Othello museum to open for summer
The Othello Museum will open for the season June 28, with a program recognizing the city's firefighters, past and present.
OTHELLO - Everybody in town remembers the big fires, the time the old hotel burned down in 1988, even that time back in 1943 when the big range fire almost burned into town. The fire chief at the time died fighting that fire.
Othello's firefighters, past and present, will be recognized with a program on opening day at the Othello Museum. The museum will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. June 28, with the program at 2 p.m., museum official LuAnn Morgan said.
A special program has become one of the features of opening day at the museum, Morgan said. Previous programs have featured Othello schools, the community's women pioneers and law enforcement, among others, she said.
In its history the Othello Fire Department has been notably successful in fighting fires, big and small, with very few fatalities, she said. "We've always had such a good fire department here," Morgan said. "Even though they're volunteers," and have to fit training around jobs and families, she said.
"We've got some major fires we're highlighting," Morgan said. There was the old Ballinger Hotel in 1988 - it was long unused, dry old wood, and it went up fast. The bean plant burned more than once, she said.
There was a gun shop that caught fire and exploded. The story is that the explosion killed somebody inside the building, Morgan said.
The summer of 1943 was very dry, and a huge fire "almost got to the town," Morgan said. Fighting that fire cost the fire chief his life.
Current fire chief Gary Lebacken and former chiefs, as well as current and past Othello firefighters, will be part of the program, Morgan said. The city's oldest fire truck, dating from 1939, will be part of the display, she said.
The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays until about mid-September, Morgan said. It's at the intersection of Third and Larch streets, in a former church about a block directly behind the Othello High School campus.
The museum has a large archive of photographs, as well as records and pictures from local schools, she said. There's a display of stuffed birds, and lots of tools. "We've got some big huge things in the back yard," Morgan said. Othello was founded as a stop on the Great Northern railroad, and there's a history of the railroad as well as local farming and irrigation.
Become a Subscriber!
You have read all of your free articles this month. Select a plan below to start your subscription today.
Already a subscriber? Login
