Children and adults enjoy museum's pioneer day

Event displays area history

EPHRATA - The smell of gun smoke lingering in the air, would-be bank robbers and law enforcement gathered for pictures Saturday at the Grant County Historical Museum & Village's Pioneer Day.

"I never get off the porch," said Ron Tollinson, who finds himself on the wrong end of a gun at the mock shoot-out put on by the Grant County Sheriff's Posse.

Tollinson said the re-enactment is loosely based on an actual robbery in Grant County's history. Besides a glimpse of crime gone by, pioneer day visitors look into the lifestyle of settlers in years long past.

Some attending, and others working at the event, were struck by how far advancements streamline one's daily tasks.

Moses Lake resident Norm Tucker stood in one of the buildings, looking at the historical items, and said he felt as if he is living history since things changed so much. He remembers well much of what's on display.

"They've changed so much I wish I was born 50 years later so I could hang around and see what's next down the road," Tucker said.

He said he is interested in science and marvels at the advancements in the field.

Tucker couldn't think of a favorite aspect of the village, but said he admired the overall presentation.

"This is well preserved here," he said.

Aurora Updegrave worked in the general store Saturday, and explained when people didn't go to town as often as now, a general store offered one-stop shopping, including postal services.

"I think it's very important for children to see how things used to be. It wasn't nearly as convenient as what we have today," Updegrave said. "I think it's important for young people to see what used to be. And it always hasn't been so easy. Then of course we weren't always asked to do as many things either," she said.

Children participated in such activities as branding letters into a piece of wood and washing clothes using a wringer and scrub board.

A popular building with youngsters was the jail.

Eight-year-old Anthony Andrade said he liked seeing the weapons on display and 9-year-old Mackenzie Ness enjoyed hearing the story of prisoners who remained inside the cell even though someone forgot to lock it up.

"That was very impressing to me," she said.

The Grant County Historical Museum & Village is located at 742 Basin St. N, Ephrata. The museum closes for the season on Tuesday. It reopens in the first week of May.

For more information, call 509-754-3334.