Naval history is topic of Port Townsend First Friday lecture

Published 12:01 am Monday, December 31, 2012

PORT TOWNSEND — Capt. Norm Stevens will begin the 2013 Jefferson County Historical Society First Friday Lecture series with “Wood & Sail to Steam & Steel” on Friday.

The lecture will be at 7 p.m. at Port Townsend’s historic city hall, 540 Water St.

Admission is by donation. Donations support historical society programs.

Stevens will share the story of Fred Buenzle, author of the 1939 memoir, Blue Jacket.

Buenzle joined the Navy in 1892 at the age of 16.

Other upcoming First Friday Lectures are:

Feb. 1 — Vaughn Sherman author of Sea Travels, Memories of a 20th Century Master Mariner.

March 1 — Bill Baccus, Olympic National Park physical scientist, presents “Olympic Glaciers: Past, Present, Future.”

April 5 — “Town Tavern Tales,” in which a panel of local residents share their stories.

May 3 — Curator Bruce Davies shares the behind-the-scenes stories of Victoria’s legendary Craigdarroch Castle.

June 7 — Craig Romano, outdoor author and photographer, discusses his book Backpacking Washington.

Aug. 2 — Lance Weller, author of Wilderness, the story of a Civil War veteran’s journey to the Pacific coast.

Sept. 6 — Historical re-enactor Bob Bartlett presents “York, the Forgotten Hero,” the true story of a slave who shared everything but the glory with Lewis and Clark.

Oct. 4 — Nancy McDaniel discusses her book, A Sound Defense: Military Historical Sites of Puget Sound.

Nov. 1 — Daniel James Brown, will talk about his book, The Boys in the Boat, the story of the 1936 U.S. men’s eight-oar rowing team.