WASHOUGAL — The Two Rivers Heritage Museum is looking to add to its collection of historical artifacts and the stories that go with them.
The east county history museum is run by volunteers who have spent the last several years working to identify, catalog and reorganize the museum’s collection and create space for additional treasures. Over the past few years, the museum has had intermittent periods where moratoriums were placed on accepting new donations while trying to get a handle on managing everything on site already. The volunteers used Deed of Origin notebooks to locate and reunite items with their original donation paperwork.
Now, the museum volunteers are turning to the public to ask for help adding to the collection.
A committee created a new donation procedure to help catalogue items as they come in, and Gayle Godtilbsen of Washougal, a new volunteer at the museum, has stepped in as accession curator. She is the only person authorized to accept artifact donations.
“I talk with or meet prospective donors and examine items with consideration of relevance, condition and duplication,” she said in a release from the museum. “Basically, I check whether it has a connection to our area, is in suitable condition to be displayed and whether or not we have any other or better examples of the item in our inventory.”
Godtilbsen and the museum are now looking for more local historical artifacts, and the stories that go along with them. She said the museum might not accept an antique tool, but if there’s a story connecting it to a local pioneer family, the museum is likely to be much more interested.
“It is all about the stories,” Karen Johnson, another volunteer with the museum, said. “It is what brings these pieces to life for visitors to the museum.”
The museum has on display a hat worn on the sidelines by Doc Harris for decades of high school football games, and trophies and a photo album featuring the Washougal High School Drum and Bugle Corps from the 1940s.
“If you have something you feel is an interesting item that is in good condition, has historic significant to the area and a story behind it, I’d love to talk with you,” Godtilbsen said. “If it is accessioned, you know the piece will be protected and available to display for future generations.”
Godtilbsen is at the museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Friday, and is available by appointment. She is also willing to travel to a donor if they have a large item, collection or no way of getting it to the museum.
The Two Rivers Heritage Museum, 1 Durgan St., Washougal, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday through October. It costs $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for students and is free for children younger than 5 as well as Camas-Washougal Historical Society members. The museum will also welcome group tours on any day by appointment only. Call 360-835-8742 or visit www.2rhm.com for more information.
