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News Release
CCHM Salt Cairn Picture
CCHM Salt Cairn Picture
A Convenient Way to Make Salt (Photo) - 08/09/18

A Lewis & Clark Expedition Living History Presentation

Vancouver, WA – On Thursday, September 6, the Clark County Historical Museum (CCHM) will be hosting their next First Thursday Speaker Series event, which is sponsored by Clark County’s Historic Preservation Commission. Our speaker, Tom Wilson, a retired teacher and national park ranger, will present, "Lewis & Clark: A Convenient Situation to Make Salt." The program will discuss the importance of salt for the expedition, which Corps members made salt, and how it was made. The evening will also highlight how the current Salt Works site in Seaside, OR, became a memorial to the expedition's salt making endeavors. General admission is $5.00, seniors and students are $4.00, children under 18 are $3.00, and the evening is FREE with a CCHM membership. Doors open at 5:00pm, the event begins at 7:00 pm. The museum encourages attendees to get there early, as it is first-come, first-served seating.

During his time with the park service, Wilson did a great deal of research on the expedition, and has given talks, demonstrations, and presented programs to students and visitors across the Northwest. He has even portrayed several different Corps members over the years, including William Clark in OPB’s documentary "Searching For York,” on Oregon Field Guide and Grant’s Getaways, plus in the film "A Clatsop Winter Story" produced by the National Park Service. He will bring this depth of knowledge and his flair for storytelling to bear for our event.

Brad Richardson, CCHM’s Executive Director, says, “Well over two hundred years have passed since their journey to the Pacific Northwest, Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery continues to hold an important place in our local conversations about our own history. As a result, we’re excited to have Tom bring this amazing living history experience to Clark County and our Museum, as a part of our First Thursday Speaker Series.”

Tom Wilson – He is a retired elementary school teacher (30 years), he also worked twenty (20) seasons at and recently retired from the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. Some of his other portrayals include expedition members Private Thomas Howard, and salt maker, Private William Bratton. (As William Bratton, Wilson has spent many weekends in character, boiling water to make salt, and living on Seaside’s beach.)

CCHM is honored to be able to share this thoroughly unique window into the larger story of our region’s past with our community.

For more information, please contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or by email at events@cchmuseum.org.

Picture courtesy of CCHM's Digital Archive Collection: A group of women stand around the remains of 'Cairn' where Lewis and Clark made salt from the Ocean in January and Febuary 1906.

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The Clark County Historical Museum is operated by the Clark County Historical Society (CCHS), which is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization governed by a Board of Trustees. CCHS works in partnership with Clark County and the City of Vancouver to operate the museum in a 1909 Carnegie Library building. Our vision is to facilitate a more educated and connected community through meaningful engagement with history. CCHM is located at 1511 Main St, Vancouver, WA 98660 – just off the I-5 and Mill Plain Blvd. Daily hours of operation: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM. For further information, call 360-993-5679, email info@cchmuseum.org, or visit cchmuseum.org. CCHM’s First Thursday Speaker Series is sponsored by Clark County’s Historic Preservation Commission.

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