Last night was the kick-off for the Community Historian Project, a concept that a group of us have been working on for the better part of a year and a half. And, if I do say so myself, it was hugely successful.
First of all, the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum hosted the event in grand style – champagne, appetizers, seating at small round tables (with lovely white tablecloths!), flowers – the whole nine yards. Secondly, people came by the dozens – 85 in attendance someone said. Cate Gable and Jim Sayce explained our “vision” and described the nuts and bolts of the program which will begin on January 9th.
Somewhere in the order of events, the Willapa Hills (my favorite part) entertained with their usual hand-clapping, foot-stomping enthusiasm. But, of course, they did far more than ‘entertain.’ They were the shining example of what we want the Community Historian Project to accomplish.
For several years the members of the Willapa Hills have been collecting historical information about the Columbia Pacific region, writing songs about things that strike their fancy, and presenting that information through their performances. In my opinion, folk music is a fabulous way to document and preserve our history for posterity. Who doesn’t know about Tom Dooley or John Henry? But when it’s about our own, local history… Wow!
Music, of course, is highly share-able, but there are so many other ways to preserve and disseminate our history. Whatever one’s interest or ability or talent can be brought into play. And not only history that has already happened – history that is in the making right now!
As Jim pointed out, like it or not, facebook is today’s ‘history textbook’ in the making – the photographs and information from every walk of life. Think of what we’d know about George Washington’s time if we could check out the Facebook CD for 1789, the year he was first elected to the presidency!
Well… I digress. All in all, it was a grand evening. I looking forward to the applications that we hope will come flooding in. So much history. So many people’s talents. So many possibilities…
I am so glad that your event was a success, Sydney, and wish I could have there as it sounds grand. I love Willapa Hills, especially because they are a living archive of the history of the area. It is wonderful that the historical society is so forward thinking and striving to make history a living part of our little community.