THE TUGBOAT PIONEER Thea Foss

135 years ago, Norwegian immigrant Thea Foss lived in a ramshackle driftwood houseboat on the coast of Tacoma Washington. Kind, capable, and hard-working, she was an anchor for hundreds more immigrants during America's Gilded Age. Thea built the largest maritime company west of the Mississippi- but more than that, she was the heart of the community. (Plus there's a boat parade, a catastrophic fire, and a truly delightful cow.) Join Katie on location in Tacoma Washington as we explore the question of how to build community. __________________________ Fancy a Thea Foss MUG featuring her inspiring motto ALWAYS READY? The What'sHerName SHOP is open! Join us for our next adventure on a What'sHerName TOUR! If you're local to Tacoma, check out all the cool stuff Jennifer Trahan and Parks Tacoma are doing! Music featured in this episode: Lift Up by the Mini Vandals; Density & Time by Travelator; The Royal Vagabond by Jockers Dance Orchestra; Meditation Impromptu 1 by Kevin MacLeod; traditional Norwegian songs in the National Jukebox Collection at the Library of Congress. Sound effects were kindly shared by Kevin Luce and Klankbeeld. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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THE TUGBOAT PIONEER Thea Foss is an episode from What'sHerName by Dr. Katie Nelson and Olivia Meikle.

This episode is 58:23 long.

This episode was published on Aug 4, 2025.

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