Submitted by Laurie Bowman

Northwest Carriage Museum

In late July, the Northwest Carriage Museum in Raymond received a donation with strong local ties: a bicycle once owned by the city’s founder.

The McDowell-Jones family gave the museum a bicycle once owned by Leslie V. Raymond (1874-1961). The family had acquired it from Lillian Weir, who served as executrix of the Raymond estate.

The bicycle is a shaft-driven Columbia Men’s Chainless Model No. 404, made in 1915 by the Pope Manufacturing Co. of Westfield, Massachusetts. The McDowell-Jones family found the bicycle in pieces in the old carriage house and took it to Seattle to be restored.

L.V. Raymond and his wife, Stella, established Raymond in 1907. Both were influential philanthropists, shaping the town in its early days. L.V. was the city’s first postmaster and ran a real estate business and the city’s water system.

Cycling was his favorite hobby. In his younger years, he won prizes at cycling meets and even cycled from Los Angeles to Tijuana to San Diego.

The bicycle is now displayed along with 50 horse-drawn vehicles from the 19th century and other period artifacts at the Northwest Carriage Museum.

The museum at 314 Aldner St. in Raymond is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6 to 18. For more information, visit nwcarriagemuseum.org.