The Franklin County Historical Society and Museum in Pasco, Washington, is located in an old Carnegie Library building. The library was constructed in 1911 with a grand from Andrew Carnegie. The building was designed by C. Lewis Wilson of Chehalis, Washington and residents donated the books. In addition to housing books, the library also served as a community meeting place. In 1962, the library was replaced with a new structure.
The Franklin County Historical Society was founded in 1968. In 1980, the Franklin County Historical Society took over the old Carnegie Library building and began restoration work. Volunteers worked for more than two years to convert the building to a museum, refinishing the woodwork and converting the original bookcases into exhibit cases. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shown above is a replica of a Presidential Indian Peace Medallion. The Thomas Jefferson Peace Medallion was distributed by Lewis and Clark in the historic 1804-1806 trek through the Pacific Northwest.
Large camels—Camelops hesternus—once lived in this region. They went extinct at the end of the Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago.
According to the display:
“Camelops hesternus was more closely related to the present-day alpaca and llama branch of the camel family tree. Camelops was one of the true camels—the ancestors of present-day domestic camels known from the deserts around the world.”
The display shown above features the fur trade and David Thompson, a fur trader and map maker who was one of the first non-Indians in the Columbia Plateau area. Thompson and Jaco Finlay were employed by the North West Company to find the Columbia River’s source.
Thompson’s travels are shown in the map above. In 1811, he camped at the confluence of the Snake and Columbia Rivers and claimed the region for Great Britain.
Shown above is a barbed wire display.
Shown above is a 1907 buggy similar to those used by doctors in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century for making house calls.
Shown above is a telephone switchboard.
The stone shown above was used for sharpening knives and other tools.
Shown above is a collection of tools.
Shown above is a collection of eye glasses.
Shown above is the Enterprise No. 10 Grain Mill from about 1920.
Shown above is the basement conference room.
Museums 101
Museums 101 is a series of photo tours of museum exhibits. From this series:
Museums 101: The Presby House Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Renton History Museum
Museums 101: White River Valley Museum
Museums 101: Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center (Photo Diary)
Historical Society Museum of Poulsbo (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Hagerman Valley Historical Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Nevada City Living History Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Whitefish Railroad Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: World Museum of Mining (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Historic Dumas Brothel Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Rocky Mountain Military Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Heritage Museum in Libby, Montana (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Frontier Montana Museum (Photo diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Steele Heritage Village (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Wasco County Historical Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: Sherman County Historical Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Burrows House Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Fort Dalles Museum (Photo Diary)
Museums 101: The Hood River Historical Museum (Photo Diary)