January 28th, 2009	Contact:	Patricia Cosgrove, Museum Director
For Immediate Release		(253) 288-7437

AUBURN NATIVE LEADS OPEN HOUSE, RAILROAD LECTURE AT WHITE RIVER VALLEY MUSEUM

AUBURN, Wash. – The White River Valley Museum celebrates the railroads that caused the growth of Auburn and many other Pacific Northwest towns with a museum open house, lecture and slideshow on Feb. 6, 6:30 to 9 p.m., led by Auburn native “Ramblin’ Jack” Christensen. The museum open house is 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the railroad lecture and slideshow from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Auburn Senior Activity Center. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for seniors and children.

Christensen’s lecture will take us from train dieselization, to the east end of the Northern Pacific Railroad system in Minnesota and back to the Pacific Northwest.

A well-known fine artist, throttle artist, raconteur and author of numerous articles about his days with the Northern Pacific, Christensen has captured his memories of railroading in the Pacific Northwest with watercolor paintings. He grew up in Auburn where his father worked in the Northern Pacific roundhouse and began his own railroad career as a supply boy in 1942. He was promoted to fireman in 1944. A nearly 60-year railroading career took Christiansen from Seattle to St. Paul and back again, ending with his retirement in 1999.

While attending the museum open house, take a step back in time to 1920s Auburn at the museum’s permanent exhibit “Auburn Depot, 1924.” The exhibit includes a Northern Pacific Railroad depot and caboose.

About Mary Olson Farm

The White River Valley Museum is working with the City of Auburn to restore Mary Olson Farm, the most intact 1880s family farm in King County. It opens in late 2009 as a living history and environmental learning site. The farm is a King County Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. Significant features include an 1897 barn, a 1902 farmhouse and two salmon runs in Olson Creek.

About the White River Valley Museum

The White River Valley Museum is a partnership with the City of Auburn and combines history and culture to create an exciting and educational experience for visitors. Museum collections focus on local Puget Sound history, Northwest Indian culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railroad.

The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and is located at 918 H St. SE in Auburn. Regular hours are noon to 4 p.m. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors and children, and free on Wednesdays. Call 253-288-7433 or visit www.wrvmuseum.org for event information.