About the Gresham Historical Society
The Gresham Historical Society (GHS) is a private nonprofit organization that manages a museum and special collections archive located in Historic Downtown Gresham.
Our History
GHS was founded by the Gresham Community Bicentennial Committee in 1976. In 1990, the organization purchased the Gresham Carnegie Library, which now serves as our museum and headquarters. Funded primarily through donations, GHS was run exclusively by volunteers and managed by a volunteer board of directors for the majority of its history.
In 2010, Multnomah County voters passed a 5-year property tax levy to support local history. GHS receives a portion of these funds, which provides for a full-time paid director and improves our ability to achieve our mission and commitment to the local community. In the past 12 years, this has resulted in expanded hours, greater depth and frequency of exhibits, and increased access to the collection for researchers, among many other improvements. Volunteers still carry out certain key functions such as visitor services and collections work.
Our Mission
The Gresham Historical Society is dedicated to providing a center for the collection, preservation, exhibition, and publication of material of historical and cultural importance; to acquiring documents, manuscripts, publications, artifacts, and images; and to promoting knowledge and appreciation of Gresham’s history to the public through educational programs and exhibitions.