Cowlitz County Historical Museum

09/24/2026

We will close early at 3:30pm today due to staffing. Thank you for your understanding!

09/22/2026

Join us for a special presentation with former Air Force pilot, Jon Drury, who will share firsthand stories of his service and experiences flying in Vietnam.

After beginning pilot training at Reese Air Force Base in Lubbock, Texas, Jon trained in several aircraft, including the T-41, T-37 jet trainer, and supersonic T-38 Talon. He was then assigned to fly the C-7A DeHaviland Caribou with the 537th Tactical Airlift Squadron at Phu Cat Air Base in Vietnam.

The presentation will focus primarily on his time flying the Caribou in Vietnam, an experience that became the subject of his book, Bou Pilot.

Copies of Bou Pilot will also be available for purchase following the presentation. Please note payment is cash only.

We look forward to seeing you there!

09/02/2026

We will soon return to our First Thursday Speaker Series with our first to take place on the second Thursday of the month, September 10th at 7:00p.m at the museum. Please note that the event will take place on the second Thursday and save the date!

Join us with author Fred J. Baxter as he presents his book "Historic Homes of the Old West Side: The neighborhood at the heart of the planned city of Longview, Washington", which shares a brief history of Longview and the neighborhood to the west of Longview's Civic Center. The book features full color photos of the vintage homes that showcase a diverse representation of popular American architectural styles from the first half of the 20th century.

Fred will share with us his inspiration for writing his book as well as discuss the book's contents. There will be copies available for sale and author signing after the program.

08/28/2026

Registration closes tonight at 5pm! There's still a few tickets left to claim!

Join us for the 2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour on Saturday, August 29, from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

This year's theme, "Remembering the Lives and Legacies That Shaped Our Communities," celebrates the men and women whose lives, service, and perseverance helped shape Stella and the surrounding communities. Historical reenactors will bring their stories to life as you journey through Bunker Hill Cemetery.

Reserve your tour time online—it's free! Online reservations are strongly recommended to secure your preferred tour time. Guided tours depart every 20 minutes, and space is limited. To help tours depart on schedule, please check in 10–15 minutes before your reserved tour time. Guests who arrive after their scheduled departure may lose their reservation and will be placed on a later tour if space is available. Please read the poster for more details.

Reserve your preferred tour time by scanning the QR code on the event poster or by visiting Eventbrite and searching for "2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour."

A suggested $5 donation per person, payable at the event, is greatly appreciated.

Please share this post with family and friends who enjoy local history. We look forward to seeing you on August 29!

08/14/2026

It's just around the corner now! Please go to Eventbrite.com and search "Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour" to reserve your spot!

Join us for the 2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour on Saturday, August 29, from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

This year's theme, "Remembering the Lives and Legacies That Shaped Our Communities," celebrates the men and women whose lives, service, and perseverance helped shape Stella and the surrounding communities. Historical reenactors will bring their stories to life as you journey through Bunker Hill Cemetery.

Reserve your tour time online—it's free! Online reservations are strongly recommended to secure your preferred tour time. Guided tours depart every 20 minutes, and space is limited. To help tours depart on schedule, please check in 10–15 minutes before your reserved tour time. Guests who arrive after their scheduled departure may lose their reservation and will be placed on a later tour if space is available. Please read the poster for more details.

Reserve your preferred tour time by scanning the QR code on the event poster or by visiting Eventbrite and searching for "2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour."

A suggested $5 donation per person, payable at the event, is greatly appreciated.

Please share this post with family and friends who enjoy local history. We look forward to seeing you on August 29!

08/12/2026

Join us in Cathlamet tomorrow as Joseph shares his new book "Southwest Washington Logging Railroads". Copies of the book will be for sale after and can be signed by the author.

08/07/2026

Join with us and the Stella Historical Society for this wonderful fundraiser event! Please remember to register ahead of time to ensure your place on this scheduled tour.

Join us for the 2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour on Saturday, August 29, from 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.

This year's theme, "Remembering the Lives and Legacies That Shaped Our Communities," celebrates the men and women whose lives, service, and perseverance helped shape Stella and the surrounding communities. Historical reenactors will bring their stories to life as you journey through Bunker Hill Cemetery.

Reserve your tour time online—it's free! Online reservations are strongly recommended to secure your preferred tour time. Guided tours depart every 20 minutes, and space is limited. To help tours depart on schedule, please check in 10–15 minutes before your reserved tour time. Guests who arrive after their scheduled departure may lose their reservation and will be placed on a later tour if space is available. Please read the poster for more details.

Reserve your preferred tour time by scanning the QR code on the event poster or by visiting Eventbrite and searching for "2026 Bunker Hill Cemetery Tour."

A suggested $5 donation per person, payable at the event, is greatly appreciated.

Please share this post with family and friends who enjoy local history. We look forward to seeing you on August 29!

08/06/2026

To honor Washington Museum Day as part of our ongoing America 250 celebration, the Cowlitz County Historical Museum created a special pictorial postmark with a graphic of the Museum which will be used to cancel envelopes and post cards for postal collectors, enthusiasts, and people who just want to have something fun and different!

The Kelso post office will set up a temporary postal station at the Museum where guests may get the special postmark, conduct basic postal services like buying stamps and stamped envelopes (CASH only please, preferably exact change), and you may drop off your outgoing mail at the “Museum Day Station”. This is the ONLY SATURDAY where you can conduct official USPS business in Kelso as the post office is typically closed on Saturdays.

Along with the temporary postal station, local author and CCHS Board Member Ted Gruber will be available to sign copies of his recent book, Postal History of Cowlitz County, Washington, which is available at our gift shop. Ted will also have on display local postal ephemera to complement items from the Museum’s collection on display this day only, Washington Museum Day!

Come get a special postmark, mail a letter, buy a book, see a 1920’s Kelso post office uniform, or do it all on Saturday, August 8 from 12:30-3:30pm only at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum!