The Gorge Heritage Museum in Bingen opens for the season on May 30 with hours every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Among its displays are this country store; for more photos, visit columbiagorgenews.com.
The Gorge Heritage Museum in Bingen opens for the season on May 30 with hours every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Among its displays are this country store; for more photos, visit columbiagorgenews.com.
THE GORGE — The Gorge Heritage Museum in Bingen is brimming with displays that showcase the rich and dynamic history of the Columbia River Gorge through a collection of photographs and artifacts specific to West Klickitat County. Originally established by the West Klickitat County Historical Society with oversight from Myrtle Overbaugh — who donated her estate to the museum — this museum hopes to keep record of the Gorge, its residents, and its way of life.
Janet Ward, the vice president of West Klickitat County Historical Society Board of Trustees, shared a story about a young researcher looking to answer some questions.
“I had one little girl come one day and she said, ‘I just want to know what the Indian ladies wore on their head to keep warm,’” said Ward. “So we started flipping through the [photo collection]. Pretty soon we saw kind of a … handmade hat that came down over her ears.”
This is the type of local knowledge the museum is the perfect place to learn, along with displays like the “country store,” and the display dedicated to SDS Lumber, which used to be the tent pole factory.
The location of the museum itself poses some problems in making the most of this valuable local resource, however. “We’d like to be where the kids could walk to the museum, even the middle school kids, if we were closer to downtown,” said Beverly Elsner, president of the museum board. The current location is too small to properly display or house the collection and archives, too far from schools, and not accessible to those with disabilities, which makes it ill suited for their purposes. They’ve been on the lookout for another location for a few years, but thus far haven’t found something in their price range that would suit their needs.
The museum is also eager for more volunteers, members and board members to join their ranks. There are currently two vacant seats on the museum’s board of trustees and they would love to have further hours available regularly.
The museum’s open season begins May 30 with hours every Friday from noon to 4 p.m. Appointments outside of open hours are available by contacting the museum at 509-281-3033, or by email at gorgeheritagem@gmail.com. A new exhibit will be unveiled at a community open house on June 6, from 4-6 p.m. Those interested in volunteering in preserving the local history and culture, contact the museum, or stop by the museum on Wednesdays or Fridays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
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