Deep down in a basement on Colby Avenue, there is a little room full of boxes. The boxes, carefully organized, hold photographs and manuscripts and models and plans and objects. All these things are categorized and properly preserved, handled with care and professionalism, labeled and tucked away in their place.

This hoard of treasures is only one fraction of the huge archives that belong to the Everett Museum of History. But unlike other buried treasure, the possessors of this collection are eager and waiting to share it all with you.

The Everett Museum of History began in 1954 as the Snohomish County Museum and Historical Society and has been amassing history for over half a century. They operated under that name all the way up to 2008, when they reanalyzed their vision and decided to focus on Everett.

Of course, the history of Everett and the history of larger Snohomish County cannot ever be separated. But as it became more and more clear that Everett was at the start of a boom, it became more and more vital that our history was documented. Focusing the museum on Everett allows the unique and diverse past of this city to have its own solid and protected place.

A few storage facilities is not exactly the typical picture of a museum. Over the years pop-up exhibits have appeared and then disappeared around town, but the museum has never had a permanent home, until now.

You might have noticed the new mural on the red building at the corner of Colby and Wall. This humble building is slowly transforming to the new Everett Museum of History, and sometime in the next few years, it will be full of exhibits and installations that we can flock to and uncover forgotten stories.

Among the tens of thousands of artifacts, there is an antique bookmobile, a phone booth riddled with bullet holes and a box full of evidence from a 1912 murder. This doesn’t even scratch the surface. Luckily, the museum won’t be all looking and quiet contemplation. There are plans for new accessible and experience based installations that will allow guests to directly interact with history beyond just pacing around a big room full of stuff.

The most exciting part is that the museum wants your help. You are part of Everett history, after all. If you want to give your two cents and help build the future of Everett’s past, fill out this survey and start your involvement.

The only way we can know and remember what life used to be like is through organizations like this one. Without them, we would be without a name, without an identity, and probably without much hope for a successful and educated future. The things we leave behind are the things we will be remembered for, so let’s create the best space possible for all these memories.

Everett Museum of History

Anticipated to open in 2021

David Blakeslee grew up in south Everett. He spends a lot of time at the library.