Bremelore

The leaves have fallen, which signals the return of the Illahee Sea Monster. Each time I drive by, I have more and more questions. First of all, did I really just see a sea monster?! What is that? How did it get there? Who made it?Join me on my quest to discover the origin of Bremerton’s Nessie, Which led me through decades of environmental lawsuits and drama that nearly split the Illahee community in two before leading me to the name I was looking for - Meredith Jones.Here’s the Illahee Sea Monster, in case you’ve never seen her:Slightly Terrifying. She’s difficult to find photos of because the beach down there is private and covered with cameras. I think this gives a good sense of scale. That man is Meredith Jones, her creator. I’ve also dropped a pin on google maps, it’s a rough approximation.The most recent photo I could find of Nessie is the one above, which I pulled down from Reddit. Taken by U/pastoriagym 3 years ago. Nessie’s getting on in age a little, she’s close to 30 years old and I haven’t seen any reference to maintenance or restoration over the years.Stone IntarsiaHere are some photos of Meredith’s Stone Intarsia works. These were difficult to find and I had to pull them off of a website called “Masters of Stone” through the Wayback Machine. As a result, they are all low resolution with the exception of the Lapidary Journal.Meredith’s “Marsh Hawk” was featured as the cover for the August 1964 issue of Lapidary Journal, which I found of copy of on Ebay. Sadly, the inside cover informed they bumped the article about the piece out of the issue and I haven’t figured out what issue the article ended up. The magazine has now been defunct for years. I contacted the only archive I could find online and made a request but have not heard back. If anyone has better pictures or a copy of the magazine with the article in it, I’d love to know about it! It’s hard to appreciate the detail in these works with such low res photos. And now, for the old newspaper articles! You can see Meredith a little better in these. Most of these come from the Illahee mansion controversy but I’ve also included a handful about his involvement with the Kitsap Gem and Mineral society. I also snuck in one of his wife, Almira!Meredith Jones passed away in 2007, at the ripe old age of 95. His family and friends are the keepers of his creations to this day (at least, the ones that aren’t permanently installed on a beach). Thank you for the intriguing gift you left the Illahee community, Meredith. I hope the sea monster continues to swim for another 30 years. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bremelore.substack.com

Join me as I sit down for a chat with Alison and Ian of Vulca’s Mediterranean Market, Soon to be re-opening in the Dietz Building on the corner of 4th and Pacific Ave. We talk about the Etruscan ethos and the origins of their business, what it’s been like renovating the new space and they ask a local history question to you, my dear listeners.Promised links in the Show Notes:Did you go dancing at the Zoo Cafe or see No Doubt perform in Bremerton? Do you have memories to share from 328 Pacific Avenue? We want to hear about it! Call the Bremelore Tip line at (360) 726-3248 and tell us all about it!Learn more about Vulca’s Mediterranean Market on their website or their facebook.The artists mentioned in this episode were: Linley B. Logan, Website: Life's Beautiful JourneyDani Gray, Website: Gray Skies Painting on IGAnd here’s some more reading on the Etruscans, in case you are interested.Etruscan ArtThe decorated tombs of Monterozzi NecropolisA mysterious website about the Mysterious Etruscans This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bremelore.substack.com

Hey everyone!Just a quick note to let you know- The Bremelore Tip Line is back! Call ‪(360) 726-3248‬ to leave me a message. I love hearing your questions, stories and comments! Bremelore is a show is about our community and I love it when others reach out and contribute!Bremelore will be back with more episodes in the fall! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bremelore.substack.com

Earlier this year, I was invited to be a guest on “Power of Place”. While I was in Seattle, Host Edward asked me a question worthy of a deep dive- Why is Andy Wood buried in Bremerton?I had to answer his question with a question of my own… Who is Andy wood?Come along with me as I explore the life and death of Andrew Wood, Kitsap County’s Secret Rockstar. Here are the links I’ve promised you:Power of Place epsiode #60 “Beneath the Bells” with Deena TaylorThe Documentary about Andrew Wood’s life: Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood StoryFurther biblio for this episode: Kitsap Sun articles:Thank you so much to the librarians at Kitsap Regional Library for teaching me how to use ProQuest so I could take my research a step further!I used ProQuest to read the following:“Shunned Lessons: Even a School that is a leader in Drug War Grades itself a Failure” by Joseph Pereira, Published in the Wall Street Journal, November 10 1989 “THE BATTLE AGAINST DRUG DEPENDENCY WITHIN THE MILITARY” by Richard S. Wilbur, MD, published Winter of 1974You can access them too- all you need is a library card. Web links for some casual reading:HistoryLink- The Boeing BustAll That's Interesting - Andrew WoodSonic Boom - The tragic story of Grunge Pioneer Andrew WoodBainbridge Review- A decade later, it's the same storyKUOW- 20 years of Seattle music history is now onlineThe Infamous Kitsap Ferry Riot, animated short film by Chris LooneyAndrew Wood on FindAGraveThe Bremelore phone line is back! Leave me a message at ‪(360) 726-3248‬!We are @Bremelore on socials, find the website at www.bremelore.wtfBremelore is now hosted in Substack. If you’d like to get the newsletter straight to your inbox, check it out at bremelore.substack.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bremelore.substack.com

Every time I drive past windy point, those abandoned yellow cabins catch my eye. You know the ones- perched above highway 3 with their broken windows staring down at passing cars. Join me for a journey through one of Kitsap's most visible ruins, before development erases it from our daily commute.Extended show notes on the Bremelore Substack . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bremelore.substack.com