Neary-Sighted

Sure, we're in the final week of the campaign, but a guy needs to keep up with his volunteering. So I was a docent today at the Lakewood History Museum. My loyal readers, both of you, will recall a post about a month and a week ago , where I pondered why the nautical gents at right were on a table and had seemingly arrived out of nowhere at the museum.

It turns out that museum director Janda Volkmer and the gang have put up a couple of new exhibits and are transforming a couple of others. The pioneer cabin has more items including a soldier's faded photograph on the wall, and the Lakewood Log office is about to get a new neighbor, the old Lakewood post office.

But more immediately, there are a couple of exhibits on loan from the state history museum. One is a photo board about the story of Chief Leschi. The other includes several boards that show in words and pictures why Washington was originally part of the Oregon Territory, and what happened during that period. It's not a period we all normally talk much about. I had not realized, for example, that the counties of King, Pierce, Thurston and Island, among others, had got their names during the period when we were part of Oregon.

So I definitely recommend you come by and check out the Lakewood History Museum, even if you have been there before. You'll see new stuff. Stop by sometime noon to 4, Wednesday through Saturday. You will learn, as just one example, what Thurston's first name was, and just how much time he spent in the county named after him. And you will learn who they thought about naming Island County after before they decided to name it after islands. If nothing else, check out the web link in this paragraph to the museum, as there is a lot of good info there including news of a major state grant.

Oh, by the way, the guys above turned out to be surplused gentlemen from a museum in Bremerton. They were apparently part of one of that museum's early exhibits, probably a diorama, meant to represent early sailors. I hear that someday, in our museum, one of them may be dressed up to represent Lt. Charles Wilkes.
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