In 1982, the Ilwaco Telephone Utility Company was acquired by Pacific Telecom. Most of the local employees were relocated to Vancouver, WA and the building was deeded to the City of Ilwaco.

Today’s Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum began with brainstorming sessions headed by City Council member Noreen Robinson over breakfast at Red’s Café in Ilwaco. A few persistent phone calls to the Smithsonian Institution were made by Noreen. They led her to get an intern from the University of Washington museum studies program, who traveled to Ilwaco to instruct the fledgling museum’s all-volunteer staff in the basics of museum management.

In the early days, Noreen literally ran the museum finances out of her purse. When there wasn’t enough money to do what needed to be done, she paid for it herself. She bought tables and chairs. She bought adjoining property. She bought all kinds of things. But, not insignificantly, she also bought a hot dog cart. Noreen sold hot dogs at high school sports events and town gatherings – wherever there might be an opportunity to raise a few dollars. Never shy about poking a little fun at propriety, she delighted in calling the cart her “wiener wagon.” Her persistence, sense of humor and community spirit served the Museum well.

Today, the Museum is a thriving institution with a collection of over 23,000 artifacts, photos, historic objects. The original building was remodeled in 1990 with later additions of the collections building, the IR&N freight depot, the passenger car NAHCOTTA, and the Discovery Garden. The museum can now also boast of producing an annual schedule of 4-5 special exhibitions and numerous special events focused on heritage programming and community building.