Bear Creek: An Oral History of a Changing Landscape

Gary Smith was a late arrival in the Pacific Northwest, retiring to Redmond in 1996.  He became fascinated with salmon on fishing trips in British Columbia and Alaska, then started learning more about them on Bear Creek through WaterTenders, Adopt-A-Stream, and the local chapter of Trout Unlimited.  With the help of more experienced people in these organizations and in local government he set about compiling this oral history about Bear Creek and the salmon that start and end their lives in it.

This oral history project was undertaken over the course of two years, 2020-2022, and includes seven interviews. Each interview includes a written transcript and time stamps for important information. Through his work on this oral history project and the interviews he conducted, Gary has created a a narrative which spans the history of the Bear Creek Watershed. You can read the document in its entirety here and works cited can be found here.

Additional information, references, and resources are available upon request. Please contact our Collections Manager for more details.

This project was completed through a collaboration between Gary Smith, Eastside Heritage Center, and Redmond Historical Society.