Thursday, March 28, 2024

Upper Valley Museum Hosts Historical Walking Tour

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To say that lifelong Leavenworth residents and Upper Valley Museum volunteers Bob Stroup and Bobbi Ferg are area experts would be the understatement of the year, fanatics, in the most respectable sense of the word, or gatekeepers would be more appropriate terms. The Upper Valley Museum and it's dedicated members hosted a historical walking tour through Leavenworth at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, with a proceeding pancake breakfast hosted by the Lion's Club. The enthusiasm the hosts have for the town is evident from the second they greet you with warm, friendly smiles and thoughtful handshakes.

                  The day was perfect for the walking tour that was to last about two hours. Crossing Highway 2 from Lion's Club Park, the group was shown how tied to the community our guides Bob and Bobbi are as they showed us the brick foundation that was a gift to the town from their graduating class of 1959 with each of their names immortalized into individual bricks. On the other side of the highway the group was shown laminated photos of what the very same spot we were standing in looked like in the late 1800's when it was a seven-track wide railway thoroughfare. One could not help but imagine what it must have been like standing in this spot 120 plus years prior watching the hustle and bustle go by.

                  Though we would stop in numerous places over the course of the tour, a definite highlight was visiting the Grange building to be greeted by long time member Mrs. Shirley Ward. As we were introduced it was pointed out that Mrs. Ward has been a Grange member for just over 70 years. Being involved with anything that long is an accomplishment, but what is so special about Mrs. Ward is her ability to remember events and people long past.

                  The current Grange building was the home of the original Great Northern Depot, the hub of all the activity of the Great Northern Railway. Our guides showed us a photo of what the building looked like all those years ago, with it's wood facade and background free of the crowds of curious tourists of today. The building was moved to it's current spot decades ago and is now adorned with a charming Bavarian-themed facade and is virtually unrecognizable from the simple adornment-free structure in the picture.

                  While seated in the Grange building Bob, Bobbi and Mrs. Ward regaled the group with a multitude of stories about the history of the town, the railroad and the Grange itself. From the harrowing account of the Great Northern Railway disaster of 1910 in which 100 souls lost their lives, to tales of massive amounts of lumber being transported over the river from the lumber mill on Blackbird Island (then the largest lumber mill in the world). We were told about the impressive history of Ski Hill and it's past as the premier ski jump destination in the world. The tenacity of the women of the Grange who had the forethought to preserve the Grange building, originally leasing it for the whopping price of $50 a year was a point that all three of the guides made sure to highlight as without them, the very building we were sitting in would have been long gone. 

                  While still in the Grange building we were told how entrepreneur James J. Hill was a key figure in the formation of the town. Ranking amongst the wealthiest men in America at the time, Hill founded the Great Northern Railway which was the only privately owned railroad in the world. The formation of the railway created job opportunities for people from all over the world, including Chinese workers who were banned from working for other railroads. As the story goes with all areas that are flushed with a sudden influx of workers, there will inevitably be a sudden influx of establishments more than happy to help them spend their wages. At one point Leavenworth was home to 13 taverns, it's hard to believe a town of this size could have so many, but at the time there were no bowling alleys, no television, no internet, so the throngs of workers would simply visit these establishments to wash their boredom away. Not to be outdone by the taverns, Leavenworth had it's share of "houses of ill-repute." The ladies would simply allow themselves be seen on the numerous balconies around town, even sunbathing on a giant rock in town as a form of "advertisement." 

                  The tour would stop along a number of other points of interest in town and and photos were shown of what each spot looked like 100, 80, 50 years prior. Our guides Bob and Bobbi had photographic memories of what each building housed when they were growing up, often including the names of the people who owned them! 

                  Our final stop was the Leavenworth Festhalle. This extremely impressive building is the hub of many varied activities in the community, including the Leavenworth Roller Derby. Though the hall was closed at the time, our guides arranged for a private tour ahead of time. The first thing you do as you enter the hall is look up, it's much more grand than it looks from the outside and one can see why it's so popular as a host for weddings, corporate and a number other types of events. On the wall of the front hall hangs a lovely handcrafted quilt, sewn by local townswomen. The quilt serves as a record of the history of the town, from it's very inception, to the importance of the role of the fruit industry, to the development of the Ski Hill theatre. It was here that Bob made sure to highlight the importance of women to the development of the town. It was women who after the railroad left town and the mill was shut down, bought many of the ten abandoned buildings. It was women of the Grange; like Mrs. Shirley Ward, who worked tirelessly to preserve the Grange building and continue their work as storytellers keeping the history of Leavenworth alive for future generations. 

                  This tour was an extremely informative delight that visitors and residents will find enjoyable and a great way to spend a Saturday. The Upper Valley Museum sponsors this historical walking tour again on September 14 and a special railroad and mill tour on October 12. A five-dollar donation is suggested. For more information call (509) 548-0728 or visit uppervalleymuseum.com.

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