VANCOUVER — Local labor history gets a closeup in a new exhibit at Clark County Historical Museum. The “Labor: A working history” exhibit launched July 11 with major help from more than two dozen local unions. It runs through the end of 2014.
The exhibit tells labor’s story, from the 1830s, when Hawaiian workers were employed by the Hudson’s Bay Company outside Fort Vancouver, to the rise of Northwest labor unions in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Bringing history to life are tools, artifacts, and early photographs of trade union members — decked out in uniform or walking strike picket lines. And at several listening stations, visitors can hear oral history interviews with labor figures.
Donated union labor also gave the museum a remodeled event and exhibit space. The museum, its mission to preserve local history and serve as a community center, is run by a private non-profit with funding from Clark County, in a building owned and maintained by the City of Vancouver.
Admission is free for museum members and military veterans and active duty personnel, and otherwise is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, $2 for children, and $10 for families. The museum is located at 1511 Main Street, Vancouver. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
