I love the logo for the Mount Vernon Downtown Association. In a single cheery image it captures several iconic visuals that make our fair city instantly recognizable. Under the gaze of Komo Kulshan (aka, Mount Baker) there’s the Lincoln Theatre (whose sign was fabricated and installed by Meyer Sign, thank you very much), the Division Street Bridge spanning the mighty Skagit River, and what is arguably the most visible tribute to an agricultural mainstay of the Skagit Valley and the object of an annual festival: the “Tulip Tower.” 

The origins of the Tulip Tower precede the flower bulb industry in the Skagit Valley, going back to the construction of the Pacific Coast Condensed Milk Company in 1906. The creation of the massive condensery plant was the result of some aggressive campaigning and negotiating on the part of the Mount Vernon Commercial Club (a predecessor of the chamber of commerce). It’s site, visible today at the intersection of First and Division Streets, was strategically placed, being accessible by wagon, riverboat, and railroad.

In the earliest photo of the plant that I’ve seen, there’s no trace of a smokestack. This was added following its purchase in 1907 by the Carnation Company of Seattle. Under the guidance of E.A. Stuart, a pioneer in the processing, evaporation, and canning of milk, the Carnation plant along with other milk processing and condensing facilities in the area contributed substantially to Mount Vernon’s economy.

In 1987 two red tulips were painted on the stack, based on a design by Esther McLatchy that was chosen by a panel of local judges. The design earned the landmark the moniker of “Tulip Tower” and secured it a coveted placement on the Mount Vernon Downtown Association logo. By 2007, however, the deterioration of the upper part of the structure had created a sufficient public safety hazard to cause its then owners, the Potin Revocable Trust of Blaine, to consider either its demolition or cropping the top 30 feet of the former smokestack. Thankfully, they chose the latter option — but with the resulting loss of the original painted tulips. 

However, the trust agreed to let the city and locals help brainstorm ideas to rejuvenate the tower’s appearance, and a tulip motif was chosen to once again grace the landmark. Months of planning, donations and volunteers came together to give the 90-foot iconic landmark a new painted tulip design, reflecting the city’s best-known commodity.  In keeping with history, Esther McLatchy once again submitted a tulip design following the completion of some structural work on the tower. 

The Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Board of Directors officially approved the proposal (“It had to have a tulip on it,” said Skagit Valley Tulip Festival executive director Cindy Verge), and helped McLatchy with design and color selection that includes five tulips in various stages of bloom and in red and purple hues, climbing and wrapping around the crown of the tower. Jose Cardona, owner of Cardona & Sons Painting, volunteered much of one weekend to implementing the design, with the aid of a boom truck provided by Birch Equipment.

To appreciate the majesty of Mount Vernon’s “Tower of Tulip Power,” check out this aerial perspective on YouTube!