VALLEY VIEWS
SNOQUALMIE
4 • September 15, 2010 • Snoqualmie Valley Record
VALLEY RECORD SNOQUALMIE
Publisher William Shaw
wshaw@valleyrecord.com
Let’s save local lingo
WWW.VALLEYRECORD.COM
Y
ou’re only as rich as your memory. That’s how Snoqualmie Railroad Days Grand Marshal Harley Brumbaugh put it, reflecting on his lifetime of experience in the area. “Cling to the things that brought you here, and don’t be talked out of it,” Brumbaugh said this summer, giving voice to a local longing toward preserving our historic heritage. Brumbaugh makes a good point. This Valley is changing and growing all the SETH TRUSCOTT time, and our heriValley Record Editor tage has literally disappeared in some places. Take the vanished Snoqualmie Falls neighborhood of Riverside. The homes of the logging town were torn down or moved, and the neighborhood itself has faded into the undergrowth. Memories remain, but even those seem to be under threat—a few days ago, some miscreant vandalized an interactive display that recalls the original scene. That vandalism shows that more people need to know that our history is special and worth preserving. Locals should consider visiting the
Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum in North Bend, where the main exhibit—which the Riverside markers were promoting before they were torn down and stolen—is on the history of Snoqualmie Falls. In Snoqualmie, downtown merchants are considering putting together a downtown preservation initiative aimed at preserving the commercial roots of the community. Carnation’s Tolt Historical Society is at work researching and preserving the history of that community, and is moving its collection of vintage artifacts to Camp Korey, formerly Carnation Farm. Likewise, the Fall City Historical Society is putting out a new book, “Preserving the Stories of Fall City,” which collects the oral remembranc-
es of longtime residents. If locals don’t take a hand in exploring, preserving and protecting our past, then we lose our roots. We’ve got to know where we came from to understand where we are going.
Valley-speak
Have you ever noticed that Valley residents—some call them Valleyites— have their own special nicknames and phrases for area venues, vistas and neighborhoods. Some of this local lingo is quickly understood: The Ridge, Upper and Lower Valley, and Wilderness Rim, for example, are pretty self-explanatory. Others are a little more esoteric. Who, for example, can tell me what the Boy Scout Bridge is, or who put the Ernie in Ernie’s Grove? How many
folks know that Carnation was once called Tolt—and someday, perhaps, may be so called again? And when, if ever, should a North Bend resident be called a No-Bender? In our own effort to share Valley heritage, this newspaper is collecting local sayings, phrases and place names in a mini-encyclopedia or dictionary of sorts. The results will be published in our upcoming Fall/Winter Valley Visitor’s Guide. You can help by sharing your facts and tales. Together, we can clear up the origins of Tokul Creek and explain why the Raging River rages. Send your thoughts and suggestions to editor@valleyrecord.com, or drop a line to P.O. Box 300, Snoqualmie, WA, 98065. Let’s keep spreading this local lingo around, before it’s forgotten.
Doggiestock is Saturday. How did your pet get its name?
Editor Seth Truscott
struscott@valleyrecord.com
Reporter Allison Espiritu
aespiritu@valleyrecord.com
Creative Design Wendy Fried
wfried@valleyrecord.com
Advertising Account Executive Circulation/ Distribution
Terri Barclay
tbarclay@valleyrecord.com
Sean McGinnis
circulation@valleyrecord.com
Office Denise O’Keefe Manager dokeefe@valleyrecord.com Mail PO Box 300, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 Phone 425.888.2311 Fax 425.888.2427 www.valleyrecord.com Classified Advertising: 800.388.2527 Subscriptions: $29.95 per year in King County, $35 per year elsewhere Circulation: 425.453.4250 or 1.888.838.3000 The Snoqualmie Valley Record is the legal newspaper for the cities of Snoqualmie, North Bend and Carnation. Written permission from the publisher is required for reproduction of any part of this publication. Letters, columns and guest columns do not necessarily reflect the views of the Snoqualmie Record.
“My dog was a rescue dog and her name is Sophie, because that was already her name when we got it from my Uncle Jeffrey.” Morgan Snavely North Bend
“It’s a Siamese cat named Pywachet, it’s almost as old as I am. My parents saw a movie a few weeks before, where a witch had a Siamese cat named Pywachet.” Sam Piekarczyk Carnation
“I have two guinea pigs named Moxie and Sonny. They were names my daughter picked out.” Tom Titus North Bend
“My pet is a one-eyed basset hound, we got him from a pet rescue in Las Vegas. His name is Basie; we named him after Count Basie, the great jazz artist.” Dean Snavely North Bend