The home of West Seattle’s history might be where you discover some of your own history.
Southwest Seattle Historical Society executive director Elizabeth Rudrud told us the story of Chuck Burtch‘s visit to SWSHS’s Log House Museum. While chatting with the 93-year-old, she learned about his history in West Seattle, including his years working at Bethlehem Steel – the mill that’s now Nucor (WSB sponsor). Elizabeth picks up the story:
Chuck started working at Bethlehem Steel in 1958. He lived just up the hill from the plant. In 1977, he became the chief metallurgist. He was sharing his story and memories with me when I suggested we look in our catalog for photos of Bethlehem Steel from that era. We found several photos of the plant, his neighborhood, and yes – even a photo of him from the year he became chief metallurgist! We talked for a long time about his work and the plant and when other visitors came in, he was able to share his story with them – including the fact that we found a photo of him from almost half a century ago in our collections!…