The August Kemmerich cousins
who toured Rasar St. Park on May 18, 2002, had time to visit some of the other
towns and scenic areas in the upper Skagit Valley.
We
stayed in Concrete, about five miles east of Birdsview, at the North Cascades
Inn. Besides comfortable rooms and good food, the Inn has an amazing collection
of antique tools, reflecting the logging and farming heritage of the Valley.
North
Cascades Inn and Restaurant
Concrete, WA
photo
by Joe Napier
One
thing we quickly discovered--you will not go hungry in the Skagit Valley! Everywhere
we ate, the food was tasty and the portions were huge. When I "complained"
about the size of the portions, one waitress responded, "Well, we're used
to feeding loggers up here, you know!"
The "urban center" of Birdsview is probably much smaller than it would have been in the early decades
of the 20th century. Once the home of a federal fish hatchery, and a sawmill,
it was always between the larger commercial centers of Hamilton to the west and
Concrete to the east.
Birdsview
was awarded a post office in 1881, but has now relinquished it. The Skagit
County Visitors Guide says:
But
what it lacks in quantity, downtown Birdsview makes up in quality, because it
is the home of the "Birdsview Burger." And, you can wash down that tasty
burger with an old-fashioned milkshake--even hazelnut flavor if you like (and
yes, we liked!).
The
Skagit County Visitors Guide describes
Concrete as "a unique and historic
community." It definitely meets that description! The Superior Portland Cement
Plant in Concrete was once the largest in the state and produced more than 40
per cent of the cement used to build Grand Coulee Dam, and also provided the basic
material for local dam projects, including the Baker River dam and the two dams
on the upper Skagit, Diablo Lake and Ross Lake.
These
huge empty cement silos still
stand guard at the entrance
to the town
photo
by Joe Napier
The
town also became a living advertisement for concrete--when fire destroyed the
first wooden buildings, the replacement buildings were all--yes!--concrete. Some
have disguised the basic building material with a facing of wood shakes, or bricks,
but if you look carefully, behind every facade you can see concrete.
Main
Street, Concrete, WA
The
Concrete Theater , built in 1923.
Now
restored, and used for little theater productions.
On the Washington Historical
Register.
photo
by Joe Napier
Mural
on the Concrete Police Station
photo
by Joe Napier
Close-up,
the mural gives a good picture of the setting
of Concrete, with high Cascade
peaks to the north, east, and
south.
The
highway to Baker Lake winds through forest for some 25 miles.
Mt. Baker and
Mt. Shuksan are just beyond the lake.
More
history resides in St. Catherine's Catholic Church, situated on a little rise
at the west end of the town. Built in 1912, it has lots of company. We counted
at least five other churches in this town of less than 780 people.
photo
by Joe Napier
photo
by Joe Napier
The
former Concrete junior high school held memories for
Pat Napier--who graduated
from the school.
The present owner had grandiose ideas for the building--adding
castle-like turrets on some corners. But funds apparently ran out, and the building
stands, empty and unfinished.
photo
by Joe Napier
Pat
Napier at former Concrete Junior High School.
May 18, 2002
photo
by Joe Napier
The
Napier family visiting the Concrete Library
Pat's former schoolmate,
Lois Thompson, is a librarian at the library.
L-R: Joe, Roa, Mark and Pat
Napier with Lois Thompson
photo
by Joe Napier
The
Concrete Library is respository for the archived copies of
the Concrete
Herald newspaper. The weekly paper is
no longer published.
photo
by Joe Napier
After
touring Rasar St. Park there was time for some car-exploring, following the Skagit
River farther east.
A
few miles east of Concrete is the small community of Rockport with an outstanding
county park, the "Howard Miller Steelhead Park."
Within
the park is RV camping space, a boat ramp and some historical exhibits.
Pioneer
Log Cabin
photo by Joe Napier
One
of the many ferries that once plied the Skagit River is permanently moored at
Howard Miller Park.
photo
by Joe Napier
A
cedar dugout canoe is protected from the elements.
photo
by Joe Napier
Even
farther up the Skagit River, the Cascade River joins the Skagit at the hamlet
of Marblemount--last vestige of civilization before Highway 20 enters the mountains
and North Cascades National Park.
Cascade
River near end of road
A
forest road follows the Cascade River deep into the mountains, ending up at the
trailhead for Cascade Pass, an old Indian trail leading through the mountains
to Lake Chelan.
Scenery
near Cascade Pass trailhead
----Barbara
Halliday, October, 2002
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
To
read about the August Kemmerich descendants "walk through time" at Rasar
St. Park, click on:
Rasar
State Park Tour - May 2002
For
a story about the first white settlers who crossed Cascade Pass, click on:
Cascade
Pass Adventure 1877
Two
other excellent websites for Skagit Valley history are:
The
Skagit Journal, edited
by Noel Bourasaw.
Noel is a longtime resident of Sedro-Woolley and his website
encompasses the entire Skagit Valley area.
Dan Royal's Stump Ranch. Dan is
a descendant of the Boyd family--early pioneers in Birdsview.
Dan lives in
Birdsview and is concentrating on the historical heritage of this section of the
upper Skagit Valley.
Unless
otherwise noted, text and photos are the property of
Glenn and Barbara Halliday, © 2002