MARYSVILLE — The Marysville Historical Society has a collection of furniture and other items from the city’s early years — but no place to put them.
"More than half our collection is under beds, in closets and barns around town," said Ken Cage, the historical society’s president.
The society is hoping to one day build a museum for the city’s treasures, including some from the Tulalip Tribes’ history, but meanwhile is just looking for a single place to store them all.
The society already owns a grassy, tree-shaded piece of land that it has in mind for a museum. The land is adjacent to Jennings Memorial Park on Armar Road, where the group operates the Gehl Pioneer Homestead, built in 1884.
The society has about $100,000 in the bank, but needs about $600,000 to build a museum. Members plan to step up their fund drive and seek matching grants with hopes of starting construction by late 2005, Cage said.
The historical society has already paid for an architectural design and engineering of a 6,300-square-foot, one-story museum with a basement. The basement will include a workshop and a darkroom where members can print old photographs from a large collection of donated negatives.
Now they just have to finish raising the money to build it. There’s a model of the museum at the Wells Fargo Bank branch in north Marysville.
"We are going to be making an appeal to the citizens of Marysville with a major campaign," Cage said.
Members have approached several service clubs and sought other donations. With some money in the bank that can be used for a local match, they’re hoping to get large donations from foundations.
The society met Monday with the Marysville City Council and suggested the city set aside some money in its budget for the museum, or perhaps impose a small museum tax.
Society secretary Dolores Sylte helped during the recent annual barn sale, and each time she took money from a child for some item, she tried to impress upon them that they were helping to make history.
"I tried to make the point with all the kids who spent money that they were helping build a museum for their hometown," she said.
At 75, Sylte remembers some of the pioneers who settled the city.
"I see a lot of young families coming in, and it is their turn to take care of the coming years," she said.
She remembers when the Ebey Slough dikes were built and the bridges between Marysville and Everett were completed in the 1920s. She spoke of a woman who went from Marysville to Seattle by rowboat and Interurban trolley.
"That’s interesting when we think how convenient it is now just to get on the freeway. Those changes have been documented, and they’re fun to read," Sylte said.
Mayor Dennis Kendall is among those who wants to see a museum built.
"It’s important to the city and especially to the young people in the city to learn about their city and where it started. They’re a little bit more appreciative of what we have here and how it all came about. I think it’s a real learning tool," he said.
The council hasn’t discussed a possible museum tax.
"With as tight as taxes are and with (property tax initiative) I-864, we need to be sure we can provide the essential services to everybody," Kendall said.
The society also seeks donations of cash to swell the museum fund.
Volunteers like Jennifer Ward, 37, are also in need.
"We need some strong backs and younger people," Ward said. "It’s a group for everybody."
Volunteers staff the Gehl house when it’s open and answer questions from visitors, which often include school classes or scout troops. They also form work parties to pull weeds, trim flowers and take care of the house, host the society’s annual barn sale, help raise money and gather oral histories of pioneers and their descendants.
"There’s a lot of jobs that people can help with if they join this society," Cage said.
Reporter Cathy Logg: 425-339-3437 or logg@heraldnet.com.
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