Late Camas researcher’s family gives notes to historical museum

Washougal — The Two Rivers Heritage Museum recently received volumes of research notes and a complete second set of Camas-Washougal Homestead Records from the family of Curtis Hughey, a former Camas-Washougal Historical Society president who died on Nov. 25. Sorted alphabetically by last name, the Homestead Record notebooks cover property from Cape Horn to 192nd Ave in east Vancouver, and feature land records, court documents, affidavits, verbatim testimony from homesteaders and their witnesses, newspaper clippings and additional family information that Hughey collected and organized. “It is a treasure trove of historic information,” said Brian McClatchie, historical society board member. “In my opinion this research and notes are the most important records we have for telling stories of the people of Camas-Washougal. Much of it we did not even know existed until it was dropped off for us.” Hughey moved to Camas in 1946 with his mother to live with his grandparents, and graduated from Camas High School that year. He was active in civic work and was involved in the start of the Fern Prairie Fire Department. Hughey retired from the Camas paper mill in 1991 and began dabbling in genealogy research.