Man in Civil War uniform missing since Sunday night near re-enactment in Yelm

Local Man in Civil War uniform missing since Sunday night near re-enactment in Yelm Washington State Patrol, on behalf of Yelm Police Department, issued an Endangered Missing Person Alert for a 54-year-old man last seen in a Civil War re-enactment uniform near a living-history event in Yelm on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 around 8:30 p.m. A man in his early 50s, dressed in a gray-and-blue Civil War re-enactment uniform, has been missing since Sunday around 8 or 9 p.m., police say. Washington State Patrol, on behalf of the Yelm Police Department, issued an Endangered Missing Person Alert on Sunday around 8:25 p.m. for Thomas Goodwin, a 54-year-old man with blue eyes, gray hair and a full goatee, according to the photo accompanying the release. The photo also shows him with the black-and-white sling of a Civil War-era rifle. He is approximately 190 pounds. WSP said his disappearance 'poses a credible threat' to his health and safety. The man was last seen on foot near the 14000 block of George Road Southeast in Yelm, a rural road around two miles southeast of downtown Yelm off State Route 507. Over Labor Day weekend, Evenson Farm at 14045 George Road SE hosted the staging grounds for a three-day Civil War living history event co-managed by the Northwest Civil War Council and the Washington Civil War Association . It ran Saturday 9 a.m. until after 7 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m., when the camps 'closed to the public' according to the event page. Officially called 'An Encounter at Evenson Farm,' the event — described as the largest Civil War re-enactment in the Pacific Northwest — was scheduled to continue through Labor Day, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Goodwin is believed to have left his wallet and keys at the event, according to a Facebook post from Thurston County Scanner News. He reportedly left his tent after feeling unwell. In a phone call Monday afternoon, Sgt. David Nissen, a patrol supervisor with the Yelm Police Department, confirmed that he was participating in the re-enactment event. Attendees said he left a Saturday night dance with a headache. They began looking for him and did not alert police until Sunday morning, said Nissen. Authorities reached the area later that afternoon, delayed by another critical incident, he said. The area is 'a pretty extensive, wooded parcel,' continued the sergeant. Search crews hit the ground at 7 a.m. Monday morning and will continue 'until later this evening,' he said. Should he not turn up, 'There will be a more in-depth discussion whether we continue for a third day,' Nissen said. If you have knowledge of his whereabouts, call 911 and reference Case No. 2026-01340. KS Kristine Sherred The News Tribune Email this person 253-597-8270 Kristine Sherred joined The News Tribune in 2019, following a decade in Chicago where she worked for restaurants, a liquor wholesaler, a culinary bookstore and a prominent food journalist. In addition to her SPJ-recognized series on Tacoma's grease-trap policies, her work centers the people behind the counter and showcases the impact of small business on community. She previously reported for Industry Dive and William Reed. Find her on Instagram @kcsherred. Support my work with a digital subscription