Contact: Hal Gausman
               Park’s Cultural Resource Manager
               Hal.Gausman@snoco.org
               360-805-6729

Snohomish County Awards Funding to Heritage Projects

EVERETT, WA., May 5, 2017 – Snohomish County is rich with history, and sometimes a few targeted dollars ensures our cultural heritage can be preserved for future generations.

In 2007, the Snohomish County Council created the Historic Preservation Commission to provide assistance with carrying out a variety of functions related to the protection and preservation of archeological and historical resources. The Commission utilizes a recording document surcharge of $1 to help fund these preservation programs. The funding from the recording fee is used to provide preservation information but also to fund projects protecting the uniqueness of Snohomish County’s local history.

This year, the Historic Commission received over $100,000 in funding requests to review. The Commission evaluated the benefit that each project would have for the citizens of Snohomish County. They then recommended to the County Council where funds should be allocated based on promoting the public’s access to county history, professional development and capital improvements, or collections management.

The Historic Preservation Commission recommends funding the following projects in 2017

• The City of Edmonds has requested help with the exterior restoration of the original skylight on the Edmonds Museum. The skylight has significant historical and aesthetic significance to the building.
• The Stillaguamish Pioneer Museum has original Arlington Times newspapers dating back to 1922. They have completed digitizing from 1922 to 1940 and this request is to fund digitizing from 1941 to 1950.
• Another proposed project for the Stillaguamish Pioneer Museum is the printing of a book detailing the stories behind the depiction of buildings and the architects in a historic quilt.
  
• Snohomish County Parks requested funding for public education about the history of Snohomish County by telling the history of seven individual park sites.
• The Edmonds South Historical Society would develop a travelling exhibit highlighting the history of Edmonds and South Snohomish County.
• “LOSCHO” the League of Snohomish County Historical Organizations would create hardcopy and electronic mobile tours of Snohomish County museums and genealogical societies.
• The Granite Falls Historic Society’s project would be to upgrade both hardware and software to enable improved access to maps of local historical sites.
• The Stanwood Area Historical Society is requesting support to repair and restore 11 of the original vintage windows in the D.O. Pearson home that was built in 1890.
• The City of Lynnwood Parks Department propose to support teaching about the history of Lynwood with a virtual tour of historic Lynnwood sites, the creation of large visual displays and supporting heritage tours.
• The History Link project would add Snohomish County historical information to HistoryLink, the on-line encyclopedia of Washington State history.
• The Monroe Historical Society would scan and digitally enhance the newspaper collection and add Optical Character Recognition software to make the newspapers easily searchable. 
• The Sky Valley Arts Council’s proposed project is the
  Restoration of the Startup Gym. This project is to bring the electrical and plumbing up to current standards

 The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society Project would develop interpretive signs to increase public awareness of the significance of the Arlington Pioneer Memorial Cemetery.