Lewis County Historical Museum Is Calling for Stories of the Weird

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A new exhibit, “Lewis County Mythology,” may turn locals into storytellers for a day.

The Lewis County Historical Museum is set to host the mythology exhibit on April 28 from noon until 4 p.m. There are currently four speakers scheduled for the event, but Museum Director Jason Mattson said more people with stories of the strange and unusual are welcome to join.

“The event is kind of dealing with Bigfoot sightings, UFO sightings, paranormal activity and things we’re going to investigate in Lewis County,” Mattson said.

Speakers include Cliff Barackman from Finding Bigfoot on Animal Planet; Scott Taylor, who is a member of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization as well as a Sasquatch researcher; Patty Valdez, who is the team lead for South Sound Paranormal Research; and Vince Yzunza, who hosts Pacific NorthWEIRD.

“If there are people who have experiences that would be relevant to the exhibit, I would definitely be willing to hear them out,” Mattson said. “If they had witnessed any strange activity — UFOs, Bigfoot — I would definitely be willing to listen to them.”



Mattson prefers people use their names when sharing personal stories of the paranormal, but understands if attendees feel hesitant. 

“I think if they’re apprehensive about it, if they feel shy or embarrassed, I would be happy to keep them anonymous,” Mattson said. “But I think it adds to local lore history [when people use their name]. I encourage people to come forward if they feel comfortable.”

Mattson said if the event goes over well, he would like to make it an annual function. Tickets are available on brownpapertickets.com. There is also a link on the Lewis County Historical Museum’s Facebook page.

The Lewis County Historical Museum is located at 599 NW Front St. in Chehalis. The telephone number is 360-748-0831. Learn more at www.lewiscountymuseum.org.