By Bill Reynolds
La Conner Community News
The Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner received a nice bit of positive financial news last week.
The museum, which faces major county funding cuts going forward, will be the recipient of $4,500 from proceeds of the 122nd annual Pioneer Picnic held here last month.
The board of the Skagit County Pioneer Association, which hosts the Picnic each year on the first Thursday in August at Pioneer Park, voted unanimously during its Sept. 11 meeting to contribute $3,000 to the museum.
The La Conner Civic Garden Club, which serves a barbecued salmon luncheon at the local gathering, had earlier committed $1,500 in support of the museum.
The picnic, in turn, is backed by business and private donors plus attendees who purchase the lunch, the meal ticket for which includes free admission to the museum that weekend.
The county has traditionally provided key financial help to the museum — pitching in about two-fifths of the latter’s budget. But county officials this year have grappled with a projected significant imbalance in their budget, a deficit perhaps approaching $10 million.
To address those budget woes, Skagit County is cutting operational and technology funding for the museum starting in 2027, eliminating around $160,000 in cash and information technology support.
Museum Director Jo Wolfe told Community News reporter Luisa Loi in July, shortly after the forecasted county cuts became public, that the museum would explore new fundraising opportunities and cost-saving measures to retain programs.
That approach is already bearing fruit, she told the Pioneer Association board on Friday.
“We’re really blessed,” she said. “We’re getting a lot of membership renewals and donations, and people are coming up with creative (fundraising) ideas.”
The museum will benefit from a fall fundraiser Nov. 7 (5:30-8 p.m.) at Maple Hall. The event’s theme is “Treasures: Protecting Our Shared History,” and will feature dinner, entertainment, and a live auction.
Having opened in 1968, the museum preserves thousands of artifacts, diaries, documents, and photographs, and welcomes an estimated 5,000 visitors annually.
“We’re responsible for preserving Skagit history for all people all the time. It’s an ongoing tapestry,” Wolfe said.
Friday’s meeting at the museum archives center was convened by 2026-27 Pioneer Association President Don McMoran, the Washington State University Skagit Extension Office director. McMoran introduced the association’s new vice-president, retired Skagit County Superior Court Judge Brian Stiles of Sedro-Woolley.
In the months ahead, McMoran, Stiles, and board members will plan for the 2027 Pioneer Picnic, a La Conner summer tradition set for Aug. 5 and open to the public.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
