My personal tour of Centralia-Chehalis
I had the opportunity to take a private tour of the towns of Centralia and Chehalis today. My friend and former co-worker, Jim Valley (now the Executive Director of the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce), agreed to meet me for lunch so I could pick his brain about a few ideas I’ve had.
After lunch at Azteca (where we ran into Rep. Richard DeBolt, Washington State House Minority Leader), Jim showed me a few of the finer (and lesser) points in the two towns.
Just outside Azteca in old Centralia stands a small, black marble monument. It sits in the shade, under a few trees and about a block from the town’s historic train depot. The monument is about the size of a postal drop-box, and could easily be mistaken for some sort of kiosk from just a few feet away. However, on the face of this marble marker is a plaque stating that on this spot (sometime in the mid-90’s), then-President and Vice-President Bill Clinton and Al Gore, and their wives, stood on the corner in Centralia and greeted the townspeople. I’m sure it was during their campaign for reelection, but given the areas political leanings, it’s surprising such a monument exists. Jim told me that several townspeople have jokingly suggested that the monument should have been a blue dress, or perhaps something cigar-shaped. But I suppose that’s to be expected.
We drove down Mellen Street, where I caught a glimpse of the Mellen Street bridge. Now anyone walking or driving across the bridge may have no idea what events took place on it nearly a century ago. But yours truly has read the Wikipedia article which explains why the bridge is solidified in Washington State history. The article is a fascinating read about the Centralia Massacre, but I’ll give you the ending in case you don’t want to take the time. A local union leader some say was responsible for the riot and deaths of several men the day prior, Wesley Everest, was broken out of prison by an angry mob, dragged through the streets, beaten – some say castrated – and hung from the Mellen Street bridge three times before his neck snapped. Trust me, if you enjoy the dark bits of Washington’s history, this is a good read.
As we headed south, we passed Yard Birds, a great expansive building with a truly hideous sculpture out front. Yard Birds is a bit of a local legend in the area. Jim described it as “Wal-Mart before Wal-Mart.” It was where you could go in the 70’s and 80’s when you needed to get clothes, food, furniture, auto parts, and just about anything else. Those who grew up in the area – like Jim – have fond memories of going there as a child. Originally owned by a local family, it was eventually sold to an outside party, then resold to its employees who were unable to remain financially solvent after a series of devastating floods to the area. When the original family owners sold it the first time, it apparently caused a bit of a rift in that family and some of them founded another store just down the road…Sunbird. Very similar in appearance and size, Sunbird is still in business and sells outdoor and work equipment, clothing and supplies.
Upon entering Chehalis from Centralia, I was greeted with the smell of mint in the air. Jim pointed out a large industrial building with railroad tracks running through the property and told me that it is one of the areas largest suppliers of mint oil in the country. The smell was quite appealing, like fresh spearmint gum, and was detectable in the air for nearly half a mile in all directions. However Jim pointed out that people who work there don’t even smell it anymore because they are so used to it, and outsiders coming into the building for extended periods of time can become overwhelmed with the powerful smell.
The Chehalis Farmer’s Market was pretty good-sized for being in a rather small town. Lots of homemade crafts, fruits and vegetables and other things…the typical sundries you’d find at a street market. Old Chehalis was another series of historic streets, and Jim pointed out some of the better places to grab a pizza, buy antiques, have a nice meal, or not watch a movie (the old theater, while a historic marker on the old street, is no longer in operation).
After that, it was back to the chamber office where we said our goodbyes…but it was a very nice drive through a part of Washington I’ll admit I’m not that familiar with. At least, not anymore.
Enjoyed your blog entry!