Keeping House

The Help: Walla Walla Style

From its earliest days, Walla Walla had more than its share of grand homes and large families. Just who was doing the cooking, laundry, cleaning, gardening and child care in these residences? Come and learn about the Chinese domestics and the immigrant servant girls from the 1860s to the 1930s. There are both historic photos and personal accounts to make these important folks come alive as real people who had a critical role in keeping the home fires burning, the children tended and the tables laden.

Susan Monahan is a retired teacher of Deaf Education and Instructional Technology. She moved to Walla Walla in 2009 and fell in love with the local history while researching her 100-year-old home. She is a board member and docent at Kirkman House Museum and writes articles on historic buildings for the Union-Bulletin.

Museum After Hours is a free monthly lecture series that is open to the public. The presentation will begin at 5 pm in the Museum's Entrance Building.