Paula, Doris, and Hans Pederson

Those of you who recall that I’ve spent years writing a book may think that by now it languishes in a box in the back of my storeroom. Not so! The collage of images above represents the cover of a memoir to be published in the coming months.

My father, Hans Pederson, an early 20th Century contractor, helped propel the building boom that transformed Seattle from a frontier town into the vibrant city that existed by 1929 when the Depression shut down commerce.

I never knew this, because my father died when I was one month old. After many years I obtained a crucial document that pointed the way to the truth about Hans Pederson’s contribution to the Pacific Northwest.

Solving the mystery of my pioneer immigrant family has been a singular journey. As the story nears publication—stay tuned!