North Lincoln County Historical Museum
P: 541-996-6614
F: 541-996-1244
Anne Hall
4907 SW Highway 101
Lincoln City, OR
97367
Email:
Website: http://www.northlincolncountyhistoricalmuseum.org
Whether you are a history buff or just like old things, the North Lincoln County Historical Museum (NLCHM) is a real treat. Founded in 1987 through the initiative and hard work of the North Lincoln County Pioneer and Historical Association, it began with 110 charter members, in a small storefront. Today, the museum’s exhibits, research library, offices and store are in an historic two-story building built in 1941 as the Taft-Nelscott-Delake Fire Hall. The building was later occupied by Lincoln City administration and eventually was deeded to NLCHM in 1994, when City Hall found new quarters. In 2004, a new building addition was completed, more than doubling the original size of the building.
Redesigned exhibits in the downstairs gallery include: displays on Native American history with examples of baskets and beadwork; early settlement and homesteading displays that show early tools and household items; and dairy, fishing, and cannery displays with artifacts from those industries.
The upstairs gallery focuses on tourism, celebrating the age of the automobile with information on the first cars and roads to the area. Roadside attractions, early tourism promotions, and one-of-a-kind businesses are also exhibited. A hands-on children’s corner will keep younger children entertained while their parents tour the museum.
Permanent exhibits include “Exploration and Prehistory,” “Native American, Homesteads, Farming,” “Fishing,” “Logging,” “Early Family Panels,” “Roads and the Automobile in Lincoln County,” “Redhead Roundup,” “Pixie Kitchen and Pixieland,” “The Green Onion,” and “Roadside Attractions.” Traveling exhibits have come from other museums, the Bureau of Land Management archaeological digs, and private collectors. “The Big One,” a recent traveling exhibit on earthquakes and tsunamis of the Pacific Northwest, came from the Burke Museum in Seattle.
Temporary exhibits are changed every six to eight months and have recently included an exhibit on Oregon’s Sesquicentennial, a traveling trunk display on early north Lincoln County Schools, and “Hello Dolly,” an exhibit of a private collection of antique dolls from 1850 to 1920.
Monthly educational programs appeal to the diversity in our community. They feature Chautauqua speakers from the Oregon Council for the Humanities, as well as speakers on local history, institutions and events. Recent programs have included the “History of Dolls and Doll Collecting,” “A Snapshot in Time: Oregon in 1859,” and a dramatic presentation on President Lincoln, as he would have spoken 200 years ago.
Outreach projects involve school students in historic preservation and history in the making. The museum also sponsors an annual pioneer picnic that is open to the community. Speakers from the museum serve at the request of community organizations and schools.
The museum is located in the historic Taft district of Lincoln City at 4907 SW Highway 101. Hours are noon to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday from Oct. 16 to May 15, and Wednesday through Sunday from May 16 to October 15. Public restrooms. Handicapped-accessible. Additional parking, including motor coach, is available across the street.
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