~Guest Post by Noah Heutchy, BS in Social History, Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum Volunteer
We are all probably familiar with American tall tales, Paul Bunyan and Johnny Appleseed being amongst the most famous. These tall tales are based on truth; however, the facts and events are exaggerated. While “Cougar” Pete Peterson is not a tall tale on the scale of Bunyan and Appleseed, like them the facts surrounding his life have been embellished over the course of time into a new tale of his life. This story was then passed down to the point that it is believed to be factual.
The summary of Peterson’s life is often conveyed as he was a great hunter of predators, especially cougars, and that is why he was called “Cougar Pete.” He was an outdoorsman who hunted and killed a huge grizzly bear and its pelt is now part of the Smithsonian Institution. Peterson was appointed by President Franklin Roosevelt as the first Forest Ranger of what is now the Snoqualmie National Forest. He met Roosevelt at the Cascadia or Olympic Hotel in Seattle and the two of them had a long conversation…