About the Klickitat County Historical Society
What is the Klickitat County Historical Society?
The Klickitat County Historical Society was founded in 1958 by a group of local residents who were interested in preserving the history of Klickitat County. The society is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of the county and its people.
The Goldendale Presby Museum has been a focal point for the Klickitat County Historical Society's mission of preserving and presenting the rich history of Goldendale and Klickitat County. Since its dedication on August 18, 1962, with a keynote address by Supreme Court Justice Wm. O. Douglas, the museum has expanded to include two additional buildings for displaying collections. The first, known as the "Annex," is a 24'x60' space that houses an antique print shop used by the Goldendale Sentinel, as well as collections from other early businesses and the Goldendale Railway Station. In 2002, the Carriage/School House was built to showcase farm equipment and a reproduction of a one-room school house.
With affordable admission fees, the museum remains accessible to all who wish to learn about the fascinating history of this region. Because of the efforts of the Klickitat County Historical Society and the Presby Museum, visitors can step back in time and gain a deeper understanding of the community's past and how it has shaped the present.
Membership
Memberships are available for individuals, families, and businesses. Members receive free admission to the museum, discounts at the gift shiop, subscriptions to society publications, and access to the reseach archives. Memberships are a great way to support the museum and its mission of preserving the history of Klickitat County. For more information, please visit the membership page.
Past Perfect
PastPerfect is an exciting database added to KCHS’s reference tools, one designed for small museums. It will eventually inventory every book, document, object and photo in the Presby Museum. To protect old photos, staff have chosen to catalog the pictures with descriptions and storage in KCHS’s new Climate Controlled Space. Prints with detailed information will be available to researchers and can be printed by volunteers using PastPerfect.
Publications
These books and other materials may be found in our bookstore or ordered via email. Early Days in Klickitat Valley by Robert Ballou, 1932. Histories of the local Native Americans, pioneer families, county livestock, the development of the stage coach, the railroad, the Indian Wars, the building of the Military Road, the development of local governments, organizations, and schools. Also included are stories of gunfights, frontier and Indian legends.
