The East Linn Museum Society celebrated its 25th anniversary Sunday afternoon with an open house, cake and punch.
Martha Steinbacher related the history of the museum:
Pioneers came to the Sweet home Valley as early as 1852 although there is evidence of fur trappers in the area as early as 1802.
In September 1852, the Ames, Pickens, Wiley and Gilliland families came. The Russell, Humphreys and Morris families came later in the same year. The Moss and Nye families settled out near Liberty. The Indian Pow Wow Tree is on the Nye donation land claim where Adam Nye and the Kalapuya Indians met to settle the problems created by the white settler. The Barrs, Philpotts and Breedens settled on Fern Ridge. Out Holley way, the Rice, Robnett, Malone, Keeney and Paddock families settled. The Mealey family came to Moss Butte, and the Menears to what is now called Menear’s Bend above Foster.
These early families and others who came soon after were the nucleus of the pioneer families who came and stayed and who are represented in the East Linn Museum. The Museum was founded by Lois Robnett Rice in order to preserve and display the many artifacts, documents and pictures from these early families.
July 1973, a museum association was started, sponsored by the Area Beautification Committee. About 20 people attended. It was decided to name the society Sweet Home East Linn Museum Association, SHELMA. By August, the name was shortened to the East Linn Museum Society, ELMS.
The committee found that it was going to be a difficult problem forming a museum. State and county museum funding were already chaneled into the existing county museum in Brownsville. A museum must be in existence for two years before it could be eligible for funding.
The Corps of Engineers building, the old Sunnyside School building, was selected as a possible building for the museum. Paul Peters, the project manager for the U.S. Corps of Engineers, said that Sunnyside could not be considered as a possible building site because it had not been declared surplus and would not be for some time.
A savings account was opened by the society with $175, with $10 held in reserve petty cash. In 1974, a private collection was offered to the society if a suitable building could be found. Clubs and organizations began to have benefits to help support the planned museum. In 1975, the museum society decided to try to purchase property in the City of Sweet Home. The East Linn Society wrote to President Gerald Ford asking for assistance in getting the Corps of Engineers building at Foster for the museum. Instead of help, they received an autographed color photograph of the president.
From the office of presidential messages came the following: “President Ford has asked me to thank you for your letter advising him of the activities and objectives of the Sweet Home East Linn Museum Society. He is always pleased by citizen efforts to collect and preserve for future generations significant mementos of community beginnings. Such records are an important part of our national heritage. With the enclosed photograph, the president sends best wishes to you and your associates for every success.”
A church building at the corner of Highway 228 and Long Street was finally picked as the museum site. It was ready of the museum to occupy in October 1975 providing the museum paid insurance of $439, install some dead locks to cost $66 and pay $45 each for some racks already purchased. All of this would definitely put the museum in the red before it started. An all-out community “help” drive was instituted.
The old Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints was purchased. The down payment was $3,000. Of that, $2,000 came from city revenue sharing funds and $1,000 from donations. That was only part of the expected down payment. The total cost of the building and lot was $44,500, and church officials gave the society until the following September to raise the additional $13,500. After that, they would pay $2,000 per year plus interest. Flea markets and rummage sales were held, anything to make money; but it came in slowly. The city offered to match $1,500 in an effort to receive a bi-centennial grant of $3,000, which could only used inside the building. It would take a miracle to raise the money. More than 50 people had offered artifacts to fill the museum, artifacts roughly estimated at $50,000 in value.
Buss and Elsie Robnett presented a check for $1,395 to start the Ralph Robnett memorial fund. Bud Steinbacher had low bid for the cabinet and showcase work. An auction was held for $1,200. The proceeds of the Chamber Banquet, $225, were given to the museum. Girl Scout troops 174 and 91 gave a check for $175.
The work of completing the inside of themuseum went on. Artifacts were catalogued and moved into the building, and on July 3, 1976, the grand opening and dedication was held for the East Linn Museum. By the September due date for the down payment, the museum had raised $5,500 and an extension was requested. The New Era had a subscription drive to help the museum raise $786. Mrs. Louise Smith donated $500 for a memorial for her husband. The High School Key Club had a “Gong Show” and donated $175. Willamette Industries and Tomco had a contest to raise funds. Other industries helped, and the down payment was made.
The museum has grown. A new building was added to the rear of the main building. A blacksmith shop was added on the grounds with several outdoor exhibits. We have an annual quilt show and rummage sales. I wrote a book and donated proceeds to the museum. We have memorials, life members, a membership to the ELMS, a donation jar and box.
We are extremely proud of our museum. It has been called the most outstanding pioneer museum in the Pacific Northwest. We had an exhibit at the State Capitol. It is staffed and maintained by volunteers. I’m a volunteer director. All of the money we receive either goes toward maintenance of buildings or care of artifacts. It is and should be a community project. We are available for tours by appointment. Schools from Linn County visit us. We help teachers working on advanced work at colleges. We help high school students with assigned work. Senior citizens, garden clubs and organizations all tour the museum. We do a lot of research on pioneer families and assist a lot of people doing research. I go to schools in Linn and Benton counties with a show and tell program.
The museum is an important part of East Linn County and one we hope continues to be a part of the county. And, I might add, without such ongoing help from the Kiwanis and other civic-minded organizations our job to keep the museum open and solvent would be very difficult.
Current board members are President Arlie Elliott; Vice President Gayle Gregory; Secretary Bridget Wittwer; treasurers Joan Riemer and Glenda Hopkins; and directors Max Thompson, Mary Sheena and Billie Weber. Judith Chafin is bazaar chairman.