Governor's Heritage Award - Carlton Appelo

Carlton Appelo of Deep River is an extraordinary community historian of the lower Columbia River region. The son of immigrants from Finland, Appelo has spent the last three decades documenting and writing about the history and cultural events of his native Wahkiakum County and the surrounding area. Appelo is highly regarded by historians, folklorists, and museum professionals on both sides of the Columbia, across the country; and in Finland, as a significant historian and scholar of southwestern Washington and of Finnish immigrants in the Northwest. Appelo is a community leader and community builder. Appelo shared this history to a broad audience and fostered local identity and pride through publishing history chapters in the telephone directories of Wahkiakum West Telco. In addition to his scholarly contribution, Carlton Appelo generously shares his time and information.