Ready for the next 50: Aumsville City Hall, museum relocate

By Mary Owen

A dream that began 18 years ago is now a reality for the city of Aumsville.

“We began planning then for a new city hall and police complex, and envisioned that when built, the old city hall would become our museum,” Mayor Harold White said. “Now it’s happening.”

City officials set money aside to pay for the $1.1 million city hall/police facility, breaking ground last October and starting construction in January. City staff began moving into the facility in June and celebrated its opening on Aug. 24.

“We didn’t want to go for a bond, just to save the money then build it,” White said of the new facility. “We borrowed some to finish it off because of rising costs and some changes in the planning process that added extra costs, but for the most part, the project was finished on time and under budget.”

The city still owes $400,000, an amount officials believe will be paid off in seven years. The building is expected to service the city’s needs for the next 50 years, White said.

No one is more excited about Aumsville’s update than Karlene Santibanez, vice-president of the Aumsville Historical Society.

For the first time, Aumsville history – artifacts and information – will be stored in one place, in the building the city and police staff recently vacated.

“These can be viewed by local residents as well as visitors to our city,” Santibanez said of the museum’s offerings, now housed in the old city hall building.

“It will unveil a lot of our unique history,” White added. “It will add a benefit to our city that wasn’t there before.”

Aumsville began doing business in the 980-square foot former bank building in 1963, using it for a city hall, police department, municipal court, council chambers and public meeting hall.

The city purchased the building and a garage on an adjoining lot in 1972. Five years later, donations by private citizens made it possible to wall in the garage, add a bathroom and sink; to create a 1,088-square foot police department building.

White, who was first elected as mayor in 1987, took stock of the cramped quarters. He envisioned a new city hall and a “proper” police department, a vision others soon embraced.

“And since our history needed a home, the best place for it was the old city hall,” White said.

When the Aumsville Historical Society was formed in 1977, there was no Aumsville Museum and History Center, as the new “home” is called. Bits and pieces of city history were housed with local residents. After a few years, the AHS disbanded, but a group of interested parties, spearheaded by Lorene Mathews, revived it in 1995.

The society grew over the years from seven to 75 members, now under the headship of Ted Shepard, “quite an undertaking for a small town,” Santibanez said.

“Our primary goal is to collect, identify and preserve our local interest,” she said. “Another goal is to make this information and these items available to the community. Hopefully, this new museum will promote our small but beautiful city, and allow for a stopping point for tourists.”

Those who stop in can enjoy some of the artifacts collected over the years, including an old wooden washing machine, cider press, buckboard seat, and other items from local pioneers.

“Several items are from the Allen Jones Davie family,” Santibanez said. “Davie came to the Oregon Territory in 1842 and settled east of Aumsville. He was one of the signers at the Champoeg meeting voting to put the Oregon Territory under United States jurisdiction.”

Items from the Donker family, a veterans’ display, and old farm merchant memorabilia will be on display at the new museum location.

“We have a history center library located in the museum with information on Oregon, Marion County, and other areas as well as of early pioneer families,” Santibanez said. “Also school information, which includes photos, stories and school annuals dating back to 1939.”

Aumsville officials and residents also take pride in their historic Porter-Boone Park, home of the city’s annual Corn Festival, and Mill Creek Park, which has the nationally renowned Brian Haney Skate Park.

Museum visitors wishing to learn about Aumsville’s history can purchase for $10 a book called, The History of Our Community.