Greater Kent Historical Society and Museum 25th Anniversary of Cultivating Kent’s History
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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...