Fundraiser helps Julia Butler Hansen home

Last Saturday, Cathlamet's historic Julia Butler Hansen Home hosted its first open house with a fundraising ice-cream and pie social. The event was put on by the Friends of Julia Butler Hansen (FJBH), a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation "dedicated to the preservation and restoration of the Julia Butler Hansen house and all its historic contents and garden." Another function of FJBH, according to President Frank Corbin, is "to share the legacy of this incredible family," especially Julia Butler Hansen herself. "Julia was a remarkable woman, and her life demonstrated her family's firm belief that we should all give back," said Corbin. "She served at a time when women in politics and public service was a rarity, and she truly blazed trails for women that many women today may not even know about and even take for granted."

Also on hand for the event was Washington State Senator Jeff Wilson, who lives 19 minutes from the famed Hansen home. "She was and always will be somebody that we will need to utilize as the right way to do things," said Wilson of Julia Butler Hansen. "Success in politics matters. She not only blazed the trails to success, she practiced it and preached it. Years later, we're following in her footsteps. That's a blessing because there's one of her, one of these houses, one of these communities, but this little old place - this little old community- had such implications statewide, across the river, and politics bridging gaps. She may be one of those original gap bridgers."

Cathlamet Mayor David Olson, who was also in attendance for the event, noted Hansen's uncle Donald was the first traffic fatality in Wahkiakum County in 1917. "She learned all about traffic safety from those early days," said Olson. "She was all about roads, infrastructure, all of those things. Her mother, Maude Kimball Butler, was an educator. [She was the] superintendent of Wahkiakum schools, so she came from a background of strong women."

Washington State Representative Joel McEntire, who grew up in Cathlamet, had his first job interview in the backyard of the Julia Butler Hansen home. " My first day on the job was here, and the entire day was learning about the history of Julia Butler Hansen," said McEntire, who eventually returned to Cathlamet to "take a stab at running for the House of Representatives." As the famed congresswoman's life ended six months before he was even born, McEntire read her biography and "saw several parallels" between the way he and Julia Butler Hansen saw the world. "I felt a friendship and a kinship with someone whom I never got to meet in person," said McEntire. "I read her history and I said, 'What an incredible person.' If I ever live to do half of what she did, I'll consider myself a success."

On hand during the fundraiser was Julia Butler Hansen's son, David, who gave tours of the house in which he grew up. Considering his mother was sub-committee chairperson over House Appropriations from 1967 to 1975, as well as part of the Legislature for 21 years, David said his mother "broke the glass ceiling" as a woman. "There were very few women members of Congress when she went to Congress in 1960," said David. "She had a love of history and she always taught service. That was very important. Even though she was very tough because she had to deal with men, she was very gracious and very loving in her own way...She was very strict. I got many lectures, but she said that builds character." David also attributed his love of reading to his mother, who encouraged it greatly. Growing up, David would fall asleep reading with the sound of the rain outside his bedroom.

The open house was held to help raise the $5,000 FJBH needs to provide insurance on the house so the State will release the $115,000 grant money the Washington Legislature approved FJBH for last session according to Corbin. The event raised over $2,100 to go towards the FJBH goal of $5,000. Thanking all involved, Corbin said, "No doubt Julia is applauding Saturday’s event and is cheering us on with our vision and goals."