Bill Kombol Receives
the 2013 History Award
Music from the 19th and 21st centuries provided entertainment.  First Ron told us about some antique music boxes and disc players (not CDs) from the late 1800s that he and Merilyn have collected over the years and demonstrated them for the audience.  Included in the collection were a children's metal disc player, a music box using paper rolls up to forty feet long, a children's calliope, a cob organ with thousands of metal pins, and a cylinder music box.

Then the musical group, Two Guys and a Girl, aka Keith, Paul and Mikaela, performed for us.  Paul and Keith played 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars, while Mikaela and Paul sang.  (Mikaela is the granddaughter of Ron and Merilyn.)

The evening concluded with an auction of desserts brought by attendees, with all proceeds going to the museum.  Many of the desserts never made it home, since people immediately began sharing what they had won with others at their tables.

The 2013 Enumclaw Plateau Historical Society Awards Dinner and Program was a memorable evening, giving attendees a chance to enjoy great food and music, socialize with others interested in our history, and honor Bill Kombol.  If you missed the event, be sure to put it on next year's calendar.  And don't forget the grand re-opening of the museum May 18th and 19th.
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Bill Kombol in 1974, handing dynamite to John Constanich
Sources

Palmer Coking Coal Company Photo Album

Palmer Coking Company History

Palmer Coking Coal Celebrates 75 Years in Business.  Georg Kern.  Seattle Times. November 2, 2008

Company Finds Life After Coal.  Mike Archbold. King County Journal. June, 2003.
Each year, the Enumclaw Plateau Historical Society holds a dinner to honor someone in the area who has made a significant contribution preserving our local history.  This year, the recipient was Bill Kombol.  Bill is the kid with the long hair pictured above.  Three years out of high school, you see him setting dynamite in the mine.  Today he is manager of Black Diamond-based Palmer Coking Coal, an 80-year-old local company.  Bill was raised in Enumclaw and graduated from EHS in 1971.  He and his wife Jennifer now live in Black Diamond.
Ron Tyler, president of the Enumclaw Plateau Historical Society, opened the after-dinner program by honoring all the board members, volunteers, and docents of the society.  He then updated everyone on the transfer of the huge collection of photographs, artifacts, and papers that have just been transferred from the library to the museum.  Much of the collection was donated by the Schlotfeldt family in 1961. Some of these items were on display in Enumclaw's library before the move, but most were stored in various places.
Ron introduced honored guest Bill Kombol.  He thanked him for his many contributions and continued support of the museum and for taking an active role in preserving the Enumclaw history.
Vice President Patty Shepard then presented him with the society's 2013 History Award.  Several pictures of Bill are included in the accompanying photos.

Music from the 19th and 21st centuries provided entertainment.  First Ron told us about some antique music boxes and disc players (not CDs) from the late 1800s that he and Merilyn have collected over the years and demonstrated them for the audience.  Included in the collection were a children's metal disc player, a music box using paper rolls up to forty feet long, a children's calliope, a cob organ with thousands of metal pins, and a cylinder music box.
Bill Kombol in 1956