Notes
This evening the Heritage Council will be holding a farewell reception honoring Connie Nice for more than 14 years of service as the director of the History Museum of Hood River County. If all you know about the museum is this photoblog, it would not exist but for Connie's support and encouragement. Of course the museum is so much more, and Connie has been its heart and soul for all these years, overseeing everything from Cemetery Tales to a major museum renovation. I've promised Connie the photo projects will continue, and they will, but we'll miss her guidance and encouragement.
This image spans 150 years of Hood River history, and includes the museum's most precious artifact. The Coe flag was gifted to Hood River County by Henry Coe in 1924. The flag was hand sewn by the very first residents of Hood River County and was flown for the first time in 1861 on the 4th of July. This image is from a 2011 ceremony honoring its 150th birthday. The flag was presented by local boy scouts who had the difficult task of both observing flag handling etiquette and Connie's directions for handling a precious artifact. Connie then read the 1924 dedication letter, and Kate Dougherty performed a trumpet tribute.
Creating an 8' by 12' flag was no simple task in 1861. Nathaniel Coe traveled to Portland by sternwheeler to purchase the red, white and blue bunting for this flag, and Mary Coe took the stripes to the Dalles to be sewn together on the nearest sewing machine. Local women hand stitched the field of stars on the blue background.
A tall tree at what was later the site of Park Street School (later Gibson Park and now Children's Park) was selected to display the flag. At 10AM the flag was hoisted, followed by a prayer, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and patriotic speeches. Settlers in Washington said they could see the flag from across the river.
Category: [Downtown Hood River]
Tags: 2010s Coe flag museum Nice_Connie
Comments
Connie will be missed!
Kate on 30th June 2014 @ 8:39am
It's going to be tough for whatever reincarnation of the Museum leadership becomes, to find another with the passion and dedication that Connie brought to the plate. Thank you Connie, and all the best in your future endeavors!
spinsur on 30th June 2014 @ 9:04am
All I know about the museum is this photoblog. It has brought back a lot of good memories and I have enjoyed it. And I thank Connie and everyone involved in it. And I hope it continues. But as for my place in this universe, I can't forget what a hard-bitten old soldier said one time--"The graveyards of America are full of irreplaceable people. March on."
Buzz on 30th June 2014 @ 9:28am
Connie and her loyal crew made the museum a surprising and delightful place to feel the spirit of this county and the many people who made it their home and made it the wonderful place it has become. Thank you for pulling all that together in a visually delightful way. We'll miss you and wish you the best and think of you as we go there to see our heritage. You have become a part of it.
nels on 30th June 2014 @ 10:32pm
Thank you. Connie
For all those hours you dedicated to preserving the history in the area we are so thankful to live in today. I love history and I enjoy what you have been able to share with this community.
Tim on 30th June 2014 @ 11:05pm