Snohomish Through the Eyes of a Local: A Walking Tour Guide's Perspective

·1 hr 16 min·5 clips

Taylor Russell, a 2009 Snohomish High School graduate, runs Snohomish Walks after a COVID pivot from being a chef.

Scott Cowan hosts Taylor Russell on the Exploring Washington State podcast. Taylor is a 2009 Snohomish High School graduate who founded Snohomish Walks, a hyperlocal history project. She initially pursued a master's in teaching to become a high school history teacher but became disenchanted during her internship. After working in the mortgage and culinary fields, she pivoted during the COVID-19 pandemic by starting an Instagram page posting photos of Snohomish's historic homes. This grew into adding historical captions, leading to her first product: a historic homes coloring book. She later expanded to creating puzzles, enamel pins, and monthly walking tours in Snohomish, which have sold out since launch. Taylor is also involved with the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, the Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission, and the American Association of Local and State History. She discusses researching home histories, including a 1911 house built for $3,900, and shares stories like that of Pilchuck Julia, a Coast Salish woman featured in a weather prediction column. Her audience primarily consists of local women in their thirties and older Facebook users who share personal anecdotes. Taylor uses Patreon for longer-form content and is working on a book about Snohomish postcards, aiming to publish by August 2023. The episode concludes with light-hearted questions about cake vs. pie and local recommendations like Grain Artisan Bakery.

As heard by us

A local guide frames Snohomish history through homes, walking tours, pride, and preservation.

Snohomish comes across as a town where local history is not sealed behind glass but carried through walking tours, preservation work, and pride in old homes.

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Why you'd press play

You get Snohomish history, historic homes, and a little real-estate envy from Taylor Russell, the Snohomish Walks creator whose tour idea started back in high school.

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