Cascade of History

Feliks Banel

CASCADE OF HISTORY is the only LIVE radio show presenting news and stories about people doing cool things with and for history in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. We talk about people, artifacts, books, maps, photos, places, landmarks, public lands, state and national parks, trails, highways, and the historic events that can bring us all together. The show is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time on SPACE 101.1 FM (and streaming via http://www.space101fm.org ) from studios located on the shores of Lake Washington in historic Magnuson Park in Seattle, former site of Sand Point Naval Air Station (though sometimes CASCADE OF HISTORY originates from remote locations around the region). The podcast feed consists of the weekly broadcast, plus frequent bonus episodes with timely and topical interviews, vintage local audio or other Pacific Northwest history-related content - and sometimes even BREAKING NEWS. Producer and host Feliks Banel is a corporate historian; Emmy-winning and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning broadcaster; and former deputy director of Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). Send your questions, comments, guest suggestions, news tips and other correspondence to cascadeofhistory@gmail.com.

  1. 4h ago

    Ep. 158: ENCORE BROADCAST - LIVE Farewell to Seattle High School Memorial Stadium from June 2025

    Feliks Banel's guests on this ENCORE PRESENTATION of a LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY from the June 26, 2025 farewell event for Seattle High School Memorial Stadium include Clay Eals and Jean Sherrard of the Seattle Times' Seattle Now & Then; Northwest sports historian and collector David Eskenazi; and music historian Eric Magnuson. The beloved 1947 stadium, deemed unworthy of landmark status by the City of Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board, has since been demolished and a shiny new stadium is being built in its place. The original structure, designed by noted architect George Stoddard, was dedicated in 1947 to the memory of 800+ Seattle Public Schools alums who died in World War II. Apart from bidding farewell to the doomed (not "domed") stadium, discussion also included the then-recent passing of Bobby Sherman, who played Jeremy Bolt on "Here Come The Brides" - the 1969-1971 TV series set in 1860s Seattle, which also spawned the song, "(The Bluest Skies You've Ever Seen Are In) Seattle." Seattle High School Memorial Stadium CASCADE OF HISTORY Playlist: https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/sets/memorial-stadium-battle Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This LIVE REMOTE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 4pm Pacific Standard Time on Thursday, June 26, 2025 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via space101fm.org from the rainy and nearly deserted parking lot in front of Seattle High School Memorial Stadium at Seattle Center. CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast most Sundays at 8pm Pacific Time from historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    Ep. 158: ENCORE BROADCAST - LIVE Farewell to Seattle High School Memorial Stadium from June 2025
  2. 1d ago

    BONUS EPISODE: Chinook Indian Nation and Tansy Point Treaties of August 1851

    Feliks Banel's guest on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY is Rachel Cushman, Secretary-Treasurer of the Chinook Indian Nation, in a conversation marking 175 years since the negotiation of treaties at Tansy Point near the mouth of the Columbia River and looking ahead to what comes next. According to their website, “The Chinook Indian Nation is made up of the five western-most Chinookan speaking tribes at the mouth of the Columbia River. Our nearly 70-year-old constitution codifies who we are and identifies our five constituent tribes – the Clatsop and Cathlamet (Kathlamet) of present-day Oregon and the Lower Chinook, Wahkiakum (Waukikum) and Willapa (Weelappa) of what is now Washington State.” Early August 2026 marked the 175th anniversary of the negotiation of five treaties signed at Tansy Point, in present-day Warrenton, Oregon. Those 1851 treaties were never ratified by the U.S. Congress, and the Chinook Indian Nation is not currently recognized by the federal government. CASCADE OF HISTORY's conversation with Rachel Cushman was recorded on Thursday, August 13, 2026. Chinook Indian Nation website: https://chinooknation.org/ Confluence Project website: https://www.confluenceproject.org/ Chinook Resilience (UW Press) website: https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295742267/chinook-resilience/ Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS EPISODE: Chinook Indian Nation and Tansy Point Treaties of August 1851
  3. Aug 10

    Ep. 157: Spokane Wildfires; 1958 Roseburg Blast; Remembering Preservation Architect Todd Scott

    Feliks Banel's guests on this LIVE BROADCAST of CASCADE OF HISTORY include Bill Yeend, longtime Seattle-area broadcaster who moved back to his native Spokane several years ago, and Spokane historian Liz Wood. In separate interviews, each describes their experiences on the periphery of wildfires that hit the Spokane area on August 1, 2026. Ms. Wood also describes a recent history project to debunk a particularly persistent Spokane history myth. We also listen to vintage audio of the late, great Spokane-born broadcaster (and radio historian) Bill Brubaker, describing the role that local radio played in Roseburg, Oregon after the August 1958 dynamite blast that leveled the town (Bill and two college friends were there running a radio station that summer - they survived the blast and got on the air ASAP). Finally, we pay tribute to Todd Scott, longtime preservation architect for King County Historic Preservation and all around good guy, whose passing was announced a few days ago. Links to more information about most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8pm Pacific Time on Sunday, August 9, 2026 via SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via www.space101fm.org from historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    Ep. 157: Spokane Wildfires; 1958 Roseburg Blast; Remembering Preservation Architect Todd Scott
  4. Aug 7

    BONUS EPISODE: Densho & Tsuru for Solidarity Lead Effort to Save National Archives in S.F. & Chicago

    Feliks Banel's guests on this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY are Naomi Ostwald Kawamura, Executive Director of Densho and Skyla Sachiko Tomine, National Organizing Fellow of Tsuru for Solidarity. Densho and Tsuru for Solidarity have paired up to lead a grassroots effort to halt the closure of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) branch in San Bruno, California. Densho and Tsuru for Solidarity convened a webinar earlier this week with nearly 100 participants. In this conversation for CASCADE OF HISTORY, recorded on the evening of Thursday, August 6, 2026, Ms. Kawamura and Ms. Tomine describe why their respective organizations are collaborating in this effort, what they hope to accomplish, and how people can get involved by contacting legislators and doing other grassroots outreach. CASCADE OF HISTORY has been covering this story since an internal NARA memo was leaked in late June 2026 with details that have still not yet been shared publicly by NARA. That memo describes the closure of NARA regional archival facilities in Chicago, Illinois and San Bruno, California, and imminent removal of archival materials from both sites. Densho NARA campaign website: https://densho.org/catalyst/densho-opposes-plans-to-close-national-archives-facilities-chicago-san-bruno/ Tsuru for Solidarity website: https://tsuruforsolidarity.org/ Previous episode with Grant Din of Save Our National Archives (SONA): https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-grant-din CASCADE OF HISTORY BONUS EPISODE from June 27, 2026 with more information: https://soundcloud.com/cascadeofhistory/bonus-nara-closure Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS EPISODE: Densho & Tsuru for Solidarity Lead Effort to Save National Archives in S.F. & Chicago
  5. Aug 3

    BONUS EPISODE: "This NOT Just In" Archival Revival Part Two

    On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel digs for a second time into the “This NOT Just In” archives for three installments from the occasional history series that aired from 2010 to 2016 on KUOW 94.9 FM in Seattle. The premise of “This NOT Just In” was to use archival audio to shed light on forgotten or not fully understood stories from Pacific Northwest history. In this second "This NOT Just In" Archival Revival, we hear about when President Harry Truman killed time at Mount Rainier in 1945 while waiting for the first meeting United Nations to get underway in San Francisco; the sad tale of Bobo the Gorilla and his time in Anacortes, Washington and at the Woodland Park Zoo in the 1950s and 1960s; and the one and only season of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Pilots in 1969. This material was originally produced by Feliks Banel with editing and other assistance from KUOW’s Jim Gates. “This NOT Just In” was initially awarded a Program Venture Fund grant from KUOW in 2009 which funded production of the first three episodes; KUOW ultimately green-lighted more than 30 additional episodes during the run of the series. The episodes remained online for many years, but most are no longer accessible via the KUOW website – so it seemed like a good time to share them once again as a public service. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS EPISODE: "This NOT Just In" Archival Revival Part Two
  6. Jul 30

    BONUS EPISODE: When Seattle kids pulled mini “STREET HYDROS” behind their bikes

    On this BONUS "LIL’ THUNDERBOAT" ENCORE EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel once again presents vintage audio from KIRO Radio from 2018 with the history of "street hydros" - those miniature plywood hydroplanes that Seattle area kids made from scratch and towed behind their bikes from the 1950s to the 1980s. Included in the story are observations and memories of street hydros from John Keister, Dave Dederer, Bill Wixey, Chip Hanauer and the late, great Pat O'Day (who also performs the play-by-play for an imaginary street hydro race). Street Hydro Story and Photo Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Jj4g99gKm/ Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS EPISODE: When Seattle kids pulled mini “STREET HYDROS” behind their bikes
  7. Jul 26

    BONUS EPISODE: "This NOT Just In" Archival Revival Part One

    On this BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, Feliks Banel digs into the “This NOT Just In” archives for three installments from the occasional history series that aired from 2010 to 2016 on KUOW 94.9 FM in Seattle. The premise of “This NOT Just In” was to use archival audio to shed light on forgotten or not fully understood stories from Pacific Northwest history. In this first of what will likely be many episodes sharing “This NOT Just In” installments in the months and years ahead, we hear about when President Harding gave a speech in Seattle in July 1923 that turned out to be his final public appearance ever; when The Beatles visited Seattle in August 1964; and when Kirkland, Washington won the Little League World Series in 1982. This material was originally produced by Feliks Banel with editing and other assistance from KUOW’s Jim Gates. “This NOT Just In” was initially awarded a Program Venture Fund grant from KUOW in 2009 which funded production of the first three episodes; KUOW ultimately green-lighted more than 30 additional episodes during the run of the series. The episodes remained online for many years, but most are no longer accessible via the KUOW website – so it seemed like a good time to share them once again. Links to more information as well as images related to most topics discussed on the show are often available at the CASCADE OF HISTORY Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/groups/cascadeofhistory CASCADE OF HISTORY is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time via flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM in Seattle and gallantly streams everywhere via www.space101fm.org. The radio station broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park – located in the former Master-at-Arms’ quarters in the old Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS EPISODE: "This NOT Just In" Archival Revival Part One
  8. Jul 25

    BONUS ENCORE: LIVE from the Ryan House Ruins in Sumner, Washington in July 2025

    On the BONUS EPISODE of CASCADE OF HISTORY, we present an ENCORE of our LIVE REMOTE BROADCAST from the ruins of the Ryan House in Sumner, Washington in July 2025. Feliks Banel’s guests include Nick Biermann of Save Ryan House, Nancy Ryan Dressel (descendant of the builder of the Ryan House), Tina Patton Burnett, and other grassroots historic preservationists and lovers of local history who had been working for nearly two years to try to save one of the oldest structures in the Evergreen State. It was part vigil, part wake, part celebration of life, and an attempt to process a serious amount of collective grief. The broadcast originated from 1228 Main Street in downtown Sumner, Washington where the historic Ryan House stood for 150 years - until late on the evening of Thursday, July 24, 2026 when it was demolished by the City of Sumner, against the wishes of one of the most engaged groups of citizens Sumner has seen in decades. This LIVE broadcast of CASCADE OF HISTORY was originally presented at 8:00pm Pacific Time on Sunday, July 27, 2025 via fearless flagship station SPACE 101.1 FM and gallantly streaming live via space101fm.org. CASCADE OF HISTORY usually broadcasts from studios at historic Magnuson Park - formerly Sand Point Naval Air Station - on the shores of Lake Washington in Seattle. Special thanks to Mark Patterson for in-studio engineering for the live remote; and special thanks to Save Ryan House volunteers for graciously hosting this broadcast on very short notice. Subscribe to the CASCADE OF HISTORY podcast via most podcast platforms and never miss regular weekly episodes of Sunday night broadcasts as well as frequent bonus episodes. "LIKE" the Cascade of History Facebook page and get updates and other stories throughout the week, and advance notice of live remote broadcasts taking place in your part of the Old Oregon Country.

    BONUS ENCORE: LIVE from the Ryan House Ruins in Sumner, Washington in July 2025
4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

CASCADE OF HISTORY is the only LIVE radio show presenting news and stories about people doing cool things with and for history in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia. We talk about people, artifacts, books, maps, photos, places, landmarks, public lands, state and national parks, trails, highways, and the historic events that can bring us all together. The show is broadcast LIVE most Sunday nights at 8pm Pacific Time on SPACE 101.1 FM (and streaming via http://www.space101fm.org ) from studios located on the shores of Lake Washington in historic Magnuson Park in Seattle, former site of Sand Point Naval Air Station (though sometimes CASCADE OF HISTORY originates from remote locations around the region). The podcast feed consists of the weekly broadcast, plus frequent bonus episodes with timely and topical interviews, vintage local audio or other Pacific Northwest history-related content - and sometimes even BREAKING NEWS. Producer and host Feliks Banel is a corporate historian; Emmy-winning and Edward R. Murrow Award-winning broadcaster; and former deputy director of Seattle's Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). Send your questions, comments, guest suggestions, news tips and other correspondence to cascadeofhistory@gmail.com.

You Might Also Like