The Clark County Historical Museum, Vancouver, Washington, is located in a 1909 Carnegie library and is operated by the Clark County Historical Society, established in 1917. It opened at the old Carnegie Library building on May 24, 1964. The first museum director was Joe Pagel. The museum features rotating exhibits of local interest including a semi-permanent Native American craft exhibit. The Society is dedicated to the collection, preservation, and interpretation of the cultural history of Clark County and the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

, and to sponsoring educational programs and exhibits for the enrichment of all members of the public. The Clark County Historical Museum is a 501(C)3

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

. The Clark County Historical Society operates the Museum in partnership with Clark County and the City of Vancouver. Additional funding helps sustain the operation of the museum and comes in many forms including: Clark County Historical Society membership dues, private and foundation grants, corporate sponsorships, in-kind gifts, and donations.

Programs and Annual Events

The museum was responsible for the establishment of the Carnegie Library Consortium of Washington and in 2009 launched "Mr. Carnegie's Grand Tour of Washington," a free, annual automobile-based travel program exploring Washington's historic Carnegie libraries and nearby heritage sites. Since 2004, the museum has hosted Harvest Fun Day, an annual community event featuring

scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...

making,

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

painting, pie-eating, and corn-shucking contests, as well as antique farm equipment demonstrations and live music. The event is held on the fourth Saturday of September and since 2010 has been held at the 78th Street Heritage Farm in Hazel Dell (also Clark County's former Poor Farm). Holiday Open House is a free-admission, annual holiday event when local artisans showcase their wares on the first Saturday of December. The museum is open from 5 to 9 p.m. every first Thursday of the month from February through November for First Thursday Museum After Hours. Rotating guest lecturers speak at 7 p.m. on a variety of pertinent topics. The museum also partners with local schools on educational projects, such as th
Artifact Detectives
kits used from 2009 to 2012 in several Clark County schools. In 2010, the museum became the home of The Brautigan Library, a permanent collection of unpublished manuscripts inspired by author and poet

Richard Brautigan Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – c. September 16, 1984) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. A prolific writer, he wrote throughout his life and published ten novels, two collections of short stories, and four bo ...

's 1971 book '' The Abortion: An Historical Romance 1966'' and submitted by people from around the world in the early 1990s.

References

External links

Clark County Historical MuseumClark County Historical Museum Photograph Collection
{{Authority control Library buildings completed in 1909 Buildings and structures in Vancouver, Washington Historical society museums in Washington (state) History museums in Washington (state) Museums in Clark County, Washington Former library buildings in the United States National Register of Historic Places in Clark County, Washington Carnegie libraries in Washington (state) Tourist attractions in Vancouver, Washington 1909 establishments in Washington (state)