The grand opening of the Rich Hobson history museum in Vanderhoof has been moved to June 4th and hoped to be tentatively open to the Vanderhoof public around April 30.
Originally it was hoped the museum would be up and running by April 2nd.
The museum is still under construction in the vacant department store at 2464 Burrard Street that will feature one of Vanderhoof’s most famous residents - writer Rich Hobson.
Hobson published three hugely successful books in the 1950’s and early 1960’s about his experience ranching in the Chilcotin and Vanderhoof areas. The books continue to sell well throughout Canada and the U.S. today. He was also working on getting a major Hollywood movie done before he died in 1966.
The museum, will feature a huge collection of artifacts which trace his family back to the Mayflower and medieval Europe. The collection will include personal possessions, manuscripts, pictures, books and letters among others.
Hobson’s father Rear Admiral Richmond Pearson Hobson Sr. was a U.S. Navy Medal of Honor winner and congressman. He will also be featured heavily in the museum, along with Rich’s mother Grizelda, who moved out to Vanderhoof in 1941, and both of whom are now buried at Arlington National Cemetary.
The museum will be dual-themed, paying homage to both writing and military heroism.
Wayne Deorksen, the Museum Curator says the past few weeks have been spent on sorting, identifying and cataloguing thousands of pictures and articles dating back to the civil war and up to 1966, covering the lives of Admiral Richmond Pearson Hobson, his wife Grizelda Hull Hobson, their son Richmond Junior Hobson and families.
In terms of construction, the gallery partitions have been created and the buildings washrooms are currently under construction. The building of the glass protective display cases is due to begin shortly.
Over 400 horizontal feet of wall space has also been created for digital backdrops.
“Amongst the photos, we have discovered what is probably the largest collection anywhere of Richard Harrington pictures, featuring the ranches of both Pan Phillips and Rich Hobson,” said Deorksen.
“One of the very first ever faxes sent by telephone which includes the picture and accompanying documentation from a senior executive of AT&T.
“You won’t believe the year!” he said.
The Hobson Museum team continue to work on the Navy official documents and photos of the launching and commissioning of the US Naval Destroyer DD-464 USS Hobson.
“The USS Hobson collection awards a rare glimpse into how the Secretary of the Navy and the sponsor of a ship, in this case, Mrs. Grizelda Hobson communicated for the launching ceremonies,” said Deorksen.
The grand opening of the Hobson History Museum is Saturday June 4th at 9am at 2464 Burrard Street, Vanderhoof, BC.
The Museum team can be contacted on (250) 567-3399 or by email at: hobsoncollection@omineca.com.