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The White River Valley MuseumThe White River Valley Museum, located in Auburn, Washington is a multifaceted historical center preserving the local history from the Northern Pacific depot to the artifacts and exhibits located within it. Aside from rail history the museum also preserves the history of the local area in general. For more information about the museum please read on below, which comes courtesy of the museum itself (and be sure and visit their website to check out an entire database of historic photos available!).
Beautifully crafted displays are layered with oral history quotes, historic photographs and hundreds of artifacts. Life-like settings invite you to get involved – climb aboard a caboose from 1924 or explore a settler's cabin. The permanent exhibit “Auburn Depot, 1924” brings you back in time to the 1920s with a Northern Pacific depot and caboose. Imagine warming up near the pot-bellied stove and overhearing the telegraph operator sending messages. Inside the caboose you can check out the conductor’s work area and play checkers. You can even pose with the conductor for a photo! The White River Valley Museum is a partnership with the City of Auburn and combines history and culture to create an exciting and educational experience for visitors. Museum collections focus on local Puget Sound history, Northwest Indian culture, Japanese immigration and the Northern Pacific Railroad. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday and is located at 918 H St. SE in Auburn. Regular hours are noon – 4 p.m. Admission is free on Wednesdays.
And, for more reading on the Northern Pacific you might want to consider the book Northern Pacific Railway Photo Archive by John Kelly. The author gives a superb pictorial history of the railroad from the 1930s through the 1960s and features both freight and passenger operations If you have any kind of an interest in the Northern Pacific you are sure to enjoy Sullivan's book. Also, consider the book The Vista-Dome North Coast Limited: The Story of the Northern Pacific Railway's Famous Domeliner by author William Kuebler, Jr. The book is over 300 pages and highlights the Northern Pacific's passenger operations, particularly its famous North Coast Limited flagship train.
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