By Walter Neary

The following is from the September 2024 issue of the Historic Fort Steilacoom journal.

Serving as president of the board at Historic Fort Steilacoom both 20 years ago and again today has given me a unique point of view. One, I’m grateful anyone wanted me back, and two, the time away has shown me something only a gap of time can bring: perspective.

When I returned in 2020, it became clear that many of the challenges we faced in 2000 were still around. Some things had changed, for sure, but a lot had stayed the same. That realization motivated me to push for some changes, with the help of a dedicated board of directors.

Just one example: We now have a wonderful volunteer who tries to help us schedule volunteers – a volunteer volunteer coordinator. Imagine that! Just like museums that have paid staff. We still have energetic volunteers who don’t want to be on schedules, but it’s going to be crucial to be organized if we ever want to be open more than one Sunday a month.

Some of the changes went deep to the heart of the organization. Our board includes diverse and younger voices, along with our volunteer pool. It is crucial to have new voices. As the saying goes, if you keep doing the same things, you will get the same results.

Who should keep the lights on?

As always, just as 20 years ago: The task of keeping the lights on sometimes overwhelmed us, and that means we couldn’t devote that time to the strong stories and programs that help drive interest in a museum. I spent a lot of time dealing with our landlord, the Department of Social and Health Services. One of their people reminded me during one negotiation that Western State would have been perfectly happy to let the buildings cave in during the 80s. Yeah. 

What does that say about the State of Washington? Volunteers preserve the oldest group of buildings in Washington that remain in their original layout.

During my term, we called BS on the way Washington preserves its history. In 2000, I was like everyone else – we had normalized the idea that of course Washington doesn’t operate a museum about pioneer life in Puget Sound. Volunteers can do it!

No. Every other state in this nation has a government entity with expertise in preservation and education that seeks to tell the very complicated story of pioneer life. Washington chickened out. Of course, as I write in this issue, Washington did think it was creating a US pioneer museum when it created Fort Nisqually. 

But today, there’s no excuse. Washington has dodged responsibility for telling the pioneer story, good and bad parts alike. 

Don’t even get me started on whether the federal government should take some responsibility for a U.S. Army fort. The story is complicated and controversial. At best, it’s neglectful; at worst, it’s cowardly to leave the job to volunteers who have to somehow manage a museum on the front lawn of a mental hospital. 

City of Lakewood offers responsibility – and hope

Our current board’s legacy will be a possible way out. When I agreed to be president in 2020, I had a secret plan. It was secret because it seemed preposterous. I wanted to convince the city of Lakewood to acquire our buildings. I was going to give myself 10 years to raise our profile and try to accomplish that. 

So you can imagine my surprise – ecstasy, actually – when then-Lakewood Mayor Don Anderson told me the City Council already wanted to do that. Fort Steilacoom should be reunited with Fort Steilacoom Park.

Of course, they are working with DSHS on that. But there does seem to be a lot of optimism that the transfer of buildings will take place. Our Civil War parade grounds will still be a parking lot for Western State, but that will likely change in time as construction takes place on campus.

That does not mean Lakewood is going into the museum business. No one wants that. But our volunteers would work with a responsible and appropriate custodian of the buildings. 

We are off to a good start as 2024 moves to 2025. Incoming president Claire Keller-Scholz is a parks professional through her work at MetroParks. She and many of our volunteers grew up with Fort Nisqually’s passion for scholarship and living history. The new volunteers infuse our fort with energy. I’m excited about the future. I hope to be elected as board secretary. The thought of following legends Orville Stout and Joe Lewis is intimidating, but what’s life without challenge?

So whoever you are who is president in 2040 – I hope our board left you something to work with!