West End tales highlight historical society weekend

KALALOCH — West End residents are invited to record their stories, etching them into the fabric of Jefferson County history this weekend.

The ninth annual West End Weekend, going on today through Sunday, invites residents to record their stories for the Jefferson County Historical Society’s oral history collection and listen to others’ tales.

The historical society also has planned several talks Saturday. They include a logging legend, Olympic Hot Springs history and a recounting of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s trip to the Olympic Peninsula.

Kalaloch Lodge, 157151 U.S. Highway 101, will serve as the headquarters for the weekend. The lodge will offer discounts to Olympic Peninsula residents for the occasion, according to a press release.

For lodging reservations, call 866-662-9928 or visit TheKalalochLodge.com/LOCALS.

Today

The Forks Timber Museum, 1421 S. Forks Ave., will be open for visitors en route to Kalaloch Lodge today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rustic museum set on five wooded acres tells a story of its own.

In the Becker Suite of Kalaloch Lodge, an exhibit of historic photographs depicting rural Jefferson County will be on display beginning at 5 p.m. today.

Saturday

The Forks Timber Museum continues its hours Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

West End residents can swap stories at the Peak 6 Adventure Store in Forks, 4883 Upper Hoh Road, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. During that time, Gladys Allen will share stories of her father, Leo Nelson.

Allen, now in her 80s, will tell of the circumstances leading up to her father’s moniker: the “Paul Bunyan of the West End.”

Nelson apparently bucked more than 100,000 board feet of timber with a cross-cut saw into 32- to 36-foot lengths. The feat remains a logging legend, according to a news release.

At 2 p.m., author Teresa Schoeffel-Lingvall will present a program about Olympic Hot Springs, a popular resort owned by her family for 60 years.

Then at 3 p.m., Mike Doherty will present a program about Franklin D. Roosevelt on the Olympic Peninsula.

Sunday

The Becker Suite exhibit closes at 10 a.m. Sunday.

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