A History of Yelm documentary produced by the City of Yelm and Part 1 Media premiered as part of the city’s centennial activities, condensing more than 80 hours of interviews and archival footage into a single film that foregrounds local memories and community institutions.

Lynn, recreation and communications coordinator for the City of Yelm, said the film presents “people’s memories” and the stories “that have been passed down from generation to generation.” Jared, a Yelm native, filmmaker and owner of Part 1 Media, said the screening culminated a year of centennial events.

The film and the speakers who appear in it emphasize a set of recurrent themes: Yelm’s three major fires (1908, 1913 and 1924) and the channeling of those disasters into local civic action; the importance of small businesses such as Wolf’s and Edwards stores and Demetrius Hardware in daily life; agriculture and seasonal berry picking as a local economic mainstay; and long-running community events such as Prairie Days, Christmas in the Park and local sports teams.

Residents who appear in the documentary described the 1924 fire as particularly devastating to the historic business district and credited the Yelm Women’s Civic Club with pushing for incorporation and a formal fire department. One speaker recalled that before incorporation there were no hydrants or a formal fire department, which made the fires more damaging.

The documentary also records civic moments that shaped the town’s identity. A speaker recalled the city choir’s invitation to Washington, D.C., after a presidential visit, and said the community raised about $130,000 to fund uniforms and travel. Another theme is the development of local amenities: the town theater, the growth of restaurants and the modern Yelm Cinema, which several interviewees identified as a regional draw.

Several interviewees addressed Yelm’s changing size and planning. One resident cited the state Growth Management Act of 1994 and recalled the state’s target that municipalities grow toward 20,000 residents by 2045, a benchmark interviewees said shaped later infrastructure planning. Speakers framed current growth as both a challenge and an opportunity, noting that city officials have pursued proactive planning, grant searches and infrastructure investments with a 20-year horizon.

Across the interviews, speakers returned to a common theme: maintaining a small‑town feel amid growth. Interviewees described everyday personal ties — knowing cashiers, neighbors and teachers — and recurring civic activities such as jazz in the park and the barbecue rally as anchors of community life. Sports success and school traditions were cited as sources of civic pride and cohesion.

The documentary places local history in everyday detail: memories of lockers at the grocery, the custom of tabs at stores, children picking berries to buy school clothes, and community dances and parades that drew families together. It also notes regional ties — retirees returning from service at Joint Base Lewis–McChord — and the role of volunteers and restaurants in staging free public events.

The screening did not record any formal policy actions. Instead, the film and speakers presented a narrative that city staff and residents described as both celebration and invitation to keep planning for growth while retaining community character.