There are many ways that local history groups can use in a local museum. One approach is to place the emphasis on a display of artifacts—old “stuff” that may be connected to the local community. In some cases, local museums simply display artifacts that are old and therefore must be important; in some cases there is an attempt to explain the artifacts and why they are important in understanding local history. At the other end of the spectrum are local history museums which place little emphasis on artifacts, but create displays which explain local history with an emphasis on explanation and local people. One of these small museums is the Seaside, Oregon, Historical Society Museum. Shown below are some of the displays from this museum.
American Indians:
Shown above are baskets made from cedar bark.
Indian people had lived in the Seaside area for millennia prior to the arrival of the American Corps of Discovery. Knowledge of the American Indian heritage comes from oral tradition and from archaeology. The display shown above explains some of things that are uncovered by archaeology.
The museum displays also tell the story of the marriages between Indians and non-Indians. Shown above is Jennie Michel, an Indian woman married to a French Canadian. Her marriage record shows her name as Janie Tsin-is-tum. Her husband was commonly known as Michel which is pronounced Meschelle for a man and Michelle for a woman. The 1880 census lists her as Jennie Machell and the 1900 census as Jennie Marchinow. The land records show here as Jennie Martineau and her probate record lists here as Jennie Merchino.
Shown above is Kate Tostum, the daughter of Clatsop Chief Tostum. As a higher class Clatsop woman she had had her head flattened (cranial deformation) as a child. She married Mr. Juhrs.
The Corps of Discovery:
When the American Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean in 1805, one of their first concerns was to obtain salt. Unlike American Indians, Euroamericans preserved and seasoned their food with salt and felt that it was vital to their diet. The museum provides a good explanation about what the salt was made from seawater. Their salt making camp, located near present-day Seaside, could make from three quarts to a gallon of salt per day. With regard to the salt, Clark would write:
“we found it excellent white & fine, but not so Strong as the rock Salt or that made in Kentuchy or the Western parts of the U, States.”
The map shown above shows the location of Fort Clatsop where the Americans spent the winter and the salt works at Seaside.
Early Euro-American Settlers:
The land was opened for settlement by the Donation Land Claim Act of 1850 which was intended to promote homestead settlement in Oregon Territory. Unmarried white men were granted 160 acres and married couples 320 acres. Married women, for the first time, were allowed to hold the property in their own name. There was little concern for Indian property rights.
The Town:
An accurate model of the village is shown above.
The Newspaper/Print Shop:
Fire Department: