"Moving the Mail" Reception and Talk

with North Olympic History Center and Humanities Washington

Enjoy the local postal history exhibit and find out how Washington places and things got their names.

Library doors open at 6:30pm to explore the North Olympic History Center's traveling exhibit. At 7:00pm, enjoy a fascinating Humanities Washington presentation by Feliks Banel.

About the Talk — "All Over The Map: Stories Behind the Names of Washington Places and Things"

How did your town get its name? What about your neighborhood school? Or that locally made candy bar? In this talk, get the big picture of how names were given to geographic places in Washington, as well as to iconic local brands, and how those names can reflect deeper, and sometimes challenging, meanings. Explore how names often evolve to better connect us to place and to our neighbors.

Humanities Washington Speaker's Bureau presenter Feliks Banel has worked in history and media since the 1990s. He served as deputy director of MOHAI; and has produced Edward R. Murrow Award-winning radio and podcasts and Emmy-winning TV about local history.

About the Exhibit — "Moving the Mail"

Did you know that there have been at least 70 post offices in Clallam County?

In remote communities across the Peninsula, mail delivery was often the only link with the outside world. As populations shifted and new technologies developed, the speed and method of mail delivery changed, from the coastal deliveries of the Mosquito fleet and Tribal canoes to wagon roads and eventually rail and air.

Learn all about these fascinating stories in Moving the Mail!

Exhibit Schedule: August 28-October 17
After the opening reception on August 28, the exhibit will remain on view at the Port Angeles Main Library through Saturday, October 17. Drop in during library open hours. 

This exhibit was created with the support of a Clallam County Heritage Advisory Board grant. 

The North Olympic History Center (NOHC) connects the future to the past, through the present. Since 1948, the North Olympic History Center, formerly the Clallam County Historical Society, has been dedicated to keeping the history of the North Olympic Peninsula alive. The NOHC manages a research library, an artifact collection, and an education program. Learn more at northolympichistory.org and browse the online collections database.

Humanities Washington is a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening minds and bridging divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives. For more about Humanities Washington, visit humanities.org.

Art in the Library is generously funded in part by the Port Angeles Friends of the Library.

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