This past week a delegation from Nanchang, Olympia’s sister city, stopped briefly in Steilacoom, and named one of its residents their “honorary American grandmother.”
Steilacoom’s Mayor Ron Lucas showed the visitors a few historical sights around Washington’s first incorporated town. Visitors included Long Henan, Vice Mayor of Nanchang in the Municipal People’s Government of China.
The June 6 tour included stops at the Orr Home, the Wagon Shop, and a visit to Capt. Webster’s home on Commercial Street.
Mayor Lucas said that the Chinese “small” town has a population of “about five million.”
Jean Dyer Swanson, who was working in her Commercial Street “Garden of Weedin’ ” that afternoon, took time out from her chores to guide the visitors around her historic home. They dubbed Jean their “Honorary American Grandmother.”
Jean showed her guests her collection of renowned soft sculptures of historic Steilacoom figures, including Mayor Morris, who was the town’s mayor when Jean was a young girl. The visitors also enjoyed seeing the many family photographs that are hung on along the staircase walls.
“They’re interested in family and how we live,” she said.
Do you like the Chinese?” one of the visitors asked.
Jean replied that, “you are my brothers and sisters.”
“I wish I’d had more time that day to visit with them,” Jean added. “I hope they have good memories of their visit.
Mayor Lucas said the guests “visited for two hours this past Monday. They toured Town Hall, Orr Home, bandstand, and Jean Swanson’s home. The trip’s purpose was to visit the Mayor as a past friend and also to visit Olympia which is their IS Sister City. They also paid a courtesy call to the WA Governor’s office, Sec. of State, and Lt. Governor’s officers and then toured the capitol buildings.”
They were in the US for five days.
