Forgotten film reveals critical wartime role for Washington industry

A seven-minute black and white film, shot nearly a century ago in the Eastern Washington community of Chewelah, has been tucked away in an archive in South Carolina for nearly 50 years. The story behind the flickering forgotten footage illuminates the Evergreen State’s long-ago role in providing vital material for defense production during both World Wars.

The Resident Historian is a twice-weekly podcast from KIRO Newsradio's Feliks Banel. Each episode includes either Feliks's Wednesday history feature from Seattle's Morning News, or the weekly Friday morning installment of the history and geography series All Over The Map.