Today and July 19: Esther Short — The Founding of a Community.
June 7 and July 26: Lower Main — Open for Business.
June 14 and Aug. 2: Uptown Village — Growth and Celebration.
June 21 and Aug. 9: Hough — The Rise of Residential Districts, part 1.
June 28 and Aug. 16: Arnada — The Rise of Residential Districts, part 2.
July 5 and Aug. 23: Middle Main — For Your Entertainment.
July 12 and Aug. 30: Carter Park — The Roaring 20s and Beyond.
What better way to learn the local lore of your community than by strolling the streets with a friendly expert?
For the third summer in a row, that expert is Bradley Richardson, a Washington State University Vancouver history student who also serves as the Clark County Historical Museum’s historical walking tour guide. For 14 Fridays this summer, Richardson will steer groups around downtown as he brings to life the city’s storied past.
“It’s community stewardship,” he said. “You start to realize the amazing, yet fragile pieces of history that are left in the area. You get a deeper sense of where your community has been and all the amazing things it has done. It really helps people develop pride in this community.”
The one-hour tours get going at noon each Friday, beginning today and ending July 12. Then the cycle begins again, with the same seven tours repeated from July 19 to Aug. 30. Tours cost $5 for museum members and $7 for others, or $30 and $44, respectively, for season passes. Reservations are recommended, but drop-ins are welcome. The museum, 1511 Main St., also recommends comfortable walking shoes, a rain hat and a camera.
