Sedro-Woolley Museum adds to its exhibits

Jun. 23—SEDRO-WOOLLEY — For decades, about all that was known of the simple stone grave marker was that carved into it was the number 806 and the initials M.H.

Though it had been removed from the Northern State Hospital Cemetery some time ago, it was really no different than the other markers dotting the sunken landscape of the cemetery.

This particular marker now has a name to go with it. Martin Harper was born in 1865 and died at the hospital in 1948.

The grave marker is just one part of an ever-evolving exhibit at the Sedro-Woolley Museum. Visit sedro-woolleymuseum.com for more information.

The exhibit is dedicated to the long and storied history of Northern State Hospital and is one of many improvements made at the museum.

Museum volunteer JoEllen Kesti, research librarian Sharon Howe and others made the most of the museum's closure due to COVID-19 by working on the exhibits. They decluttered some and added to others.

The time also afforded them the opportunity to identify grave marker 806.

"It's not just a number now," Kesti said. "It's a name and a person. It's safe here, and it's respected."

Added Howe, "It adds to the story of those who spent their lives, and for many their deaths, at Northern State. This is part of that history we want to tell."

The museum has been in possession of the marker for several years, however, only recently did new volunteer John Horne identify who it belonged to.

"It was always part of the display, but no one ever thought to try and put a name to it," Kesti said. "So once John came on board, he got access to the list of names and put all the pieces of the puzzle together."

Sedro-Woolley Parks Department Operations Supervisor Nathan Salseina said when the city took over the cemetery, the state Department of Enterprise Services gave the city a list of those interred.

"We have a pretty accurate listing of all the folks that are buried up there," he said. "It's pretty complete going all the way back to 1913. What we don't have is exactly where they are on site. We know who, we just don't know where."

Using the museum's copy of the spreadsheet, Horne matched up the initials on the marker with the name Martin Harper. He even went as far as to find the requisition forms to have the marker made.

In honor of the new Sedro-Woolley Library, an exhibit highlighting the history of the city's libraries also has been improved. The exhibit includes the original lamp posts from the Carnegie Library, which stood from 1915-1962.

Museum President Dale Robertson said the improvements have been in the works for some time. While the pandemic curtailed attendance and paused fund-raising efforts, the downtime wasn't wasted.

"We don't have a lot of storage area," Robertson said. "That has been something we've been dealing with since the museum started. So a lot of stuff just had to go out on the floor.

"Now, over the past year and a half with this slow time due to the virus, we have been able to spruce those exhibits up and make them look better. We cleaned areas up, removed items that there were more than one of because there is no use having doubles of stuff when you are running out of room."

Improvements were also made to the logging exhibit, as well as to the marquee entrance to the Dream Theater.

The farmhouse exhibit has a new entrance/exit allowing for the easier flow of patrons and the Indigenous people's exhibit has been improved.

"The Native American display — we have been wanting to do something more with that," Howe said. "It's a very important part of the area's history, and we made some good improvements."

Meanwhile, the museum also now boasts a revamped gift shop, with the usual fare of books, T-shirts, mugs, hats and locally produced goods such as museum-themed candles and decorative saws.

"The changes in the gift shop were major," Kesti said. "It was a major renovation and a real team effort."

— Reporter Vince Richardson: 360-416-2181, vrichardson@skagitpublishing.com, Twitter:@goskagit, Facebook.com/VinceReports/