The Fox Island
Museum

1017 Ninth Avenue, Fox Island, WA

Hours of Operation

What to see at the Museum

About The Fox Island Museum & Historical Society

The mission of the Fox Island Historical Society is to enrich the greater community through the discovery, preservation, and sharing of knowledge about the history of Fox Island.

There are dioramas, rotating exhibits, displays representing individuals, Native American tribal history, and agricultural machinery. In addition, please visit the research room, museum store, and a large selection of used books for purchase. We also have the Acheson log cabin, built in 1908, open for tours.

Among them is a display describing the life of Dr. Dixy Lee Ray, former Washington State Governor, the largest collection of pulley blocks in the State, artifacts from the old Fox Island Ferry "City of Steilacoom", and several antique gasoline engines and farm equipment pieces in working order.

The Fox Island Historical Society held its first meeting on February 22, 1897, and as of 2014 has held a President's Day potluck every year since, for over 118 consecutive years.  The potluck is held at the Sylvan Chapel because of the historical significance of having been started there. For many years the museum's artifacts were held in private homes and the chapel.

The original Fox Island Museum started in the late 1800's at the Sylvan Chapel, on Echo Bay.

The Historical Society was reactivated in 1959 and opened the first Museum in the Nichols Community Center in 1959, using one of the school rooms for it's exhibit and holding space.

This phase of the museum's history was organized and kept going by Cecil Fassett, who was the father of Lois Miller, wife of island historian George Miller.  Cecil died in 1973 and before he died, George promised him that he would carry on the work that Cecil began.  Cecil was instrumental in finding most of the Island related exhibits seen presently.

In 1979; George and Lois Miller bought the property on the corner of Ninth and Kamus for the proposed location of the Museum. The fire department at that time was looking to move their location to more central area on high ground.  They acquired the lot where the museum now stands; and with a swap of the Miller property for theirs, the current museum site was born.  It was moved from the garage next to the Nichols Center (the old Fire Station) to its present location.

The present Museum building opened in 1980.  The construction of the new Museum started with many donations from Fox Island residents.  Most of them solicited through the great arm twisting of George Miller and many other generous Islanders such as Lila Acheson Wallace of Readers Digest fame.

Subsequent expansion projects culminated in 2001 with the completion of the north wing, which was built from prefabricated wood and foam panels.  See photos of this project below.