The new year is bringing new projects and new energy to the Tillamook County Historical Society. We are breathing new life into exploring the history of our county with a variety of new activities.

2024-25 brought a partnership with the Tillamook Coast Visitor’s Association to produce the latest volume in a notable guide series called 25 Historic Sites Along the Tillamook Coast. You’ll find the companion map on the home page of our website. Clicking on the locations on the map will bring up a side panel with the entire contents of the book.

In another project, the cemetery group coordinated with the Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries and SOLVE, a nonprofit recognized for their volunteer-driven environmental stewardship, to sponsor 2024 and 2025 spring cleanups at the Bay City Cemetery.

The historical society also worked together with the Boy Scout Alumni Association to run a special book printing, which provided their members with copies of Life at a Pioneer Homestead on the Pacific Ocean, by Rex Chamberlain. The book describes the homestead, which later became the Boy Scout Camp Meriwether.

2026 is set to also bring many exciting activities to Tillamook. Work is in progress for a new edition of Dr. Huckleberry’s story of pioneer medicine in Garibaldi, as well as a new edition of Hub Miller’s book, Adventures of an Oregon Country Boy. A second edition of Historical Markers of Tillamook County may also be in the works soon.

One of our primary objectives is the placing of informative signs on historically significant buildings and sites. This year we’re expanding that mission by introducing the Tillamook County Historic Sites Project and inviting community engagement. Watch for announcements on our website and elsewhere soon!

We also just received a grant from the Tillamook County Cultural Coalition for the Preserving Voices Project. In partnership with the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum, we will be digitizing fifty oral history cassette tapes recorded from 1975 to 2000. Once the project is completed, the digitized narratives will be available to be listened to at the TCPM Research Library.

All of our book titles are available in our website bookstore. They are also offered at local booksellers such as the Tillamook Pioneer Museum and Tillamook Forest Center, as well as bookselling events like the July Clover’s Day Celebration and Holiday and Spring Bazaars at the Fairgrounds.

Cemetery headstone restoration is the passion of a number of our members, who are currently working on the Bay City IOOF cemetery. A special cleaning technique is being used to clean the headstones. Pavers and plaques are being placed on previously unidentified grave sites. Work is being done through a generous contribution by the Aufdermaurer family. Information on finding graves around Tillamook County and nationally is available on the phone app, Find a Grave.

We have completed the collection of historical photos placed on buildings in Cloverdale. A walking tour brochure is available at the Pacific City branch of the Tillamook County Library and can be downloaded from the Cloverdale page of our website. A historical walking tour brochure of downtown Tillamook can also be downloaded from our website.

The Tillamook County Historical Society was founded in 1984 to bring together those persons interested in preserving the history of Tillamook County. We invite your participation and membership in our vibrant organization!

Follow us at https://tillamookhistory.org and contact us at tillamookhistory@gmail.com