To spice up the upcoming Christmas in the Park and centennial celebration weekend events, the Yelm Historical Museum has returned with a pop-up exhibit to allow residents to dive into the area’s rich history.
The Yelm Historical Museum pop-up is open from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday through Dec. 7, at the Yelm Community Center, 301 Second St. SE. The museum itself will feature curated artifacts, photos and memories from the area’s past. The exhibit will also honor the people, events and milestones that made Yelm what it is today.
“Whether you’re a lifelong resident or new to the area, the pop-up event provides an engaging way to connect with Yelm’s history,” Line Roy wrote in a press release. “Don’t miss your chance to take a step back in time and discover the incredible stories that define Yelm. Mark your calendars and invite your family and friends to this engaging historical experience.”
Yelm Historical Society members Bill Sazawith and Ruthy Cowles-Porterfield were both present at the Yelm Historical Museum pop-up exhibit on Friday, Nov. 22, and said the museum and artifacts presented are important pieces of this city’s history.
“Yelm has so many new people, new arrivals, that have only been here a few years and know virtually nothing about the town. This is a way for them to find out about the origins of the town, by coming in here and seeing the pictures and artifacts,” Sazawith said. “I think it’s important for the people of Yelm to know something about the history of the town. This is our centennial anniversary.”
Sazawith, who got involved with Yelm Historical Society in 2002, said he participated in getting the original Yelm Historical Museum located in the library in the early 2000s. He was also approached by former Yelm Mayor Ron Harding about moving the museum into a house on Third Avenue.
“He got a grant paid for to rehab the house, and we moved in there in 2008,” Sazawith said. “We were there until January of 2023. It’ll be two years this January that we’ve been out of there. The city decided they wanted to do something else with that building, and we moved our stuff into storage.”
Cowles-Porterfield was full of stories about Yelm and its storied history and hopes to see members of the community pop into the Yelm Historical Museum to learn more about the city.
“I think the history of Yelm is really important because a town without a history is not a town. That’s pretty simple,” Cowles-Porterfield said. “I don’t want the history of Yelm to be lost.”
The Yelm Historical Society hosts its meetings at 3 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at Yelm City Hall. The group’s next meeting is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 17.
