September 21, 2009	Contact:	Patricia Cosgrove, Museum Director
For Immediate Release		(253) 288-7437

OPEN HOUSE, RAILROAD LECTURE AT WHITE RIVER VALLEY MUSEUM

AUBURN, Wash. – The White River Valley Museum hosts a museum open house and railroad lecture Oct. 3, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The open house is 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. followed by the lecture and slideshow from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Auburn Senior Activity Center. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children/seniors. Museum membership categories Train Master, Conductor and Engineer attend for free.

Fred Fischer will discuss the history and development of the Northern Pacific Railroad coal mines around Roslyn, Wash. Fischer spent the first 30 years of his life in Roslyn, growing from boyhood to miner. He worked in the mines and mills, hauling black diamonds in an era when coal was king on the Northern Pacific Railway. Fischer will talk about the early days of the mines in 1886, the development of the field and the bitter industry end as diesels replaced steam engines on the railway.

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.