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ABOUT THE APPELO ARCHIVES CENTER

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Finnish Library

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Finnish Costumes

A couple of our Finnish costumes on display in our Finnish Library.

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Library

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Local Antique Wedding Dresses

Store exhibit featuring the original cash register from Appelo's Red & White store in Deep River, and the scale from the original Okie's Market. This exhibit was created as a tribute to the Appelo's chain of Red & White stores, one of which the building we are located in originally housed.

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The old Appelo store

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Cash Register

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Tools

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Old Camp House display

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Old Camp House

Located in the northwest corner of the museum's upstairs level is the logging camphouse exhibit. Made possible by a grant from the Rayonier Foundation.

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Pillar rock fishing info

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Old Gramophone

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Logging Display

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Logging display Panels

Haulback blocks and an old dynamite box on display in our Logging Heritage Room.

Logging Heritage Room Display

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Book Store

Genealogy Corner

Curl up and research your family history, census records, or cemetery records. Also take a look at the quilt made of drawings from the 2013 1st Grade class at Naselle-Grays River Valley Grade School.

Upstairs research area that houses thousands of historical records, articles, oral histories and maps.

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Tools

One of our 'Name That Tool" boards donated to the Center in 2013. This one is themed with logging tools.

Deep River Velocipede

What is a velocipede you ask...roll on in and learn all about it!

We have the original local telephone switchboard on display.

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Telephone Company Info

    The Appelo Archives Center was opened under the Wahkiakum Community Foundation in 2005. It became its own 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization in April 2010. The dream of founder Carlton Appelo, the Appelo Archives Center was opened as a place to share the rich history of the Naselle-Grays River Valley and it's surrounding areas. The Appelo Archives Center is dedicated to encouraging the study of region-wide history by preserving collections, sponsoring community and educational activities, facilitating genealogical research, and fostering Scandinavian studies, with an emphasis on Finnish-American heritage. 

 

MUSEUM


   The Archives Center's main room upstairs houses our local museum and research area for the communities from Grays River through Naselle. We've also got a genealogy corner where you can relax and look up your family history or browse census records from years past. 

 

    Downstairs you enter the Museum through either the Archives Cafe and Bookstore or through the front door into our Logging Heritage Room. There is a chair lift available that allows handicap access to the upstairs and the rest of the museum and libraries

 

C.A. & AGNES APPELO MEMORIAL LIBRARY


   The Library has a collection of over 400 books to be used for research and browsing. The book collection is located in the newly renovated library area The library is named for C.A. and Agnes Appelo who operated stores in several locations for decades. C.A. and his son, Carlton, were instrumental in bringing telephone service to the area and the founders of Wahkiakum West Telco, the local telephone company. Agnes worked in the stores and regularly traveled the logging trains to sell goods to the women in the camps.

 

    Her son, Carlton, has also collected books on history for a good part of his 90 years. The library books are available for research on local and national history to our members. A full section with Finnish language books is also available in  our Finnish Library.

 

FINNISH LIBRARY
 

     Catering to the local Finnish and Scandinavian heritage our Finnish Library contains over 600 books, including the Socialist "Red Books". Many books are in English as well as Finnish, and contain political history, music, arts, local history and children's stories and much more. We've also got a display case that houses our Finnish costumes including the Expatriot Costume, designed by local ladies, that represents Finnish Immigrants and their descendants worldwide.

 

GREAT FOR GROUPS

 

     We've got space available both upstairs and downstairs that can be reserved for group meetings, you can do so by calling our office..

Pile of Books

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Board of Directors

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  • Kelly Shumar - President

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  • Steve Ullakko - Vice President 

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  • Keith Metcalf - Treasurer

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  •  - Secretary

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  • Theresa Appelo Bakken

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  • Mark Preston

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  • Linda Elliot

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  • John Waisanen

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  • Allan Wirkkala

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  • Diane Wirkkala

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  • Ron Theilen

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  • Victor Liguori

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Staff

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  • Angela Metcalf - Executive Director

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  • Anita Raistakka - Library Manager

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  • Tiffany Coop - Library Assistant

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  • Angila Gaines - Bookkeeper

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  • Dallas Ruch - Maintenance

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  • Christy Fetzer - Kitchen Staff

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  • Angela Martin- Staff Assistant​

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