Reunion 2024 Report

2024 CFA 10th Reunion Report      September 12 - 16, 2024

C. C. Calkins, Dreamer, Developer, Entrepreneur

2024 reunion planners: Alice, Cathy, Louise Hansen, and Christine Hansen Bryant

It was another successful CFA Triennial Reunion! It began on Thursday with a Meet and Greet at the Silver Cloud Hotel, South Lake Union, Seattle, WA where cousins met distant family members, collected autographs, picked up t-shirts, bought raffle tickets, and had the opportunity to visit the CFA library.

On Friday, the day began early as we took the shuttle bus to Mercer Island, stopping first at Calkins Landing, the landing dock of CC Calkins’s Steamboat and where his opulent hotel once stood. We snapped a group photo, then on to Luther Burbank Park where CC Calkins once lived with his family. After walking the grounds, we took another group photo at Calkins Point then enjoyed a sack lunch at the park. Lucky for us we ran into Sue Stewart, one of the members of Friends of Luther Burbank Park and swapped stories of CC Calkins and the park’s history. Back on the bus we headed to the historic Roanoke Inn for drinks before heading back to the hotel for free time.  

Saturday was filled with exciting lectures from Calkins cousins on a variety of topics. This was so entertaining we have plans to repeat these talks via Zoom so they may be enjoyed live for Q&A and recorded for our Youtube channel. Topics included: CC Calkins Seattle Story by Cathy Hansen; CC Calkins California Story by Alice Hansen, Calkins History from England to New England, by Melissa Calkins; The Story of Barbed Wire by Larry Calkins; The Hugh Calkins House—who lived there? by Nanette Armstrong; The Fighting 5 Calkin Brothers of Elizabethtown, NY by Marty Calkins; and John LeonCalkins and the Grace photo by Lois Smith.

The Saturday evening banquet began with a blessing from a Duwamish Indian Tribe member followed by a delicious banquet of food with a traditional indigenous twist. BJ Cummings was the keynote speaker who talked about the human and natural history of the Duwamish River.  Valorey Pham won the grand prize quilt, handmade by Judie Schiel. Sunday we were off again for a ride on the Steamer Virginia V, a wooden boat from 1922. We motored on Lake Union to Lake Washington to Mercer Island and back, past the Univ. of Washington, past the floating bridge, then passing many lovely homes, including Calkins cousin Bill Gates’s place. We enjoyed Jane Meyer Brahm’s running commentary of the history of the area. On Monday many cousins headed home but a few stayed for a walking tour with Alice for local sights.  Thanks to the reunion planners and speakers! Next reunion is planned for Michigan in2027.

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