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CONCRETE HERITAGE MUSEUM 7380 Thompson Ave. PO Box 445 Concrete, Wa. 98237 Phone: 360-853-7042 E-Mail: concreteheritagemuseum@stumpranchonline.com President: Robin Wood Vice President: Lyle McClure Secretary: Gail Boggs Treasurer: Cheri Cook-Blodgett MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND THRU LABOR DAY WEEKEND 2009 Become a museum member and participant. Print out the current MEMBERSHIP FORM at this link. Historic photo scanning project, call Kathy Huntley (853-8787) for details. Open up your old photo albums and bring in pictures of Concrete from past years. They can be scanned and returned to you immediately. Bow Hill (I-5) Coffee fundraiser, June 26 through 29th. Hand out free coffee, talk to travelers, and collect donations. Volunteers are needed! Museum opens for the season: Sat. May 30 Open every Saturday thru Labor Day Volunteer hosts needed – call Robin. Sockeye Express runs from 12 noon to 4 pm. Annual Museum picnic on Thursday, August 13. Ghost Walk – our combined project with the Chamber of Commerce. The 2009 open house evenings in October will bring enthusiastic crowds to the Museum – join in the fun! Hello, everyone! The Concrete Heritage Museum was proud to be involved in the Centennial Celebration of Concrete on May 9th. Our newsletters will be stamped with the Centennial cancellation, so be sure to save the envelope – it will be a collector’s item! We can be proud of our continuing devotion to saving our town and area’s important history. Not many small towns are able to accomplish what we are doing. And, because we have always worked “on a shoestring”, with volunteers providing all the labor, we have not been affected as much by the downturn in the economy. Still, it’s important to have your continuing support in memberships and donations—we encourage you to contribute what you are able, and to volunteer in our fund-raising activities through the year. Successful fundraisers include: - Easter Bake Sale at the Red Apple - Bow Hill I-5 coffee stop in June - Ghost Walk weekends in October - Collecting Red Apple grocery receipts The Centennial reprint of “So They Called the Town Concrete” is now available, for $25.00. Dan Royal is printing for us, and the new edition features enhanced photographs and a more readable type font. New cover graphics were done by Philip Johnson. Copies will be available at Alberts Red Apple, the Museum, or by mail. Interior renovation work accomplished by our dedicated members this year includes bright lights, flooring, and new walls in “Scotty’s Room”, where we store the Concrete Herald archives, a growing collection of history books, and a computer donated by Douglas Dunn. The collection of Concrete Yearbooks has its own special place, and we are adding items from the Concrete Schools as well. We thank all the individuals who have donated Upper Skagit memorabilia through the year to our growing collection. New items are added every month! Douglas Dunn is our British Columbia connection, and his interest in preserving small-town history spurred him to give a $500 grant to the museum to help fund a photo scanning project. Mike Criner at the high school is our technical support person, and Kathy Huntley has been contacting people about scanning their old photos. Call Kathy at 853-8787 if you would like to contribute to this digital historic record. We know there are treasures out there waiting to be discovered, in old albums or shoeboxes. Another grant from Skagit County Lodging Tax was awarded to us this year to update the town’s historic signage, and create a Historic Byway Route brochure that will guide visitors through our Main Street route. New signs will appear this summer at seven locations that describe historic (and former) structures. Many thanks to hours of work by the Sign Committee, whose excitement about the project may lead to a new expanded walking tour brochure, (or even a book…!) Museum members still love a good party, as evidenced by our growing attendance at the annual August potluck picnic (to be held at the Concrete Senior Center on Thursday, August 13th at 6:00 pm.) Please come and enjoy the good company and a terrific meal. We also were honored to be invited to the Hoover residence last December for the annual Museum Christmas Party. Barbara and Jack, and their family members made us feel very welcome, and of course, there was more good food! Sadly, we were all together again in February, when Jack passed away, and was honored at Forest Park Cemetery. A staunch Museum supporter, Jack had an exceptional memory for a lifetime of events and locations in Concrete, and we valued his input on all things historical. Imagination reigned supreme in October, as we participated in the ever-expanding and highly popular Ghost Walks, organized by the Concrete Chamber of Commerce. Henry and Margaret Thompson walked the Thompson Bridge by lantern light, and many other historic characters from Concrete’s past showed up on the streets and alleyways. This event was scheduled for nights on three October weekends, and was very well attended! Thanks to all who provided end-of-the evening hospitality at the Museum, and chatted with the visitors, who were very interested in our displays and information. We hope to have even more volunteers this year, either to bring historic characters to life, or host at the Museum. The Board of the museum would like to encourage people to contribute to the Building Fund that will help us continue the work of installing restroom fixtures and getting water and sewer hookups completed. Contributors can contact Board Members, or send contributions directly to the Concrete Heritage Museum, P O Box 445, Concrete, WA 98237. Membership forms to the museum can be located at the Concrete Chamber of Commerce on Main Street. 
 1/29/24 – 2/25/05 We sincerely regret the passing of our Museum founder. Many of us attended Herb’s services on March 2, and were amazed at the recounting of his productive and diverse life. His family and friends shared so many wonderful stories from their personal experiences over the years. The Museum is a designated recipient of memorial donations, and we thank those who have sent them in Herb’s name (and, last year, for Kay as well). We also thank Herb’s extended family for their continuing support, and some wonderful personal memorabilia. Herb’s lifetime of collecting and preserving local history has created a priceless treasure for our community. Concrete Heritage Tours- Saturday tours planned to start from Memorial Day to Labor Day. We can schedule a special tour for 6 to 12 people: Call Cheri at 360-853-8533 to arrange a time. Suggested donation: $3 per person.  12:00 noon to 4:00 pm from the Senior Center/Saturday Market Saturdays, through Labor Day weekend. We suggest a $3.00 per person minimum donation. tour includes a stop at the newly renovated Concrete Heritage Museum. to arrange tours at other times, with groups of 6 to 12 people, call Cheri at 360-853-8533. SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS! We are still collecting Albert’s Red Apple grocery receipts. Boxes are located at Upriver Services, or the Concrete Liquor Store. Keep turning in your Alberts Red Apple Receipts - The 2004 receipt donations added $1424.12 to the Building Fund. Thanks, everyone !!!. The Museum building is coming along nicely with the work getting done by board members and volunteers. We welcome anyone who would like to contribute their time, from manual labor to financial donations to help bring the museum open to the public sooner than current projected goals. The Museum displays are currently being planned out by members; some fun and exciting items on local Concrete history are in the works. To our Members & Friends: Here's what's been accomplished on the Museum building this past year: --Exciting new exhibits are in place, and more items are being brought back from storage. --Office area drywall installed. --Don Smith will be painting background murals, and Jim Harris is installing the logging tool exhibits and media displays. --Gravel walkways around the building make access easier. VOLUNTEERS ARE WELCOME! We need to complete the following: --Continue to move inventory back from storage. --Restore water/sewer service to building. --Pour cement walkways. --Office area ready for paint and new flooring, drop ceiling and light fixtures. --Build outdoor storage covers for canoe and other large exhibit items. 2005-2006 funding for construction projects will be provided by a grant from the Washington Heritage Resource Center. 
 
 
A Walking Map of Historic Concrete Washington by famed local artist Don Smith is available for you to copy free. Just double-click on the image and it will come up in Adobe Acrobat Reader. You will want to print on 8 1/2 X 14 paper and also adjust to landscape printing. You can do this by going up to FILE, then PAGE SETUP before you print.Updated Historical Notes and Building Index for the Map available at this link. 
The Centennial reprint of “So They Called the Town Concrete” is now available for $25.00.Dan Royal is printing for us in perfect bound soft cover, the new edition features enhanced photographs and a more readable type font. New cover graphics were done by Philip Johnson. Stamped also on the cover is the official Concrete Centennial Logo. The books are numbered for 200 books. Copies will be available at Alberts Red Apple, the Museum, or by mail. The first reprint of the Charles Dwelley classic, originally published in 1980, was printed in spiral bound in 2004 with a new foreword by Jim Harris. These reprints are still available for $15.00 each Written with the wit and insight of the town's longtime newspaper editor, "So They Called the Town Concrete" documents the early days of "Baker" and "Cement City", the development of the cement and wood products industries, Concrete's incorporation in 1909, and the town's subsequent boom years. Dwelley's newsman instinct for a good story fills the pages with human interest. Historic facts are interspersed with tragedy and triumph, community spirit and banditry, ingenuity and general high jinks. Dozens of photographs document area landmarks and residents. To order your copy today, click this .pdf file, print and send in. ORDER FORM If you do not have Acrobat Reader, download at this link for a free copy. Excerpt from So They Called The Town "Concrete" by Charles Dwelley
 "Charles M. "Chuck" Dwelley spent 40 years as the voice of the town of Concrete, after originally being assigned there in the months just prior to the October 1929 stock market crash to edit a failing small-town weekly newspaper, the Concrete Herald, which had gone bankrupt. His early days as an editor were not auspicious at all, especially for the grandson of one of Skagit County's earliest pioneers.
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