The Piano That Bound a Community Together
How the ladies of Snohomish organized to bring culture and music to their town.
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.
About two years ago, measures were taken by the ladies of this place to secure an instrument for the use of the Athenaeum. Sufficient funds were raised by them, and a short time since they sent to New York and purchased an Advocate piano, which has arrived and is said to be by the proper judges, a very fine instrument. Much credit is due them for their perseverance and success.
“Much credit is due them for their perseverance and success.”
In the 1870s, establishing an Athenaeum or civic space was a grassroots project driven by women who were often excluded from formal political power. Today, Snohomish still relies on these kinds of volunteer-driven cultural initiatives to maintain the character of its downtown historic district.
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