Welcome Center dedicated at museum site
Published on Wed, Aug 25, 2010 by Sarah Arney - Special To The OutlookRead More Local News
A monument to the Stillaguamish Valley's past and to the future of the watershed has been carved into cedar and placed under a magnificent shelter at Pioneer Park in Arlington.
The Welcome Center was dedicated by the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association with members of the Stillaguamish Tribe for a crowd of 50-60 supporters before the 98th annual Pioneer Picnic Aug. 15.
The three-dimensional mural was a brainstorm of Shirley and Dick Prouty, members and former officers of the SVPA. They saw a similar mural of the Methow Valley in Winthrop more than four years ago. They approached the board of the SVPA, proposing the mural for Pioneer Park, the location of the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum and Pioneer Hall.
While SVPA did not want to be financially responsible, they agreed to host the monument.
Enter Michelle and Steve Heiderer. Michelle Heiderer is an avid genealogist and member of the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogy Society. Steve Heiderer is a retired architectural draftsman. He sketched a concept of the shelter, later completing the plans and construction with help from Mike Jones of Snohomish. Michelle began searching key locations in the valley 100 years ago. From Stillaguamish tribal settlement sites to dairy farms and lumber and shake mills, the plan was to capture activities in the watershed in 1910.
Shirley Prouty pursued fundraising with help in grant writing from Michelle Heiderer and Myrtle Raucsh, president of SVPA.
With initial funds from the city of Arlington's Community Pride Fund and a lodging tax grant for tourism, additional donations from the Stillaguamish Tribe, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad, M.J. Murdock Charitable Foundation Trust, Norcliffe Foundation, Pemco Insurance Company, Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission and the Tulalip Tribes came in over a four-year period. Many individuals also contributed to the project.
When the Stillaguamish Tribe climbed aboard, providing funds and assistance from cultural resource officer Lora Pennington in providing tribal information, tribal officials introduced Jewell James. The Lummi carver who delivered healing poles to Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania to honor those lost on Sept. 11, 2001, James was hired to carve the support posts for the shelter. He carved a man and a woman for the two welcome poles at the front of the shelter, a mermaid, and many fish, one on each post surrounding the shelter.
"It's a neat project, partnering with the pioneers," James said after the ribbon cutting, explaining that his whole family helped.
The artist who inspired the initial project, Bruce Morrison of Twisp, was hired to carve the map.
Shawn Yanity, chairman of the Stilaguamish Tribe and chair of the tribe's natural resources department, introduced his family members to the crowd without a microphone, he said, because the message was from his heart. He led his family in singing the traditional salmon song in honor of the project.
"Salmon are very important to us," he said. "They feed our people, and have fed the settlers, too."
The Welcome Center is strategically located directly across 67th Avenue from the Centennial Trail. It is sure to be a popular stop for cyclists arriving in Arlington from the south once two gaps are completed.
Following the dedication, the pioneers and special guests returned inside Pioneer Hall for a potluck meal and SVPA annual meeting, where Helen Starr was honored as oldest living pioneer. She played "God Bless America" on piano for the program. Bill Blake provided an update on city activities on behalf of Mayor Margaret Larson, and the membership approved the proposed slate of officers for the year ahead, all incumbents.
The Welcome Center was dedicated by the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association with members of the Stillaguamish Tribe for a crowd of 50-60 supporters before the 98th annual Pioneer Picnic Aug. 15.
The three-dimensional mural was a brainstorm of Shirley and Dick Prouty, members and former officers of the SVPA. They saw a similar mural of the Methow Valley in Winthrop more than four years ago. They approached the board of the SVPA, proposing the mural for Pioneer Park, the location of the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Museum and Pioneer Hall.
While SVPA did not want to be financially responsible, they agreed to host the monument.
Enter Michelle and Steve Heiderer. Michelle Heiderer is an avid genealogist and member of the Stillaguamish Valley Genealogy Society. Steve Heiderer is a retired architectural draftsman. He sketched a concept of the shelter, later completing the plans and construction with help from Mike Jones of Snohomish. Michelle began searching key locations in the valley 100 years ago. From Stillaguamish tribal settlement sites to dairy farms and lumber and shake mills, the plan was to capture activities in the watershed in 1910.
Shirley Prouty pursued fundraising with help in grant writing from Michelle Heiderer and Myrtle Raucsh, president of SVPA.
With initial funds from the city of Arlington's Community Pride Fund and a lodging tax grant for tourism, additional donations from the Stillaguamish Tribe, Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railroad, M.J. Murdock Charitable Foundation Trust, Norcliffe Foundation, Pemco Insurance Company, Snohomish County Historic Preservation Commission and the Tulalip Tribes came in over a four-year period. Many individuals also contributed to the project.
When the Stillaguamish Tribe climbed aboard, providing funds and assistance from cultural resource officer Lora Pennington in providing tribal information, tribal officials introduced Jewell James. The Lummi carver who delivered healing poles to Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania to honor those lost on Sept. 11, 2001, James was hired to carve the support posts for the shelter. He carved a man and a woman for the two welcome poles at the front of the shelter, a mermaid, and many fish, one on each post surrounding the shelter.
"It's a neat project, partnering with the pioneers," James said after the ribbon cutting, explaining that his whole family helped.
The artist who inspired the initial project, Bruce Morrison of Twisp, was hired to carve the map.
Shawn Yanity, chairman of the Stilaguamish Tribe and chair of the tribe's natural resources department, introduced his family members to the crowd without a microphone, he said, because the message was from his heart. He led his family in singing the traditional salmon song in honor of the project.
"Salmon are very important to us," he said. "They feed our people, and have fed the settlers, too."
The Welcome Center is strategically located directly across 67th Avenue from the Centennial Trail. It is sure to be a popular stop for cyclists arriving in Arlington from the south once two gaps are completed.
Following the dedication, the pioneers and special guests returned inside Pioneer Hall for a potluck meal and SVPA annual meeting, where Helen Starr was honored as oldest living pioneer. She played "God Bless America" on piano for the program. Bill Blake provided an update on city activities on behalf of Mayor Margaret Larson, and the membership approved the proposed slate of officers for the year ahead, all incumbents.
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