History

The Museum was built by the Finnish Community in 1933. Used early on as a social hall it later became a dehydrating building for berries shipped overseas to servicemen. The goal was to keep our soldiers morale up during the war when they couldn't be home for Thanksgiving.  

In 1946, Ocean Spray took over the building that now houses the museum and built an additional building to house and dehydrate the cranberries. It continued at the Grayland property until 1950. It now is located in Markham.  

An entrepreneur then purchased the property. Julius Furford was a man with many ideas. The Furford Picker. Invented by Julius in 1957, it is still in production today. The Furford Picker can be found on both the West and East coasts as well as Internationally. Julius passed away in 1999 at the age of 91. He was still inventing and creating new ideas and filed other patents.  

The Cranberry Museum was first opened in 1986 by Julius Furford to store his collection of early cranberry farming tools. The museum closed in 1994 due to poor health.  1999 brought about a new change as David Furford continued the museum for several years. 

In 2011 Gwen Tjernberg reopened the museum and her husband Chuck, restarted the Furford manufacturing of the Furford Picker.  

 2021 brings new changes of ownership once again. A gift shop called the CranZberry is now home inside the museum. The CranZberry offers unique gifts, many made here in the USA. 

2022 will be our first year to manufacture a new picker.

All purchases help keep the lights on and doors open.