Greater Kent Historical Society and Museum 25th Anniversary of Cultivating Kent’s History
By Cheri Sayer In December 2018, the Greater Kent Historical Society (GKHS) will proudly mark their 25th anniversary! There had been an “Old-Timers” group in Kent, WA, for many years, and it is still going strong with an annual awards event. During a meeting in 1992, Rae Reitan, a native of Kent and the City Historian, suggested that Kent should have a legitimate Historical Society. The idea was adopted, a committee was formed, and a campaign was held to collect artifacts and information about Kent and the surrounding area. The Greater Kent Historical Society was formed and incorporated as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. The next year a space at 209 W. Meeker in historic downtown Kent became the temporary home of the society and it’s collection for the next five years. I remember well my visits to that small space with it’s artifacts and excellent exhibits. Interest in a larger space eventually settled on the historic Bereiter home on Smith...