Author and historian Cynthia Wilson presents the "Black Civil War Veterans in Washington State: Men of Valor" book talk at Third Place Books Seward Park.

On August 6th, Mrs. Wilson shared the story of Donaldson family patriarch Jessee Donaldson, and was accompanied by her son and daughter.

Big thanks to Mrs. Wilson for sharing the story of Jessee and his fellow Roslyn Black Pioneers.

Event info:
https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/event/cynthia-a-wilson

On July 27, members of the Donaldson-Livingston-Bentley-Taylor extended families and friends gathered together for the annual reunion at Ray and Barb’s house.

Good weather and delicious food greeted the 60 attendees. The Donaldson Family Research Group provided updates about activities in the past year and the members were recognized.

Special acknowledgement was given for Karla (Bentley) Jackson and Vernon Jackson’s 67th wedding anniversary!

Raffle prizes were awarded. The date for the next family reunion was announced - Saturday, July 26, 2025.

We were honored to have Maisha Barnett join us. The Barnetts and Donaldsons migrated to the northwest as some of the families of the Roslyn Black Pioneers in the 1880s-1890s.

Historian and author Cynthia Wilson uncovers the stories of over 30 Black Civil War veterans who relocated to Washington State in a new book, "Black Civil War Veterans In Washington State."

Among the men featured is Jessee Donaldson (1846-1913), who served with the 15th United States Colored Infantry in Tennessee. 

Big thanks and gratitude to Ms. Wilson for sharing Jessee's story along with the rest of the men of valor.

Link to order the book:
https://mitpressbookstore.mit.edu/book/9781467156134

Over the 2023 Memorial Day weekend, Central Washington University Professor of Anthropology Dr. Steve Hackenberger along with his students conducted fieldwork at the Mount Olivet Cemetery using ground penetrating radar (GPR) technology. 

Mount Olivet Cemetery is an African American cemetery comprising one of the 26 cemeteries in Roslyn. Mount Olivet includes individuals and families who were recruited by the Northwestern Improvement Company to work the coal mines, breaking white coal miners’ strikes in the 1880s-1890s.

Among the family members included the Cravens, who have graciously served as caretakers at Mount Olivet for decades. Among them are Mr. Samuel A. Craven, and his son Will, who has continued to maintain the grounds. Joining the Cravens who are buried at Mount Olivet are members of the Hart, Barnett, Taylor, Strong, and Donaldson families. 
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There’s currently 63 graves accounted for out of an estimated 200. Descendants are interested in determining where exactly ancestors may be buried. The GPR work involves sending electromagnetic signals via antenna into the ground. The waves detect if the soil underneath has been disturbed, which can indicate soil tilled as part of a burial. Two areas were marked & analyzed based on review of available documentation, which includes a hand-drawn map from the collection of the Crave family.

Donaldson family members Ryan Anthony Donaldson and Lenora Bentley were present to observe the work. There are 4 documented family members at Mount Olivet: family patriarch Jessee Donaldson (1846-1913), his son Thad Donaldson (1881-1902), his daughter Rusia (1897-1898), and granddaughter Ruby (1899-1899). There are additional family members buried at Mount Olivet. With the results of the analysis, the Donaldson family hopes to be able to properly commemorate their relatives. ​