Maybe you’re too young to remember the expression, “What in the Sam Hill?” (it pretty much means “what in the heck?” only not heck). I always thought it was inspired by the Sam Hill who made a fortune in the mercantile business, and was a “good roads” advocate (and the son-in-law of railroad magnate, James Hill)  but evidently it was in use well before Sam was even a gleam in his father’s eye.

Photo courtesy of HistoryLink.org

I thought I’d give a shout-out to Sam today, seeing as he was a Northwest boy, of sorts. His plan to build a Quaker community in southwest Washington state never panned out, but the stunning mansion he built in Maryhill was turned into a wonderful art museum, with help from a few of his friends.

Today is Sam’s birthday and the anniversary of the opening of the Maryhill Museum. If you’re ever in the Columbia Gorge region, I’d highly recommend you check it out!