The year 2015 marked the 25th anniversary of the opening of the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River. It also marks an important anniversary for JoAnn Wetherington, a Green River local who has worked at the museum for each of those 25 years.
Wetherington’s parents moved to Green River when she was a child. Soon after, her father enlisted in the Navy, seeing action at Okinawa. When he returned to Green River, he bought a bowling alley and skating rink that he and his wife (Wetherington’s mother) turned into Ray’s Tavern-the popular burger and beer joint known to any Green River visitor.
Wetherington raised her own family in Green River, including her grandson Dakota. She worked just about every job thinkable in such a small town, including five years at the Green River Launch Complex and as a clerk for the city. It was while she was at the city that the museum opened and needed extra help. So Wetherington began working part-time managing the gift shop. She eventually began work full-time at the museum, and became the point of contact for anyone looking for information about local attractions or directions.
When Wetherington first started working in the information center, she was nervous about her knowledge and ability to communicate with out-of-towners, but she self-taught herself to the point of feeling very comfortable doing it. “I love it when visitors come back to say, ‘We just had to tell you that you gave us exactly the right directions’,” she says. Wetherington loves talking to people and learning about visitors’ lives. Wetherington says, “I’ve met some people from working here that are still my friends. Some are from different countries, and they’ll come back and say, ‘we’re here JoAnn! We’ve come back to see you!’ And I like that.”
Wetherington calls the museum “a jewel in the desert,” and recounts how many visitors are often impressed by how such a great museum exists in such a small town: “People say it’s the nicest museum they’ve seen all over the western states.” Wetherington’s favorite part of the museum is the 20 minute film narrating John Wesley Powell’s explorations down the river. But her experience with customers over the years has proven that visitors love everything about the museum, including the gift shop and information center.
Wetherington jokes that she has been “grandfathered-in” to working at the museum-that they’ll never be able to get rid of her. When she does decide to retire, the museum will lose a true treasure. Until then, stop by the John Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River and say hello to JoAnn Wetherington. She’ll be glad to see you.
Visit jwprhm.com for more information on the museum.
John Wesley Powell River History museum celebrates 25 years
"A depiction of John Wesley Powell."