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Cowlitz County
Historical Museum
405 Allen St.

Kelso, WA 98626
Tel: 360-577-3119
Directions

Calendar of Events

Hours:
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Tuesday  - Saturday

Closed on Sunday, Mondays and Holidays

 
Photos For Sale
They Came to Six Rivers
The Story of  Cowlitz County
Legends of the  Cowlitz Indian Tribes
By:  Roy I. Wilson
Cheholtz and Mary Kiona
of the Cowlitz

By:  Roy I. Wilson
R. A . Long's
Planned
City
The Story of
Longview
 
 
 
 

 

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New Hours

2009 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.
 

A Sampling of "Key Ingredients"....

 

“Key Ingredients: America by food”, a traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian's Museum on Main Street, will open at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum on October 31, 2009. 'Key Ingredients' examines the heritage of our country's culinary traditions, truly an American 'melting pot'.

Be sure to come by for our used cookbook sale October 31 through December.  Also check out the Cowlitz County Historical Museum page of the Key Ingredients web site.  Just go to
keyingredients.org. You can look at pictures, learn about events at the museum, and find out about some great places to eat in our area.
   
Tractors now on Display
A1935 John Deere Model BO Tractor and a Waterloo Boy Stationary Engine from around 1907 is now on display in the entry way of the museum.  The Model B tractor is number 448 out of 300,000 that were manufactured before production ceased in 1952. The “O” refers to “orchard” as this variation of a Model B was designed to work in trees.  The engine is typical of those used on farms to drive various kinds of power tools such as pumps, hay elevators, and saws.
 
Hoffstadt Bluff Exhibit Now Open

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.

 
New "First Thursday" Evening Programs

December 3rd at 7p.m. Vicki Selander will speak about her new book “Images of America: Castle Rock”. The book features more than 100 photographs, including the town’s 1850s settlement, as well as Selander’s extensive captions and an introduction. It is part of the Images of America series, published by Arcadia.

 
*******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?
 

Collections & Research

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.
 

Membership

Benefits of membership in the Historical Society include:

  • Newsletter

  • Subscription to the Cowlitz Historical Quarterly

  • 10% Discount in the Museum Store

  • Voting in Society elections, and eligibility for discounted membership in the Washington State Historical Society

  • Subscriptions begin at $20.00

  • Society Memberships begin at $35.00

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.


 

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

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.


 

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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Cowlitz County Historical Museum - 405 Allen Street - Kelso, WA 98626 - 360 577-3119
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