Behind the Sign

Over the many years that I’ve lived in Mount Vernon, I’ve only had one occasion on which to enter the Skagit County Courthouse on Kincaid Street. I did so not because I had any official business to conduct, but because I had read a story by our beloved local historian, Dick Fallis, entitled, Early Day Flag Still “Flies” at Courthouse. As part of our Tales of the Magic Skagit series on downtown Mount Vernon’s historic buildings, I had to see this bit of history dating back to the town’s founding for myself.

Situated beside the Skagit River in one of the most fertile valleys of the Pacific Northwest, it's no surprise that Mount Vernon developed from a small river settlement into the commercial and governmental center of the Magic Skagit. Its history, going back to "time immemorial," encompasses Indigenous peoples, pioneer settlement, logging and agriculture, steamboats and railroads, destructive fires and floods, highway construction, and the continuing effort to preserve both farmland and a historic downtown identity. Through all of these changes, the Skagit River (the largest river flowing into Puget Sound) has remained Mount Vernon’s most defining feature.

Next month I’ll be observing my 75th orbit around the sun. Having reached the three-quarters of a century mark, I’ve been a bonafide witness to the truth of the adage “What is old becomes new again.” While I certainly can’t apply that bit of folk wisdom to myself (75 years is, after all, 75 years), it’s an observation that rings true for the signage that Meyer Sign recently created for Mount Vernon’s venerable green space, Hillcrest Park. Allow me to explain.

Back in 2022, Meyer Sign teamed up with the Skagit County Fairgrounds and Don Wick (Mr. Skagit County himself) to launch an experiment in Magic Skagit oral history. On the first day of that year’s Fair we gathered a group of local dignitaries together for a ribbon cutting on what has become an annual Skagit County Fair exhibit: the Meyer Sign Fair History Booth — a place where people can revisit and relate their memories of Fairs past.

Long time residents of the Skagit Valley with an interest in local history are most likely familiar with the name "Dick Fallis." As the creator of Tales of the Magic Skagit, Dick's story is an inspiration to me, and one that I've long wanted to share. Thanks to Dan Royal, historian of the Skagit County Pioneer Association, for making this tribute possible.

“The city of Mount Vernon now boasts a park of its own, Hillcrest Park, ideally located in a grove of virgin timber that covers a thirty-acre tract. The land was purchased five years ago from J. C. McGinnitie at a cost of $6,000… with the final payment of $1,200 made just a few days ago, interest in the park has been revived…This week the water company offered to build a water main for a distance of 150 feet if the city will build the remaining 500 feet necessary to reach the park. With only a small expenditure, the park may be one of the finest and most picturesque in the Northwest.”

So, just how well do you know the Magic Skagit? Play this trivia contest and see if you can beat our Tales of the Magic Skagit winner. Our thanks to Mari Densmore, archivist at the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner for providing the trivia questions. You'll find the answers as well in this TMS episode.

In 1869, John Barker opened a trading post at the south fork of the Skagit River on Fir Island in what would eventually become known as Skagit City — the oldest of the Skagit Valley’s river towns. Over the next decade, Skagit City boasted hotels, stores, saloons, a school, church and other public buildings. Today, however, only a single physical reminder of Skagit City remains. The river giveth, and the river taketh away.

It is true…we like big trees. Interestingly enough, our earliest and most popular Tales of the Magic Skagit episodes had to do with one Skagit Valley tree in particular: the massive tulip poplar that spreads its leafy boughs over the intersection of Cleveland and Snoqualmie Streets, kitty-corner to the Mount Vernon Public Library. We were recently reminded of just how much folks enjoyed those stories, thanks to an email from the Tree People of Walla Walla.

By all accounts, the first hospital in Mount Vernon was Mount Vernon General Hospital -- just around the corner from another early Mount Vernon hospital founded by Harriet Rowley. A magazine article in the Library of Congress, published in 1921 by the Herald Publishing Company offers a Chamber of Commerce-worthy description of its founding.

I’m a sucker for exploring contemporary links, living and otherwise, between present and past. For me, these are portals to worlds that still resonate with us if we take the time to discover their origin — and so we offer you this one on the history of Rowley General Hospital and the amazing woman, fondly known as “Mother Rowley,” who founded what was Mount Vernon’s first hospital.

If you've ever wondered about the significance of the inscribed masonry tag on the Skagit Valley Co-op building at the corner of 1st and Division, let me just say that you can't make stuff like this up. Read on and see if you don't agree.