Panorama from Mt. Walker looking south 1935Panorama from Mt. Walker looking south, 1935
JEFFERSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
JCHS Mission: To actively discover, collect, preserve, and promote the heritage of Jefferson County in the State of Washington.


SEARCH OUR ONLINE
DATA BASE

MUSEUM EXHIBITS

RESEARCH
CENTER

ROTHSCHILD HOUSE

Commanding Officer's Quarters

 Visitor Center

DONATE TO THE
ANNUAL FUND

UPCOMING EVENTS
HOURS & DIRECTIONS
WHO WE ARE
OUR HISTORY
MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
WALKING TOURS
Education Committee
2009 Annual Report

Spring 2010 NEWSLETTER
JCHS Newsletter Archive
LINKS

cover of Olympic Mountains book
Images of America: Olympic Mountains


Images of America: Port Townsend


Images of America: Jefferson County

link to Port Townsend Then and Now

 

 

HISTORIC
PHOTOGRAPHS

MARITIME HISTORY

HISTORIC PRESERVATION

MUSEUM SHOP


First Friday Lecture:
Buried Past Comes Alive

The August 6 First Friday Lecture will feature author Lynda Mapes and her book Breaking Ground: The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the Unearthing of Tse-whit-zen Village. The program will be held in Port Townsend's historic City Council Chamber at 7:00 p.m. Admission is by donation and supports historical society programs.

Lynda Mapes is an award-winning journalist with more than twenty years' experience in newspaper reporting, much of it with the Seattle Times. Her book tells the dramatic story of the unearthing of the historic village on the Port Angeles waterfront.

In 2003, a backhoe operator hired by the state of Washington to dig a massive dry dock discovered what the world would soon learn—he was working atop one of the oldest and largest Indian village sites ever found in the region. Eventually hundreds of burials were disturbed and 10,000 artifacts uncovered. Tribal members worked alongside state construction workers encountering more and more human remains including intact burials. Finally, in an unprecedented decision, the state agreed to find a new site.

Mapes spent more than a year interviewing tribal members, archaeologists, historians, city and state officials, and local residents and business leaders. She explores how the site was chosen and how the decisions were first made to proceed and then to abandon the project, as well as the aftermath and implications of those choices.


SMITHSONIAN EXHIBIT COMING TO JCHS

The Jefferson County Museum, in cooperation with Humanities Washington, will host the Smithsonian Institution's Journey Stories traveling exhibition from September 4 to October 17. Visitors will navigate four centuries of American history using a wide range of visuals, audio clips, music, maps and artifacts. Journey Stories brings to life the personal paths of immigrants, slaves, explorers, business tycoons and historical figures whose travels have led from the Mayflower to the Pacific Northwest.

"We are very pleased to be able to bring Journey Stories to Jefferson County," said Bill Tennent, JCHS executive director. "it allows us the opportunity to explore this fascinating aspect of our own region's history and we hope that local residents will share their personal journey stories with us."

Local student's work will be included in the exhibit, including projects from the upcoming Victorian Living Summer History Camp, beginning July 26. Campers will be exploring four women who settled in Jefferson County.

Stop by the historical society's booth at the Jefferson County Fair and share your journey story. What brought you and your family to Jefferson County?   The exhibit will include local stories and artifacts. CLICK HERE for more information.


Jefferson County Historical Society
 540 Water street

Port Townsend, WA  98368
360-385-1003

Copyright 1997 - 2010, JCHS Board of Trustees