Honoring the Past: Mural Highlights Cultural Legacy

The Stevens County Historical Society will be unveiling the museum’s  new mural on Saturday, Aug. 9 at 12:30 p.m.. The mural, painted by local artist Jami Rose Lord, is based off of an original photograph of the Columbia River’s Kettle Falls from nearly 100 years ago. 

Stevens County Historical Society member Richard Willner stated that his aunt, May Richardson Brittain, had said that the original photograph was taken around 1929 by a local woman named Alma Richardson. According to Don Birch, another member of the Stevens County Historical Society, the photograph was taken to the Statesman-Examiner in the early 1970s for publication. The photograph was later enlarged and hung in the publisher’s office until the newspaper was sold, and was then donated to the museum, according to Birch. 

The photograph now hangs in the museum entrance, and is still used to commence the society’s presentations; Birch said that, although there are several photographs of the falls located in the museum, attention remains focused on this one in particular. 

The photograph of the falls “connects us to the past,” stated Birch. According to Stevens County Historical Society members, Kettle Falls was a gathering place for over 10,000 years, with indigenous tribes coming from near and far to meet there. In more recent times, this holds true. Birch said that the only time the Falls has been entirely visible since Grand Coulee Dam was built (completed in 1942) was in 1974, when the third generating plant was installed at Grand Coulee Dam; thousands of visitors came to see the Falls following this event. 

Birch added that the Vinson Fund helped to fund the mural. JLord was chosen as the artist by the Stevens County Historical Society after they saw her work and completed an interview, according to Historical Society members. Lord said she gave herself two months to complete the mural from start to finish. According to Lord, much of the process went into ensuring that the mural was as accurate as possible, stating that, not only is the location of the original photograph no longer visible due to the dam, but the original photograph is in black and white and the mural is in full color. Lord said, “As an artist, it is an honor to be awarded a Vinson Fund and it is a great joy to be a part of Stevens County history in the making.” Because of the large amount of local history behind the mural, Lord said she finds the process and the mural important to her. She worked on the mural at her parents’ barn in Northport with the help of her husband, Josh. They installed nine panels, totalling 12 x 24 square feet on a wall they built for the project. After the mural is completed, they will bring it to the Stevens County Historical Society to be installed and displayed. 

Admission to the museum will be free the day of the unveiling, according to Birch, and there will be refreshments available. For more information, call the Stevens County Historical Society at 509-684-5968.