A new exhibit opens at the Historic Port of Washington museum this weekend — one that takes a closer look at life in Washington in the early 20^th century.

“Lifestyles” of Washington, C. 1900–1915 “A Prosperous Metropolis” Exhibit opens Sunday at HPOW’s South Market Street space. The exhibit is an expansion of the museum that has until now mainly focused on the maritime history of Washington, according to Billie Mallison, a volunteer with HPOW.

“We have our boats and our steam engines, and we felt we wanted to bring in more of what life was like back then, what people were like, what they were talking about, what the amenities were,” Mallison said.

Mallison and another HPOW volunteer, Pat Vore, scoured local history and collections in the effort to flesh out this era of Washington’s history, unearthing fascinating facts, ranging from the who received the first speeding ticket issued in town to a how a local doctor miraculously cured a case of lockjaw, according to Mallison.

“We found out a lot of interesting things, important things about Washington, some of which are known and some of which are not known, especially to visitors,” Mallison said. “

The exhibit includes photos, displays and more from a time in which Washington’s Chamber of Commerce touted the town as a “prosperous metropolis” and a place where entrepreneurs flocked after the Civil War. The port town was thriving, with ships bringing silks, cashmere and many other goods sailing from Europe to the Caribbean and ports, including Washington, along the East Coast. Railroads prospered in Washington, transporting those goods.

“Washington became a real wholesale distributorship,” Mallison said. “It was considered very modern at the time.”

The exhibit delves into popular entertainment and trends — the lighter side of life — but also extends to first-hand interviews with families describing life on the farm during the era, as well as the effects of “Jim Crow” laws.

“We really got a range of impressions of what was going on here,” Mallison said.

With a nod to the Crayola crayons in 1903, the museum has also added a children’s room, where young visitors can color and play with wooden toys, much like the ones children played with then.

HPOW’s expansion is part of an ongoing effort to boost interest in and potential sponsorship of the project celebrating Washington’s past that, until more recent decades, was centered on a booming waterfront business.

More exhibits are in the works, including “American Colonial Era and the Port of Washington,” which will debut at a second reception on April 14. At the upcoming Marine Market on the Washington waterfront, a lecture on “The Age of Steam” will be held at the North Carolina Estuarium, complete with a demonstration of a working steam engine.

Sunday’s reception will be held Sunday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. A $2 donation is requested at the reception, but not during normal museum hours. The museum is located at 132 S. Market St.