Vancouver, WA – Clark County Historical Museum will launch its 2022 Speaker Series on Thursday, February 3, with Melissa Williams’ presentation of “First Families: The Next Generation.” The event will occur in-person at the Clark County Historical Museum. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the event begins at 7 p.m.
Join us as historian, Melissa Williams, and Rites of Passages Youth Program director, Charles Simmons, explore the generation that came after the individuals featured in the Vancouver NAACP’s publication First Families of Vancouver’s African American Community. Learn about the events that shaped their lives and the impact they’ve had on Clark County.
Melissa Williams (she/her) is a U.S. historian who focuses on African American history. Over the past 20 years, she has contributed to several projects for organizations and institutions including the Center for Columbia River History, Vancouver NAACP #1139, U.S. Forest Service, Clark County Historical Museum, Washington State University Vancouver, and Portland State University. Williams earned a B.A. in History from the University of Washington and an M.A. in Public History from Washington State University Vancouver. She is a doctoral student in Educational Leadership at Portland State University and currently serves as Policy Associate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
Charles LaRue Simmons is founder and director of Rites of Passage Youth Program, a summer program dedicated to building skills and providing experiences for African-American Youth. Simmons earned Life-Time K-12 Teaching Certification with a Bachelor in Literature and minors in Black Studies and Political Science from the University of Washington. He is a life-long educator, teaching for the Vancouver, Evergreen, and Washougal School Districts before founding Rites of Passage. Simmons has been a member of the Vancouver NAACP #1139 since 1964.
The CCHM Speaker Series is sponsored by the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission and Versa Events (formerly Wager Audio). General admission is $5; seniors and students are $4; children under 18 are $3; and the evening is free for CCHM members, veterans, and active-duty military personnel.
Attendees are encouraged to arrive early, as it is seating is limited. For the safety of staff, visitors, and our families, CCHM does require proof of vaccination for admission to all CCHM events.
For more information, contact the museum at 360-993-5679 or each@cchmuseum.org">outreach@cchmuseum.org.
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Vancouver, Wash. – Clark County Historical Museum is excited to announce it will be returning to its regular schedule on January 11, 2022. The Museum’s standard hours of operation will be Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 4 pm.
To ensure the on-going safety of staff, volunteers, and our patrons, CCHM will continue to follow all required and recommended precautions including, but not limited to:
- Visitors must wear a mask, be vaccinated, and adhere to social distancing notices.
- Proof of vaccination required for all indoor museum events.
- Enhanced cleaning continues throughout the Museum, including increased frequency of disinfecting high-traffic surfaces. Hand sanitizer stations are available across the building.
- Group tours will be permitted for small groups (25 people or less).
- Venue rental requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- The Research Library remains available by reservation only.
To make an appointment in the research library, please contact our public historian, Katie Bush, at history@cchmuseum.org or 360-993-5679 option 3.
For more information and all other requests, contact Outreach & Public Programs Manager, April Buzby, at 360-993-5679 option 1 or by email at outreach@cchmuseum.org.
As recommended by public health officials, individuals with serious medical conditions, including those unable to wear a mask or who cannot receive the vaccine, should delay their visit or contact the Museum prior to their visit to discuss reasonable accommodation options.
Visitors can find the most up-to-date information about CCHM’s COVID response at cchmuseum.org/covid.
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Vancouver, WA. – Clark County Historical Museum (CCHM) wraps up another year of innovation, growth, and success in 2021. On November 3rd, the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission unanimously approved CCHM’s nominations of the Ryan-Elliot House in Vancouver’s Historic Hough Neighborhood to the Clark County Heritage Register. This nomination is the 7th site CCHM has helped preserve in the last two years through listings on our local register.
However, this is only one of the many highlights in 2021 for CCHM. Our museum also received the Award of Excellence in Exhibits from the Washington Museum Association (WaMA) for “Her(Story): Founders, Leaders, and Visionaries.” This is the second year in a row CCHM has won this award, having received the same accolade for “Music, Movement, and Sound: An Exploration of Clark County’s Musical Roots” in 2020. Additionally, Executive Director, Brad Richardson was appointed to the position of vice president for the WaMA and received the David Douglas Award from the Washington State Historical Society.
CCHM also worked with partners on exhibits throughout the community. In partnership with the Downtown Camas Association and Clark County three new interpretive panels were installed in Historic Downtown Camas earlier this year. CCHM also teamed up with C-TRAN to produce a 40th Anniversary exhibit for our public transportation system, which opened at the Vancouver Community Library in July. The Southwest Washington Contractors Association also brought the museum in to produce their 75th Anniversary exhibit for their December celebration at ilani. The City of Vancouver has also once again called on CCHM’s interpretive skills to produce three new history panels for sites in Vancouver that will be installed in 2022. These are just handful of CCHM’s accomplishments in 2021.
Though a medium-sized museum, CCHM’s work to gather, save, and share Clark County and Southwest Washington story is significant.
About Clark County Historical Museum
Opened in 1964 as an exhibit and event space for the Clark County Historical Society, Clark County Historical Museum (CCHM) is committed to gather, share, and save the community’s diverse stories through collaboration, facilitation, and engagement. The museum is a nonprofit, community-focused, humanities center located at 1511 Main Street, Vancouver, WA. To learn more about CCHM and how to support its work, visit it at cchmuseum.org.
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