KALALOCH — The Jefferson County Historical Society will host its fourth annual West End History Weekend today through Sunday.
“There are two major goals of the weekend: to encourage people from Eastern Jefferson County to explore that beautiful and historic area of our county and to collect stories and historical information from West End residents,” said historical society Executive Director Bill Tennent.
The historic Kalaloch Lodge will be the headquarters for the event.
“We Came With Dreams,” the video introduction to the history of Jefferson County, will have its West End premiere in the Kalaloch Lodge library at 7 p.m. today.
The video will be replayed at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, Gary Peterson will share stories at Peak 6 Store on the Hoh River Valley Road.
Visitors may drop in between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to hear stories of the upper Hoh River.
Peterson is a fifth-generation native of the valley and descendant of the legendary Minnie Peterson, who ran horse packing trips into the high Olympics from the family homestead for some 50 years.
He co-edited and expanded the book Gods & Goblins: a Field Guide to Place Names of Olympic National Park by Smitty Parratt and co-authored the book Women to Reckon With: Untamed Women of the Olympic Wilderness.
Peterson will tell the story of the 1808 wreck of the Russian ship Nikolai, which brought the first non-native woman to the Olympic Peninsula.
He will also point out the nearby location of the proposed monument to the wreck.
Images of Forks
At 2 p.m. in the Kalaloch Lodge library, author Chris Cook, editor of the weekly Forks Forum, will give a photo presentation on Images of America — Forks, which he co-authored with Larry Burtness.
He also will tell of his ongoing investigation into the 1808 wreck of the Russian ship SV Nikolai.
Cook’s presentation will replace a previously scheduled talk by author Mavis Amundson about the Great Forks Fire of 1951.
At 4 p.m., members of the Hoh tribe will share their history and culture, including dancing and a traditional drum circle.
West End residents are invited to have their stories recorded throughout the weekend by the historical society oral history team.
The recordings will become part of the countywide oral and video history collection.
West End residents also may bring in historic photographs and artifacts that they wish to donate to the historical society.
For more information about collections or to schedule an interview, phone the society at 360-385-1003.
For a complete schedule of West End History Weekend programs, visit www.jchsmuseum.org.
For reservations at Kalaloch Lodge with special West End Weekend package rates, phone 866-525-2562.