June 14 will mark Butler Hansen's 100th birthday

June 7 , 2007

June 14 would be Julia Butler Hansen's 100th birthday.

Her life impacted every Washingtonian who drives state highways, tribal children who attend schools and Washington State counties who depend on timber trusts for income. Her commitment to highway safety was evident in national highway construction on the Interstates used today. Her commitment to supporting young people is seen in the lives of many leaders in the state today.

One young person she brought to work with her in Washington D.C., Tom Doumit, now serves as a Wahkiakum County Commissioner. Like many other young people she brought to the national capital to work in her office, Doumit benefited from her support and interest.

Butler Hansen was first elected to the Cathlamet Town Council in 1937, then to the State Legislature in 1938. From 1960 to the end of 1974, she served in Congress, becoming a powerful and productive representative of the people of Washington State. She was considered one of the most knowledgeable experts on state and federal highways, so after her retirement, Governor Dan Evans asked her to serve on the Washington State Transportation Commission. She served there as chair until 1981. After 44 years of elected life, she died in 1988 in Cathlamet.

Her historic home has been in her family since 1885 when her grandparents purchased it so they could move from the Elochoman Valley into the town of Cathlamet to make sure their young daughter, Maude, was able to attend school. That family home is now the Julia Butler Hansen Heritage Center, donated to the Wahkiakum Community Foundation in 2004 by her only child, David Hansen. The historic home, built in the early 1860s, is now open to the public. With her extensive antique collection, the large heritage garden, and the watercolors painted by her mother, Maude Kimball Butler, the home is well worth visiting.

Butler Hansen''s character was shaped by many elements including a strong willed New England grandmother who believed in helping the less fortunate, a mother who stressed education as a primary goal in life, and a father who embodied physical courage.

On Saturday, the fully restored home and garden will be open from 10 am to 5 p.m. for a 100th birthday celebration. David Hansen, retired curator for Fort Vancouver, will be on hand with artifacts from her career not normally seen by the public. The tour cost is $5.

For more information, call (360) 849-4421. To see samples of Maude Kimball Butler's watercolors, visit http://www.wahkiakumfo-undation.org.