PORT TOWNSEND — The Jefferson County Historical Society will host a 140th birthday bash today, followed by a special behind-the-scenes look at its stored collection Sunday.
At 4 p.m. today, party favors for the first 140 people to arrive at the Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St., will be provided along with cake and champagne for a toast. Speeches to honor the organization’s special guests will start at 5:30 p.m.
Guests can browse an online collection, an oral history listening station, participate in a raffle for two nights at Kalaloch Lodge during an annual West End Weekend, get birthday hats featuring images from the historical society collection and sign a giant birthday card for well-wishes and other activities.
The First Friday lecture will begin at 7 p.m. David Brownell, historic preservation officer for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, will talk about the village of qatay (Kai Tai, Kah Tai) and the history, archaeology and ethnography connecting the S’Klallam people and the city of Port Townsend.
On Sunday, half-hour tours of the Jefferson County Research Center at 13692 Airport Cutoff Road will be conducted from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with the final tour starting at 3:30 p.m.
Visitors can see more of the historical society’s collection up close, learn about collection care and hear about plans afoot to repair the collection building.
For more information, see www.jchs museum.org/Sites/ResearchCenter.html.
