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Hours |
10-4, Tuesdays -Saturdays,
closed on Sundays and Mondays.
The first Thursday of the month the museum will be open until
9:00 PM with a program offered on this night.
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From the Port of Kalama |
To present the interesting history of Kalama and its
waterfront, the Port of Kalama
is building an interpretive center. As their building is
not complete the port is loaning the museum several
exhibit pieces including a meticulously crafted model of
the ferry Tacoma that
carried trains across the Columbia
River at Kalama, a 1929 Model AA Ford truck,
a new 25-foot Cowlitz Indian canoe, and a made replica
of a prairie schooner. This last item is a wagon like
those used for long-distance travel and freight
transport in the ninetieth century.
When seen from a distance, the prairie schooner
so resembled a ship at sea as to suggest the name. To
these port exhibit pieces, related items from the
museum’s collections are being added to better help us
understand the role of transportation and commerce in
our region’s history. This includes a model of the
Duckling made by Molt Taylor, inventor of the Aerocar
and train memorabilia such as the dedication plaque of
the Longview Railroad Deport from 1925.
Rivers to ruts, rails to roads, and rising above:
the people of Cowlitz County
are on the move.
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Hoffstadt Bluff Exhibit Now Open |
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The museum recently completed a new
exhibit at the Hoffstadt Bluffs Visitor Center. Memories
of a Lost Landscape tells the story of how prior to the
eruption in 1980 people delighted in the chance to hike,
camp, climb, ski and embrace nature at serene Spirit
Lake and majestic Mt St Helens. Using photographs, film
clips, and copies of memorabilia this exhibit will
fondly remind some people of their early experiences on
the mountain, and introduce others to what was lost.
The visitor center is now open, though the formal
reopening ceremony is scheduled for May 18 at 2:00 pm.
Plan a trip to Hoffstadt Bluffs to see the exhibit, view
the mountain and enjoy a meal at the Fire Mountain Grill
located in the visitor center. For further information
contact the visitor center at (360) 274-5200.
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New Cowlitz County Exhibit
in
Administration
Building |
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In November the museum completed an
installation of an exhibit about Cowlitz County in the county administration
building.
Using maps, photographs, documents and a few artifacts,
the exhibit chronicles the creation of our county in
1853 and the establishment of the county seat.
Of particular interest are the political cartoons
that capture the fervor as Kelso sought to move the seat
from Kalama, an endeavor that took eight elections.
The next time you are in the administration
building or have some extra time while visiting the
museum, check out this exhibit and learn about the
county’s early history.
The administration building is located one-half block
northwest of the museum at 207 N. 4th.
The exhibit is on the first floor. |
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Free January First Thursday |
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January 5th at 7:00 p.m. “When Logging was Logging” This
program will feature Karen Bertroch and Jim LeMonds,
both who contributed to the writing of the new best
selling local logging book. The books have sold out at
the Museum but don’t worry; at the meeting we will have
books for sale and they can be signed by Karen and Jim
as well.
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*******Research Requests****** |
Museum staff and volunteers are researching several
topics that may be the source of articles in the
quarterly, programs or exhibits
Cowlitz County law enforcement history. Can you help us
learn more about this important part of our local
history? We are seeking stories, photos and memorabilia.
Longview race track. Did you go the car races at the
fairgrounds in the 1950s-1970s? Or perhaps you raced or
worked on one of the race cars. If so, we'd like to hear
from you. Again we are looking for stories, photos and
memorabilia. Anyone have a race car we could borrow to
display in our entry way? |
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Collections
& Research
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The museum's
extensive artifact and photograph collections and the large
library of materials concerning Cowlitz County are used by
interested citizens and scholars alike to research the history
of a community, historical event or person.
To view, please schedule ahead to make arrangements for a staff
person to be on hand to assist you by calling Museum Director
Dave Freece at 360.577.3119 or
emailing.
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Membership
Benefits
of membership in the Historical Society include:
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Newsletter
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Subscription to the
Cowlitz Historical Quarterly
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10%
Discount in the Museum Store
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Voting in
Society elections, and eligibility
for discounted membership in the Washington State
Historical Society
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Subscriptions
begin at $20.00
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Society
Memberships begin at $35.00
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Exhibits
A Toutle River
settler's log cabin built
in 1884, Native American artifacts, and replicas of a general store, loggers bunkhouse, steamboat
dock, and railroad depot highlight the museum's
permanent exhibits in the Main Gallery. Photographs taken
by Wilford Craik of the Lewis
River area are displayed in the Public Meeting
Room. Changing exhibits of general historical
interest are featured in the Special Exhibits Room.
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Directions
Take Exit 39
off I-5, and follow Allen Street one-quarter mile west to
the museum, which will be on your right. If you are coming
through Longview, drive east on Ocean Beach Highway (State
Highway 4). Follow the Highway 4 signs and cross the
Cowlitz River on the Allen Street Bridge. You are now on Allen Street and
the museum is 3 blocks down on your left. There is plenty of
free parking.
Map |
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Sponsors:
The Cowlitz County
Historical Museum is jointly operated by Cowlitz County, and the
Cowlitz County Historical Society. A citizen Board of Directors and
four staff work with volunteers to discover, preserve and
disseminate knowledge about the area's past.
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The Cowlitz County Historical Museum was founded in 1949 to
discover, interpret and disseminate the history of Cowlitz
County and Southwest Washington. Visit the Cowlitz County
Historical Museum and discover how the land and rivers of
Cowlitz County have shaped the lives of people for hundreds
of years. |
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