Sexuality in early Thurston County the subject of History Talk on Dec. 12 in Lacey

When reached by phone, historian Deborah J Ross quipped that her upcoming History Talk at Lacey City Hall on Thursday, Dec. 12, has been referred to as her "sex talk."

Ahem! Her talk is entitled, "First Comes Love: Attitudes Towards Romance, Love, and Sexuality in Early Thurston County," and is based on an article she researched and wrote, which was published in the August 2024 edition of Thurston County Historical Journal.

As a true historian, she surveyed available materials, including anecdotes, newspaper reports, laws, ordinances and demographic data from federal and county censuses.

It's an engaging subject. Does it sound racy?

"I hope listeners and participants won't be too disappointed," she confided.

The talk does refer to some aspects of sexual activity, so it may not be appropriate for children. She was inspired by the myth-shattering 1993 book, "The Way We Never Were," by Professor Stephanie Coontz of The Evergreen State College.

Coonz shattered the myth of the nuclear family (two parents with children) as ever being the norm. But what did Deborah Ross find here in early Thurston County?

Spoiler alert: The data suggests that in many ways our forebears' attitudes were not too different from today. At that time, the desire to forge stable, growing communities, together with the nascent women's movement, created a counterbalance to earlier live and let live attitudes toward romance and sexuality. She notes that, as the saying goes, history doesn't repeat, but it rhymes. That being said, you may be surprised with some of her findings! 

On Thursday evening (details below) please join Deborah as she discusses her findings, as well as the research tools she used in creating the article and the talk. There will be an opportunity for questions and answers following the presentation. The event will be available in-person and on Zoom.  

It's fun to keep an eye on the path of people who love what they do. Deborah Ross is a historian, author, and much more! 

Deborah Ross has been researching and writing about Thurston County history for more than 20 years. She published two fact-based fiction novels about the historic Schneider family, who were early settlers in our area. She serves on the editorial board of the Thurston County Historical Journal and produces the weekly "Looking Back" feature for the Sunday Olympian.

She is also the research coordinator for the Olympia Historical Society and Bigelow House Museum, and curates most of the content of its website. She lives at Panorama in Lacey with her husband Brian Hovis.

The Talk - Hybrid Format - Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers  420 College St SE Lacey, WA 98503  Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024,  6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Online Registration Registration is only required for online Zoom attendance.  Admission is free or a donation. Questions? Contact Lacey Museum at LaceyMuseum@cityoflacey.org 360-438-0209. https://laceyparks.org/events/first-comes-love/

Thurston County Historical Journal — Where to find the journal? It is available in local libraries. Copies are also distributed to the historical groups throughout the county, including the Lacey Historical Society and Lacey Museum. The journals are published on the city of Tumwater's website, though the August 2024 edition is not yet available online. Also, you may pick up a hard copy of Deborah's article at the history talk.

Shirley Stirling, of Lacey, writes about good things people in Thurston County are doing. If you'd like to nominate someone to be profiled, contact her at shirley@theJOLTnews.com or comment below.