The still life for this “Glance at the Past” contains items that were well used in many a home. Lucille Weisenberger’s mother used the washboard to scrub heavily soiled clothes on washday. Weisenberger remembers using the ladle to get her drinking water from the pail in the kitchen. The water was drawn from the well and carried to the house.

The Crystal White Soap was a favorite brand of Bill Reynolds’ mother. The brown glass bottle held Purex, a popular bleach of the 20s through 40s, and maybe longer. (Purex is a registered trademark and now its company sells “green” laundry detergents and fabric softeners.)

A little contest

The yellow bar is a valuable item still available and used today. Sorry, I don’t have a suitable prize to offer for identifying it, but I will publish the answer and list its uses next month. You can mail your answer to the Kingston Historical Society, Box 333, Kingston, 98346, or you can give your answer to a Historical Society member. Better yet, you can come to the Historical Society meeting at the Community Center at 10 a.m. on Aug. 26 at the Community Center and help us compile a list of its best uses.

For information on the Kingston Historical Society, contact Harriet Muhrlein, president, (360) 297-2448.