Plenty of pictures from McCleary's
past line the walls of the McCleary Historical Museum.
McCleary Historical
Museum offers trip into the past
By Craig Murphy
Vidette Associate Editor
This article first appeared in 2002
The City of McCleary has had quite the colorful history, to say
the least.
A good part of that history can be relived at the McCleary Historical
Museum, located at 314 S. 2nd Street. The museum is operated
by the McCleary Historical Society.
The city's first historical society was started by Norman Porter,
editor of the McCleary Stimulator newspaper, in 1959. That didn't
last, but the society was reformed in January 1976 as the Eastern
Grays Harbor County Historical Society.
In 1984, Bill Willis, president of the society at the time, was
able to get a museum started. Longtime residents John and Esther
Carnell both passed away that year. In his will, John Carnell
asked his home to be converted to a museum. That came to fruition
later that year, with the official opening in 1985.
The 1940 building houses a variety of pictures, articles, historic
items and some displays. In one room there is a display of a
phone operator, while another room houses an organ that comes
from McCleary's First Community Church.
Of course, any museum dealing with McCleary has to have items
pertaining to Henry McCleary, founder of the city. Jean Willis,
volunteer coordinator for the museum, said Henry and his wife
Ada were kind people. "Henry McCleary was a tolerant person,"
she said. "And Ada was extremely caring and loving. She
gave Bibles and poems to those from McCleary who left for war."
Some of those poems are among the items displayed in the museum.
They are in a part of the museum that honors those from McCleary
who lost their lives in wars. Some of the items had already been
collected before the museum was started, while many items have
been donated since that time.
A couple of walls are filled with plenty of school pictures donated
by Emma Heslep. Logging pictures and some tools used at the Simpson
Timber Company over the years also are prominently displayed.
Ellsworth Curran, the former McCleary mayor who is president
of the society, is pleased with the amount of historical items
in the museum, but would like to see even more. "We need
to collect some of the current stuff, and gather information
from some of the older people who are still alive."
Jean Willis is pleased with the whole town, not to mention the
museum. "It's just a fascinating little town," she
said. "And how many cities this small do you know that have
this kind of museum?" Willis noted Charles H. Fattig, vice
president of the society, has played a large role in the museum.
"This museum wouldn't be alive without Charles," she
said.
Like Curran, Willis wouldn't mind seeing even more items, but
there is a limitation. "We're running out of space,"
she said. "I don't know where more would go. But we are
very grateful to the Carnell family for this facility we do have."
People who do have items worth donating to the museum can call
Bill Willis at 495-3670.
The museum is open on the weekends during the summer only, though
groups like school classes can take tours at other times. For
more information, or to volunteer at the museum, call the McCleary
Historical Society at 495-3450.
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