The Great Unknown: Snohomish’s Centennial Celebration and the Rise of a Logging Empire
On July 4, 1893, the community gathered at the River Side Hotel for music, oratory, and history, marking a decade of growth in a county defined by its forests.
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 Centennial Ball, given up by the Snohomish Press, at the River Side Hotel, July 4th, under the arrangement of Messrs. Hugh Ross, Chas. [name illegible], and Henry Jackson, was largely successful in every particular. The music was excellent. The large hall being filled with ladies and gentlemen to its fullest capacity. One hundred number appeared in the costumes of 1776, which served in kindling within the hearts of all, the spirit of patriotism that immortalized the sons and daughters of revolutionary fame, which continued to burn and grow brighter, and will continue, until a long hour in the morning, when all came from the scene of pleasure and happy remembrances; many no doubt willing to live in free America another hundred years, that they might participate in such another centennial celebration for the tiny we celebrate.
The literary exercises promised for this occasion were according to announcement, as appears by reports in the columns of this issue. To high praise must be awarded those who conducted the musical entertainment on Monday evening July 3rd. The programme promised as many on the morning of the 4th. The literary exercises of the day consisted of the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Mr. Andrew Laird in a very impressive and beautiful manner.
The Centennial Ode read by its author Mr. L. E. Benedict. Address by Thomas Buckner, Esq., of Seattle, the orator of the day. We very much regret not being able to print in full this eloquent and able address. It was delivered extemporaneous by no notes were preserved of the speech. This is our apology for not publishing it.
The Centennial History of the County appears elsewhere as read on the occasion. The Ball at Snohomish was a success. We believe the celebration as a whole gave general satisfaction.
Concerts—According to the programme previously announced, on Monday evening, July 3rd, a grand concert of vocal and instrumental music came off at the hall of the River Side Hotel, and has been pronounced by all present, and every hall was crowded to its utmost capacity, to be the most elegant entertainment ever given in this county. Mrs. Bell, and the famous Bell sisters, Mr. Geo. W. Ward of Seattle, assisted by Miss Fannie Low and Mr. W. H. Ward, of this place, were the parties who furnished the least of delightful music. Every piece on the programme was rendered with an unerring harmony.
The county paper, the Snohomish Star, started less than six months ago, now has a weekly issue of over 600 copies, well sustained by the public spirited support given by our people to all local enterprises.
This account captures Snohomish at a pivotal moment: just as the town was transitioning from a small river settlement into a major industrial hub driven by logging. The celebration of 'centennial' history in 1893 reflects a community proud of its rapid growth, yet the text reveals that this prosperity was entirely dependent on the extraction of natural resources—a pattern that would define the region's economy for decades to come.
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