Mayor Greg Nickels visits the Seattle Museum of the
Mysteries May 16, 2009 during his Capitol Hill tour
with Grover the Sasquatch named after Grover Krantz
Washington State University Anthropologist.
The mayor was touring to talk with North Capitol Hill
business owners about how they are doing and was informed
by the musuem
things could be going better.
The Mayor impressively was familiar with Bertha Knight
Landes, one of Seattle's first and only female mayors,
having her book
and upon being shown a photo of Barack Obama's house
on Capitol Hill where he lived for a short time in
1962, Greg Nickols
did recall Barack saying something about how his mother
had lived in the area.
Another Legend who lived on Capitol
Hill
along with Bruce Lee, Frances Farmer, Kurt Cobain
and Jimi Hendrix
Mystery of Barack Obama's first year solved
Stanley Ann Dunham Obama and Barack Obama
Baby Sitting Barack
Obama on Seattleıs Capitol Hill
by Charlette LeFevre and Philip Lipson
Seattle Museum of the Mysteries
1/28/09
Mary Toutonghi, 2009
A simple act of of kindness
confirms President Barack Obama residence as an infant
in 1962 on Seattleıs Capitol Hill.
As we were researching
the residence of the Capitol Hill apartment that Ann
Dunham and her son Barack Obama had lived in 1961
to 1962, (1) - a residence that certainly wasnıt Abraham
Lincolnıs log cabin but none the less historical,
we were also able to find one of the former residents
listed in a directory- Mary Toutonghi. Much to our
delight it turned out Mary actually knew Ann Dunham
and had baby sat baby Barack for two months giving
insight on his first year and what it must have been
like for Ann Dunham as a single parent.
Mary Toutonghi who now
lives in Soldatna Alaska, (2) recalls Barack as ³a
really alert baby, very happy and a good size². She
does not remember him ever crying (although she adds
she is sure he likely did but does not remember any
undue fussing). She recalls as best she can the dates
she baby sat Barack as her daughter was 18 months
old and was born in July of 1959 and that would have
placed the months of baby sitting Barack in January
and February of 1962.
During our first interview,
Mary referred to Stanley Ann Dunham as ³Anna² not
knowing that it was the same name as what was listed
in the Seattle City Directory. This verified for us
that indeed Mary had known Ann Dunham. Anna was obviously
confident enough with Mary to have her baby sit her
son Barack and confide in her about her future plans.
Mary strains to remember the days back over forty
five years ago and relates that she did not know why
Anna was in Seattle but remembers she was ³anxious
to get back to her husband². ³She told me they would
be going to Kenya when she finished her education
which she had promised her parents when she had married,
but because her husband had an obligation to his tribe
she realized he would have to take another wife that
was a full blooded Kenyan². Mary commented that ³I
donıt think I could have been that brave.²
Mary explained most of
the people in the apartment house were Seniors and
were retired so it was most likely she was the only
one in the house able to baby sit Barack. Mary was
a stay at home mother while her husband was taking
classes at the nearby Seattle University. She lived
directly below Anna and Barack in the level she calls
the basement. She remembers the windows in their basement
apartment being at chin level and she had a great
view of the yard and trees. One day she recalls with
laughter, a squirrel had fallen through the one of
the ground level windows and after quickly scampering
up its tree scolded the family for a good hour.
Mary goes on to relate
after we sent her a 1937 photo of the apartment from
Washington State Archives, the apartment Anna and
Barack lived in was the on the first main floor and
the windows looked out over the street. Anna and baby
Barackıs apartment in the photo were the three paned
windows on the far right corner of the building above
the garage. The main floor had been divided into four
studio apartments about 500 square feet each- indeed,
a tiny apartment compared to the White House. The
first house of Barack Obama no longer exists having
been torn down in 1985. An apartment complex now is
on the block along with twin residential towers ³Capitol
Park² owned by Seattle Housing Authority.
Mary also laughs when
asked for pictures saying ³We were in survival mode
and not taking pictures². Mary remembers Anna as ³very
mature who never complained and met her obligations².
Anna was taking night classes at the University of
Washington and according to the University of Washingtonıs
registrarıs office her major was listed as History.
She was enrolled at the University of Washington in
the fall of 1961, took a full course load in the Spring
of 1962 and had her transcript transferred to the
University of Hawaii in the Fall of 1962.
Along with the Seattle
Polk Directory, Marc Leavipp of the University of
Washington Registrarıs office confirms 516 13th Ave.
E. was the address Ann Dunham had given upon registering
at the University. Today, when one looks back to the
small apartment in 1962 in which a kind neighbor helped
care for our nationıs leader and a struggling mother
strived to get an education, its inspiring to know
that even small gestures in the most difficult of
situations can help a baby rise from humble beginnings
to achieve greatness.
Ann Dunham later received
a Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Univ. of Hawaii.
Mary Toutonghi now lives
in Soldatna Alaska and was 2001 President of the Alaska
Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
And one little baby grew
up to achieve the audacity of hope.
Permission to copy this
article is granted provided full context is posted
and credited to authors.
Mary Toutonghi photo
courtesy of Mary Toutonghi and Jenny Neyman.
House photo was provided by: Washington State Archives,
Puget Sound Branch, King County Assessor Property
Record Card collection photograph (1937).
1. Barack Obama: from Capitol Hill to Capitol Hill
by Charlette LeFevre, www.capitolhilltimes.com
2. Obama baby sitter awaits new era Soldotna woman
eager for former chargeıs reign By Jenny Neyman, Redoubt
Reporter, Soldotna AK, 1/20/09
|
Read about your Capitol Hill
neighbor Barack Obama.
Barack Obama's Seattle connection and
his first year here on Capitol Hill Seattle
on the Capitol Hill Times website.
From
Capitol Hill to Capitol Hill
|
Photos from Bruce Lee's Birthday Nov. 27th 2008
Lakeview Cemetery
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Taky Kimura and Friends at Bruce Lee's Gravesite.
Taky Kimura is a first
generation student of Bruce Lee and continues to teach.
Bruce Lee had an Apple Spice Cake this year as it
was also T hanksgiving.
Happy Birthday Bruce!
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