Lacey Museum accepts new donations for its permanent collection

The Lacey Museum received a $15,000 worth of funding as grant from the Diversity in Local History to fund an intern who would assist with the Stories of the South Sound oral history project.

The Stories of South Sound is an oral history project to gather information and echo the narrative of marginalized communities and underrepresented cultures and groups.

Museum Coordinator Felicia Rova-Chamroeun, whose graduate thesis focused on collecting oral histories from communities facing hardship, trauma, and the diaspora, would lead the project.

Museum declines local legend’s memorabilia

The museum declined donations from Shirley Stirling, a family liaison, who was to give a donation of medals earned by Lieutenant Colonel Barbara Nichols, who lived at Panorama for 30 years and had a month dedicated to her by the city.

The donations were declined because the donor wanted them to be guaranteed to be on exhibit, which does not align with museum policy.

Donations

The museum accepted new donations, adding to its permanent collection, said Parks, Culture and Recreation Director Jennifer Burbidge.

Edward Echtle donated four North Thurston High School (NTHS) yearbooks from 1958 to 1961 and NTHS Reunion Programs from Class of ’61, 35th and 40th.

Staff report said these will be added to the museum’s yearbook collection and fill in the gaps. It is part of the Lacey Museum’s mission to preserve NTPS schools’ history.

The second donation is from the Lacey Historical Society which it shared its records from 1980 to 2019. The donation would help the Museum in its “mission to preserve the history of local organizations and our own institutional history.”

Burbidge, on behalf of Museum Curator Erin Quinn Valcho, also reported that there were 80 visitors at the museum in the month of July with 73 walk-ins and seven for business.