Vashon Island's Tent City Summer
An organized assembly on Vashon Island plans for a two-week rural retreat, complete with lecture series, music, and Sunday school drills, promising to appear 'like Jonah's gourd' in a night.
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 Executive Committee of the A. L. S. C. last evening decided to accept the proposition of Rev. B. B. Dilworth, and will hold an assembly on Vashon Island for two weeks, beginning Monday, August 10. Camping grounds will be prepared, daily boats will be arranged with fares to suit the times, and it is expected that a rally will spring up like Jonah's gourd in a night, to wither when the assembly closes, but to reappear with the years. Prominent individuals of Tacoma are interested in the movement, and a regular program for each day, consisting of lectures, essays, music, Sunday school drills, etc., will be prepared. All the advantages of a rural retreat will be combined with the best literary talent to make it an enjoyable event for two weeks' camping.
“It is expected that a rally will spring up like Jonah's gourd in a night, to wither when the assembly closes, but to reappear with the years.”
While Seattle’s modern relationship with its islands is defined by ferry commutes and tourism, this 1885 'Assembly' reflects a long-standing regional tradition of creating temporary, intentional communities for intellectual and spiritual renewal. It echoes the historical desire for accessible rural getaways, a sentiment that persists in the modern Pacific Northwest’s scramble for camping and recreational access.
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