Julia's 100 year old rose travels to Olympia

On Monday March 17 members of the Friends of Julia Butler Hansen (FJBH) visited the state capitol to pass out starts from cuttings of Maude Butler's 100-year-old climbing rose. In all they passed out 28 rose cuttings to legislators, senators, the governor and the lieutenant governor. This was done in coordination with several other exciting county events happening later this spring. For more information contact the Chamber, the Town, the Cathlamet Woman's Club, or the Friends of Julia Butler Hansen at FriendsofJuliaButlerHansen@gmail.com.

The Cathlamet Woman's Club helped to propagate these plants (with Julia's son David Hansen's approval) as future gifts and it was FJBH Vice-President, Lynette Wright who took it upon herself last fall to care for them until they were ready. The roses were a labor of love that were between 3" and 6" tall when presented last week. The mugs the roses were planted in are original ceramic artwork by local Cathlamet artist Ruth Doumit, who is a relative of the late Senator Mark Doumit.

The non-profit, Friends of Julia Butler Hansen formed a couple months ago with the vision and mission to preserve the legacy and home of Julia who was a trailblazer for female politicians in the state and the nation during a time when it was rare for women to be in such positions of power. Her legacy of leadership shattering glass ceilings for women cannot be overstated nor can it be lost to history. We are working to ensure that people will learn and be inspired by the remarkable story of a pioneer of Washington state government.

The Julia Butler Hansen house was listed on the National Historic Register last spring. Last year the State Legislature funded a Feasibility Study by the Washington State Historical Society for $30,000 that was published in January 2025. Our current project follows up on that Feasibility Study by securing the Julia Butler Hansen house envelope so that its contents are ready for long-term conservation. We plan to complete our full project by November 2029. By that time we expect the roses as well as the rest of Julia's beautiful garden will be blooming, and welcoming visitors to her historic house. To learn more or to get involved, email: FriendsofJuliaButlerHansen@gmail.com