The Cedar Stump Poets of Snohomish
In an unconventional act of local creative community-building, townspeople organized a literary society that held meetings on the top of a massive cedar stump.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Independent Order of Poets and Kness was organized in Snohomish Monday night. The meeting was held on top of the large cedar stump below the mill and was called to order by Mr. Isaacs. An original poem by Dr. Eddy was read, which seemed to inspire all present with a feeling of pride and exultation. The Sun was declared to be the organ of the association, and its editor was elected an honorary member. The conditions of membership are as follows: Each applicant must be of good moral character, must be between the ages of 10 and 100 years, and must have had at least one poem published in the Sun. During the summer months, the society will meet on the big cedar stump, but when the rainy season commences, it will probably meet under a large cedar on I. N. Mudgett’s place.
“The meeting was held on top of the large cedar stump below the mill, and was called to order by Mr. Isaacs, and an original poem by Dr. Eddy was read.”
Today, Snohomish is known for its historic downtown and antique shops, a far cry from the frontier days when residents gathered on old-growth stumps to cultivate the arts. It captures a charming, whimsical moment in the Pacific Northwest's pioneer history where the community sought intellectual connection amidst the literal landscape of the timber industry.
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