History of Loggerodeo™

History of the Loggerodeo™

The World Famous Loggerodeo™ is Sedro-Woolley’s official Fourth of July celebration. It is the oldest Fourth of July celebration in the state. Independence Day festivities have been running since 1886, stopping only because of Covid-19 restrictions in 2020. The event has long brought community members past and present back together; many old timers who have moved away make trips back to town to visit with friends and family and share in the celebration. Over the years, the festivities have varied in length; 2021 will run July 1 through July 4. This is good, old-fashioned family fun, and a beautiful way to honor Sedro-Woolley’s logging history and small-town community feel.

Loggerodeo™ president Dottie Chandler wishes to welcome the whole family and both new and old-timer Sedro-Woolley residents to participate! This year will look a little different because of Covid-19 restrictions, so please read over the event schedule. It would also be a good idea to check the Loggerodeo™ website and Facebook page closer to the event for any other cancelations.

Although the town of Sedro-Woolley was celebrating the Fourth of July long beforehand, 2021 marks the 72nd annual event called Loggerodeo™. The name Loggerodeo™ dates back to 1948 when John Conrad won a city-wide naming contest, sponsored by the returning World War II vets of the American Legion. He won a $25 cash prize. The year 1948 was special for the Loggerodeo™ as it was a merger of two celebrations that had often been run separately during the week of July 4: logging contests and a rodeo. Many old timers still say that the 1948 event was the wildest Loggerodeo™ ever. A fireworks display was added along with the street dance in front of the Legion Hall on Murdock Street. The Ziegler Brothers Carnival had been introduced in 1946 and continued into 1948 and beyond. The year 1948 also marked the 50th anniversary of the merger of Sedro and Woolley towns, who had each previously had their own Independence Day celebrations.

The original Sedro-Woolley rodeo was held in 1914 and consisted of riding, racing and roping exhibitions; it attracted ten thousand people from all parts of the Pacific Northwest. The rodeo continued on an irregular schedule until 1934 when community members decided to restore it at the grounds on Polte Road. The Rodeo expanded into a two-day event in 1946 and included calf and trick roping; bronco, steer and bareback riding; and

Each year the community comes together to vote who they think is the “Best of Skagit” in our annual community event.

Below are our featured Skagit’s Best 2020 Winners & Finalists* Spa Services & Massage Bella Soul Spa Baked Goods/Dessert Specialties Indulge Bakery Food Truck Wingz N Things

Optometrist Cascadia Eye Real Estate Office Leading Edge Property Managementt Fresh Seafood Market Skagit’s Own Fish Market Medical Facility Chinn GYN, LLC David B. Benson, MD, PLLS*

Visit goskagit.com/contests/skagitsbest for a complete list of our 2020 winners & finalists

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bulldogging. In that year, $1,500 in cash prizes was awarded, including $150 to the best all-around cowboy.

In 1948, the competitive logging events were expanded. Rules were codified for the Log Drive; originally nearly 12 feet long, the log was eventually standardized at eight feet with a 14-inch diameter. A crew would drop the log into the Skagit River from the Marblemount Bridge at 5 a.m. The log was then followed downriver by a motor boat to ensure that it wasn’t stolen. Rodeo queen candidates sold raffle tickets to local gamblers who were trying to guess how long the log would take to float down to its destination at the Clear Lake Bridge. Depending on the depth of the river and obstructions in a given year, the trip varied 10 to 19 hours. For many years, a local radio station would announce updates on the log’s progress called in by Don Collen who participated in the event in one way or another for decades starting in the early 1960s. He was the Logging Show MC and a Log Show chairperson in the 1980s. The log drive ended in the 1990s.

Event organizers, volunteers and sponsors

The Loggerodeo™ is run by an all-volunteer team headed up by President Dottie Chandler who took over five years ago. Tonia Smiley was nominated as the new Vice President for the 2020 season. Organizing the event is a 12-month commitment. The Loggerodeo™ depends heavily on community support - both financial and participatory - to keep it going. The festivities cost $60,000 to $80,000 to put on; paid for by personal and business donations and sponsorships, and money raised through the T-shirt sale and the Quick Carve auctions. The more T-shirts are sold and the more is bid on carvings; the more money is raised for the Loggerodeo™. The SedroWoolley Carving Championships are known to carvers around the world. Said Dottie, “Carvers from all over are always asking to carve at our event but it’s invitational only, allowing us to feature the best of the best. We want to keep it in demand.” The event’s confirmed sponsors are Janicki Logging, Skagit Publishing, Skagit Media, Lemley Chapel, Bob Graham Trucking, Oliver-Hammer Clothes Shop, BYK Construction Inc. Skagit Farmers Supply, and Sierra Pacific. Please check our Facebook and website for others who came in after publishing. Please contact the Loggerodeo™ at sedrowoolleyloggerodeo@frontier.com or 360-770-8452 to get involved or make a donation.

Visit www.loggerodeo.org for application forms and drop them off at the Loggerodeo™ office at 727 Murdock St., Unit 3 or mail to P.O. Box 712, SedroWoolley, WA 98284. Historical details were found in the Skagit River Journal.

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Lynette Gentry, manager of Concrete and Sedro Woolley.

Our mission is to bring long-term success to our clients and this community. It’s who we are down to the core. And it’s why we are proud to announce that Lynette Gentry, our Concrete Branch Manager since October, 2019, is now also our Sedro Woolley Branch Manager. Help us congratulate Lynette on a well-deserved promotion.

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