Lacey Museum News

December 2022

Upcoming Events

Join us IN PERSON or online for our next History Talk!

Locations:

Lacey City Hall Council Chambers, 420 College St SE
Online via Zoom (registration required)

Program Description

Racism motivated early settlers George and Isabella Bush to travel across the Oregon Trail to Washington Territory. The Bushes came with the well-known Simmons wagon train and were among the first non-native settlers in Washington. The Bushes were known as generous members in their new community. Recent excavations of the Bush Homestead led by Dr. Ulrike Krotscheck, Professor at The Evergreen State College, found corroborating evidence of their generosity and renewed community interest in the Bush family, leading to the dedication of new monuments in the Olympia area.

Speaker

Dr. Ulrike Krotscheck received her master’s degree in Classical and Prehistoric Archaeology from the University of Heidelberg in Germany and her Ph.D. in Classics and Archaeology from Stanford. She is an archaeology professor at The Evergreen State College.

History Talks Coming Soon!

MEGAN OCKERMAN

Assistant Director, Olympia Tumwater Foundation

“It’s the Water”: A Brief History of the Olympia Brewing Company

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

6:30 p.m.

Hybrid: Lacey City Hall Council Chambers & Zoom

DR. JEWELL LORENZ DUNN

Research Department

Washington State Archives

Revealing Records in the Washington State Archives

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

6:30 p.m.

Hybrid: Lacey City Hall Council Chambers & Zoom

Museum Programs

EXHIBITS

Change was in the air. Everywhere. From Saigon to Seattle, Paris to Pasco. On college campuses, the campaign trail and evergreen peaks, Washingtonians were spurred to action. It was the year when Vietnam, civil rights, women’s liberation and conservation coalesced—the year when tragedy led the 6 o’clock news with numbing regularity.

1968: The Year That Rocked Washington is a series of online stories and an exhibit that documents how 1968 changed us in ways still rippling through our society a half-century later.

EXTENDED! Come see it before it's gone!

COMING SOON!

America and its history is a patchwork of many tales which have been woven over time from the voyages of people—both voluntary and involuntary—who traveled from city-to-city, state-to-state and around the world to find new opportunities. Whether by air, land or sea, travel has played a crucial part in our economic and cultural identities.

Journey Stories is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Plan Your Visit

Lacey City Council

Did you know that we have a website page devoted to Lacey City Council History?

The City of Lacey was incorporated in 1966. Originally Lacey had a Council-Mayor form of government This type has an elected mayor that serves as the city's chief administrative officer and a separately-elected City Council that serves as the legislative body. The downside of this is that the Mayor position was considered part-time and paid accordingly, which meant that the Mayor was basically holding down two jobs. As Lacey grew, this method become less practical. This was evidenced by high turnover in the position. In 1973, Lacey had three different mayors!

This event helped to solidify the need for a different form of government, one with a full-time paid chief administrator, a city manager. This is called Council-Manager. There is still a mayor, but they are elected by the councilmembers and serve a more ceremonial role.

Below are a few notables from Lacey's Council.