The third annual Historic Hoquiam Memories event will take place this Saturday, and it’s become much larger than when it started.

Many years ago, Emerson Manor resident Connie Parson acquired a silver sugar bowl engraved with the name Hotel Emerson — the 1924 building’s original moniker. She had seen an old photo of a silver service on a bar at the hotel, and thought how wonderful it would be if this piece were from that set.

Someone later commented that it was a shame no one had ever compiled a history of the building.

“History had always been a super passion for me,” said Parson. And so began a mission that has lasted seven years so far. She’s spent countless hours reading old files at the library, collecting stories from longtime residents, and amassing quite a collection of artifacts and photos.

People kept asking her to bring her collection of memorabilia downstairs so other residents could browse through it and share memories. “It was a lot of work, and I really didn’t feel like I was the right person to tell the stories, because I’m not from around here,” she said.

So, in 2017, she decided to stage a free public event at Emerson Manor to allow a larger audience to appreciate her collected works — and to invite others to share their stories. She enlisted the aid of Polson Museum Director John Larson, who handled media support and came up with a slideshow display for Historic Hoquiam Memories.

Also participating that first year were the 7th Street Theatre, the Hoquiam Library, the Hoquiam Castle, the Masonic Temple, the Hoquiam Elks and a few others.

“I wanted to do something where people could see their history. I really liked the idea of people having access to the history of the different buildings and the different families of Hoquiam,” she said. “I was anticipating maybe 50, 75 people would show up. We had almost 300.”

She did it again the following year with twice the number of exhibitors, and drew about 500 people.

This year, she’s up to 25 exhibitors. Her proudest new addition is the Museum of the North Beach, which is bringing memorabilia from the George Emerson family — the founders of the hotel.

The Schafer Fiber Arts Guild will be conducting live demonstrations of spinning, weaving, knitting and bobbin lace – showing the old process from raw fiber to yarn to finished product. And the Friends of the Aberdeen Museum will be there to tout the revival of the annual Myrtle Street Dance as a collaboration between the Aberdeen and Hoquiam museums.

This year’s event will be held at the recently renovated Hoquiam Timberland Library (founded in 1911 as the Carnegie Library) because extensive work is being done at Emerson Manor. But given the rate of growth so far, she worries about having enough space in either venue next year.

She also feels like it might be getting too big for one person to handle, so she’s looking for a partner to ensure it will keep going in the future.

“I don’t have a problem doing as much of the work as possible for as long as I am able,” she said. “I just don’t want to see it go away.”

Historic Hoquiam Memories will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Hoquiam Library. Admission is free.

ABOVE: Event organizer Connie Parson holds the silver sugar bowl that started it all. INSET: The engraving on the base of the sugar bowl. LEFT: Some elements of the show were already on display last week at the library. photos by Kat Bryant Grays Harbor News Group

(Kat Bryant | Grays Harbor News Group) This engraving on the sugar bowl’s base piqued Connie Parson’s interest in its history.