Larry Jones to be Honored as Pioneer of the Year
The Polson Museum invites to public to a celebration at the museum's Railroad Camp shop on Sunday, September 7 at 2 p.m. in honoring Larry Jones as our Pioneer of the Year for 2025. Each year since 1980, the Polson Museum has honored long-time members of the Grays Harbor community who have helped shape Harbor history for the better. Through their ties to Grays Harbor’s pioneering families, businesses, schools, and service organizations, the Polson’s “Pioneers” continue to give a human face to the history we Harborites share.
Born in Arizona on a cattle ranch in 1935, Jones has called Grays Harbor home since his family moved to South Aberdeen in 1944. Larry attended Aberdeen schools, graduating in 1952 from AHS and later Grays Harbor College, Western Washington University and finally the University of Oregon for his Masters.
In his youth, Larry worked at some of the Harbor’s most iconic businesses. Larry’s father was a carpenter for the Schafer Bros. Lumber Co. and with that connection, Larry worked at their South Aberdeen mill as well as for the Schafer family members doing carpentry work at their Aberdeen homes, Hood Canal vacation properties and at the Schafer Game Farm in the Satsop River valley. Larry also worked at the Morck Hotel as a bellboy and as a bus boy at the hotel restaurant.
An accomplished athlete, Larry immersed himself in local sports, playing for AHS, Western and for the semi-pro 1952 Industrial Twilight League championship Wagar Lumber baseball team. Larry is especially well known on the Harbor for his forty plus year career with the Hoquiam School District. Starting out as a grade school teacher for a combined five years at Lincoln and Emerson, he ascended to assume the principalships at Lincoln, Emerson and Central Grade Schools. He completed his career as Assistant Superintendent of the district.
Larry’s volunteerism is far reaching, serving over six decades with the Hoquiam Lions and Elks clubs, as a founding committee member of the Loggers Playday Committee as well as on the Polson Museum’s Board of Directors since 2012.
Please join us for an afternoon of community fellowship celebrating Larry Jones as the museum's 46th Pioneer of the Year this September 7. The Polson Museum is located at 1611 Riverside Ave. in Hoquiam. For more information, please call 360-533-5862.
Also check out other Sports events in Hoquiam.
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