Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and that applies to many of the acquisition stories connected to the collections at Fort Walla Walla Museum. Join James Payne as he recalls some of the most improbable circumstances that have led the Museum's most treasured artifacts to their current home here at the Museum. He will touch on the acquisition of the Lloyd Collection, the chance phone call from Hawaii that led to the Bill Mach Collection, the story of Almira Quinn's local history and WWII connection, and an inventory sheet from the old fort that happened to match up with items found during an archaeological excavation.

While seeing an artifact in a glass case is exciting, hearing the story behind it--not just what it was used for, but the circumstances for its arrival, is what makes the Museum worth its weight in gold.