Column: Funding efforts for new museum continue

So far, ROHM has raised $207,000 towards building the new museum in Rainier.

The ROHM has $400,000 more to raise and we are working hard to meet that goal. We couldn’t have come this far without the continued support of our members, and community. It is more important now than ever that other Rainier Businesses follow Fibre Federal CU in showing their support for building a new museum in Rainier. We are very grateful for their $500 donation.

We have applied for a state grant and are planning a fundraiser this summer. We have hired a local firm, Lower Columbia Engineering LLC of St. Helens to draw up building plans for our new museum and will be finalizing the plans soon.

If you would like to donate to the Rainier Museum building fund you can send your donation to Rainier Oregon Historical Museum (ROHM), PO Box 762, Rainier, Oregon 97048. With any donation of $500 or more, your name will be engraved and displayed on a plaque in our museum, located on the third floor inside Rainier City Hall.

We are excited about receiving Rainier’s 1926 fire truck to put on display when our new museum is built. We have just acquired the Hallberg’s grocery store 1964 delivery van, that will also be put on display at our new museum.

Preserving the past

Along with raising money to build the new museum, the ROHM continues to preserve and share the history of Rainier.

Past projects included repairing, leveling and resetting 37 headstones in Rainier’s three oldest cemeteries, The Knights of Pythias, Green Mountain and Woodbine cemeteries, in partnership with the Rainier Cemetery District.

ROHM is currently working with the county to create a walking/bike path to Little Jack Falls. Every year ROHM honors their local veterans with a special event. They took part in the historical picture selection that is displayed at the new Rainier Transit Center.

ROHM member Alan Hulsopple has created five separate historical walking tours of Rainier. Pictures and the tours can be seen on YouTube. Every summer the museum has a booth at the Rainier Days in the Park celebration, and ROHM sponsors the Grand Marshal for the parade as well as an event at the museum for the public to meet the Grand Marshal.

ROHM stays involved with the community. The museum organizes and conducts the All-Class picnic at Hudson Park every summer. Their next project is having a history walk and games for children at the Riverfront Bridge Dedication ceremony for the new foot bridge connecting the new Rainier waterfront path on May 29.

The newest project ROHM hopes to get the communities support for, is to restore and preserve the Hudson Chapel located on Larson Rd. at the Green Mountain Cemetery.

Kay Heflin is the President of the Rainier Historical Museum. She may be reached at kay-lynn2@hotmail.com or phone 360-751-7039.