have collected almost 300 interviews with the men and women who have served, lived, worked, or visited Fort Worden over its long history since the program’s inception in 2003. The interviews tell of the real life experiences of those who served at Fort Worden during the military era; who worked or lived here during the Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center days; or have visited, participated in activities, or worked at the fort since it became a state park conference center.
These interviews, which have been transcribed and cataloged, form a rich treasure trove of stories that should be mined for source material by historians, students, genealogists, and writers.
Interviews by Subject
- 369th EASR
- Army
- Army Families
- Army Wives
- Artillery Hill
- Atomic Bomb Tests
- Campgrounds
- Centrum
- Centrum Foundation
- Children's Games
- Closing of the Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Coast Artillery-248th
- Coast Guard
- Commanding Officers
- Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden
- Cottage Parents
- Cottages
- Death
- Discipline
- Enemy Fire
- Engineer Amphibious Support Regiment (EASR)-369th
- Engineer Boat and Shore Regiment (EBSR)
- Ferries
- Festival of American Fiddle Tunes
- Fiddle tunes
- Fort Flagler
- Fort Lewis
- Fort Worden
- Fort Worden Parade Ground
- General James H. Cunningham
- Greenland
- Guns
- Hangar (Balloon)
- Harbor Entrance Control Post
- Housing
- Hydrophones
- Inchon Landing
- Isolation
- Japan
- Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Korean War
- Korean War Era
- Living Conditions
- McCurdy Pavilion
- Meals
- Military Police
- Mines
- National Guard
- Navy
- Officers Row
- Park Rangers
- Point Wilson Lighthouse
- Port Townsend
- Prisoners of War
- Pusan
- Residents (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center)
- Runaways
- Russians
- Seasickness
- Sergeants
- Shift Duty
- Ships
- Socialization
- Social Life
- Social Workers
- Staff (Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center)
- State Parks
- Strait of Juan de Fuca
- Submarines
- Target Practice
- Teachers
- Weather
- Weddings
- Wildlife
- World War II
Interviews by Category
- General (2)
- Juvenile Diagnostic & Treatment Center (47)
- Military (125)
- Washington State Parks (42)
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Recent Posts
Interview Archives
- March 2015 (6)
- February 2015 (1)
- January 2015 (1)
- December 2014 (2)
- November 2014 (3)
- October 2014 (4)
- September 2014 (1)
- July 2014 (6)
- June 2014 (7)
- May 2014 (5)
- April 2014 (1)
- January 2014 (1)
- December 2013 (1)
- November 2013 (1)
- October 2013 (1)
- September 2013 (2)
- August 2013 (3)
- July 2013 (2)
- June 2013 (6)
- May 2013 (2)
- April 2013 (1)
- March 2013 (4)
- February 2013 (5)
- January 2013 (4)
- December 2012 (7)
- November 2012 (8)
- October 2012 (2)
- September 2012 (2)
- August 2012 (8)
- July 2012 (4)
- June 2012 (4)
- May 2012 (7)
- April 2012 (6)
- March 2012 (39)
- February 2012 (49)
- January 2012 (4)
Category Archives: Washington State Parks
Interview With Joseph Harrison
From the interview with Joseph Harrison of Spanaway, WA conducted by Clio Ward by phone from the Fort Worden History Center on October 14, 2014. Mr. Harrison served in the 144th National Guard Battalion out of Tacoma in the 1960’s … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged 144th National Guard Battalion, Construction at Fort Worden State Park, Dock at Fort Worden, Floating Machine Shops, Fort Worden, FS313, Landing Crafts, National Guard, Paul George
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Interview With Dave Backman
From the interview with Dave Backman of Port Townsend conducted at the Fort Worden History Center on March 29, 2007 by Patience Rogge. Mr. Backman grew up in Port Townsend, and after retiring moved back to his hometown. He served … Continue reading
Posted in Juvenile Diagnostic & Treatment Center, Washington State Parks
Tagged Artillery Hill, Children's Games, Cottage Parents, Dave Edwards, Football, Fort Worden, Fort Worden Parade Ground, High School Sports, Juvenile Diagnostic and Treatment Center, Juvenile diagnostic and Treatment Center--Residents
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Interview With Lucille Reinen
From the interview with Lucille Reinen of Port Townsend conducted by Carter Huth at the Fort Worden History Center on August 19, 2004. Since moving to Port Townsend, Ms. Reinen has participated in many Centrum and Port Townsend Marine Science … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Army Families, Artists in Port Townsend, Centrum, Fort Warren, Fort Worden, Military Families, Peninsula College in Port Townsend, Port Townsend, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Washington State, Writers in Port Townsend
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Interview With Gwen Lovett
From the interview with Gwen Lovett of Port Townsend conducted by Rick Martinez at the Fort Worden History Center on February 27, 2003. Ms. Lovett was born in Port Townsend while her father, Master Sergeant Archie Christensen was stationed at … Continue reading
Posted in Military, Washington State Parks
Tagged Army Families, Centrum Foundation, Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden, Fort Worden, Friends of Fort Worden, Guardhouse Gift Shop at Fort Worden, Master Sgt. Archie Christensen, Motor Pool at Fort Worden, NCO Row at Fort Worden, Port Townsend
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Interview With Grimanesa Amoros
From the interview with Grimanesa Amoros conducted by Clare Ledden at the Fort Worden History Center on November 4, 2004. Ms. Amoros is an interdisiplinary artist. She was born in Peru and currently lives in New York City. In 2004, … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged "Rootless Algas", Artists in Residence at Centrum, Centrum, Fort Worden, Interdisciplinary Artists, Living Conditions at Fort Worden, People of Port Townsend, Port Townsend, Residencies at Centrum, Rose Theater in Port Townsend
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Interview With Cynthia Johnson
From the interview with Cynthia Johnson of Lake Oswego, OR conducted by Rae Tennyson at the Fort Worden History Center on July 7, 2002. Ms. Johnson and her young son Shane had been participating in Centrum’s Festival of American Fiddle … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Banjo Players, Cajun Music, Cape Breton Music, Centrum, Centrum Foundation, Children's Music Education, Dewey Balfa, Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Fiddle tunes, Fiddlers, Folk Music, Fort Worden, Irish Music, Mexican Music, Musicians, Old time Music, Scottish Music, Shane Johnson, Traditional Music
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Interview with Carla Van Der Ven
From the interview with Carla Van der Ven conducted by Clio Ward on February 19, 2013 at the Fort Worden History Center in Fort Worden State Park. Ms. Van der Ven owns Port Townsend Hospitality, which she started in 2008. … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Carol Shiffman, Centrum Foundation, Coin Operated Laundry at Fort Worden, Dolores Hansen, Fiddletunes, Fort Worden, Housekeeping at Fort Worden, Janitorial and Linen Service at Fort Worden, Jazz Port townsend, Port Townsend Hospitality, Port Townsend Writers' Conference, Thatcher Bailey, Toni Aspin, Washington State Parks
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Interview With George Thomsen
From the interview with George Thomsen of Port Townsend conducted at the Fort Worden History Center by Clio Ward on January 13, 2013. Mr. Thomsen and his wife Joan were co-directors of the Heritage Group, the organization than ran the … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden, Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden-Criteria for Accepting, Fort Worden, Furnishing the Commanding Officers Quarters, Heritage Group at Fort Worden, Joan Thomsen, Silver on Display in Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden
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Interview With Joan Thomsen
From the interview with Joan Thomsen conducted by Clio Ward on January 22, 2013 at Ms. Thomsen’s home in Kala Point, near Port Townsend. Ms. Thomsen and her husband George led the Heritage Group, the organization responsible for managing the … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged "Out of Africa" movie, "The Titanic" movie, Betty Kuller, Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden, Costumes at the Commanding Officers Quarters, Docents, Docents' Costumes, Fort Worden, George Thomsen, Hats, Heritage Group at Fort Worden, Historic Dressmaking Patterns, US Army Officers Uniforms 1902-1911
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Interview With James D. Farmer
From the interview with James D. Farmer of Acme, WA conducted by Clio Ward by phone from the Fort Worden History Center on July 30, 2013. Mr. Farmer was the Fort Worden State Park Conference Center Manager from 1991 to … Continue reading
Posted in Washington State Parks
Tagged Anne Murphy, Centrum, Coast Artillery Museum, Commanding Officers Quarters at Fort Worden, Dan Harpole, Fort Worden Advisory Committee, Fort Worden Centennial Celebration, Fort Worden Oral History Program, Fort Worden State Park, Fort Worden State Park Conference Center, Friends of Fort Worden, George Thomsen, Guard House Gift Shop at Fort Worden, Heritage Group at Fort Worden, Joan Thomsen, Joseph Wheeler, Laurie Medlicott, Lynn Kessler, Nancy Fitch, Nora Porter, Peter Badame, Peter McCracken, Port Townsend, Port Townsend Marine Science Center, Sam Hamill, Susan Sidle
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