SULTAN — The city was looking for grants. Instead it found an exhibit.
When grant and economic development coordinator Donna Murphy was searching for state money, she found photographs of the exhibit of the first women in government at the Office of the Secretary of the State.
She wan
ted the exhibit to be in Sultan.
After some phone calls, she got the exhibit to come to the city, but now as a walking tour.
The exhibit, called “Moving Forward, Looking Back: Washington’s First Women in Government,” honors the centennial anniversary of women’s right to vote. It was originally displayed in Olympia from January 2010 through March 2011.
The exhibit is comprised of 14 6-foot panels with photos and small biographies of women who have held public office.
Sultan has been hosting the display at City Hall, the library and the visitor’s center since mid-May. It will be up until July 16.
“It’s going to be very educational for our community,” Murphy said. “We hope to attract tourists for the benefit of the Sky Valley district.”
Some of the women in the display are Gov. Chris Gregoire, who became first female attorney general in 1993, and Dixy Lee Ray, elected the first female governor in 1977.
The $7,000 exhibit was paid for by private funds, and a volunteer transported the panels from Olympia.
After July 16, the exhibit will be moved to an undetermined location, Redmond could be the next stop, Murphy said.
Sultan City Hall may not be left empty of historical shows for long, though.
“It has inspired us to look for other exhibits,” Murphy said.
Alejandro Dominguez: 425-339-3422; adominguez@heraldnet.com.
On display
“Moving Forward, Looking Back: Washington’s First Women in Government” is on display from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, until July 16.
The walking tour is on display at different locations in Sultan City Hall, located at 319 Main St., the library and the visitor’s center, at 320 Main St.
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