New exhibit to open July 2

The River Life Interpretive Center at Redmen Hall will present a major exhibit this summer on the history of sternwheelers, steamboats, and tug boats on the Lower Columbia River. This exhibit, titled “Rolling on the River” will include stories about the captains of these boats, the river pilots, the builders, and the histories of the companies that managed the complex commerce these boats helped to develop.

The exhibit will show the place these boats and these people had in building today's busy presence on the river. Until roads were built in the 1930's, these boats were the only way to move logs, fish, dairy products, people, produce, and manufactured goods from communities on the river to the markets.

This exhibit will open on Saturday, July 2, and run through Labor Day Weekend. There will be special speakers on most Saturdays of the exhibit, starting with Peter Brix, the writer of a definitive history of the tug boat companies from sail to steam to the present day. He will also sign copies of his book on the history of the tugboat companies on July 9 at 2 p.m. A list of other speakers will be furnished as the exhibit is closer.

Redmen Hall is located at 1394 SR4 in Skamokawa, and is open Thursday - Sunday 12-4 p.m.

For more information, call during open hours or visit their blog spot at http://www.redmenhall blogspot.com.