Costco to Host Book Signing for Local Tacoma Authors

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Aug. 5, 2013 - PRLog -- During the mid-19th century, coffins were built with a drawstring bell to serve as an alarm in case one had the misfortune of being buried alive. It is believed that several such coffins reside in Tacoma's cemeteries. Fortunately, there are no reports of bells ringing in the middle of the night. Tacoma has numerous Victorian cemeteries that house renowned pioneers, like Thea Foss, Angelo Fawcett, and Brig. Gen. John W. Sprague, a hero of the Civil War who cofounded Tacoma and served as the city's first mayor. Several cemeteries are dying to tell their story and have not seen a visitor in over a century. Some have been abandoned completely, while others have been relocated numerous times. A number of graves that should have been moved are still in their original places. Tacoma residents will be astonished to learn the whereabouts of several unmarked graves, including some located along a very familiar piece of highway.

Kris Anderson Reisinger has been drawn to and inspired by Victorian cemeteries most of her life. As a member of the Grave Concerns Association, she considers restoring dignity to unmarked graves a labor of love.

Listed on the local Tacoma Register, the Washington Heritage Register, and the National Register of Historic Places, the North Slope is the largest residential historic district in Washington. Perched atop Job Carr's Hill, it is a trapezoid with streets at an angle, or sloped, to the grid designed by city planners. The bulk of the neighborhood was built on a 166-acre farm belonging to the Carr family. Purchased in the 1860s from the federal government, it was sold in the 1880s for residential development. The first homes in the North Slope were built from 1888 to 1893 for tycoons, bankers, and railroad men. Renowned residents included Gov. Ernest Lister, John Q. and Virginia Mason, and Bing Crosby, who was born in the North Slope and baptized at St. Patrick's Church.

After roaming the world with her family, Karen May retired and settled into a small bungalow in Tacoma's North Slope. She gathered information and photographs from her neighbors and the Northwest Room of the Tacoma Public Library to tell the story of her beloved home.

Join the authors for a signing:
Where:  Costco
2219 South 37th Street, Tacoma WA 98409
When:  Saturday, August 24th, 2013; 11:00 a.m. —2:00 p.m.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888)-313-2665.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?