Who We Are

Officially formed in May of 2004, the Blue Mountain Heritage Society (BMHS) is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit corporation.

It is a membership organization dedicated to educating the public about the rich and diverse regional history and resources of southeastern Washington.

The Society collects, preserves, displays and interprets materials exemplifying the full sweep of human history from initial habitation by the native Palus People, through early European exploration and settlement, to the present day. Pertinent geologic and natural history provide context within which to tell the human story.

The board of this all-volunteers organization meets monthly (except August). Volunteers serve as museum docents and also maintain the grounds and the facilities.

Through three heritage museums—the Palus Museum, the Smith Hollow Country Schoolhouse, the Dodge Quarantine Cabin along with the Sacajawea Statue—the BMHS promotes the Blue Mountain region’s rich cultural heritage, and its geologic and biological diversity.

The Society also collects and maintains information about the area’s inhabitants.

For example, over nearly two decades volunteer Liz Carson has compiled more than 125 three-ring binders packed with news clippings, documents, and family information—all of which BMHS volunteers and Liz have spent months organizing. This set of material has come to be informally known as The Columbia County Family History Collection.

Recently, the local American Legion post shared with BMHS a huge volume of information on veterans, also complied by Liz Carson. And early records of the local school district are on loan to the Society.

All these documents have been copied, scanned, and digitized. They are available to view at the Smith Hollow Country Schoolhouse. The information is also available under the “Historical Records” tab on this website.

To preserve first-hand knowledge of the area’s history, for years the Society has conducted videoed interviews of key community individuals.

The Society also helped preserve and digitize a library of 16mm films showing the local area in the early 20th Century.

Blue Mountain Heritage Society Board Members:
President, Paula Moisio
Vice President, Roslyn Edwards
Treasurer, Dallas Dickinson
Secretary, Mary Harri
Board Members, Rose Engelbrite, Barbara Carlton, John Hutchens, Duane Dunlap, Doug Johnson

Write Us

PO Box 163
Dayton, WA 99328

Email Us

bluemountainheritage
@gmail.com

Call Us

509-540-9560