This month’s rich historic image of the Snohomish River as it passes through its namesake city inspires thoughts of time travel and the reaction a contemporary visitor would receive from an early Snohomish resident if he suggested a candlelight walk alongside the river to mark the shortest day of the year.
Of course, it was impossible to walk alongside the river in those days much less find a place to set out some 400 luminarias. Besides, I imagine it might be like suggesting today a candlelight walk alongside state Route 9; the river was a dangerous noisy place. A prize location for a business in 19th century Snohomish was alongside the river, not for the view, but for the tremendous advantage of having a wharf to use as a loading dock — could this be the origin of the term?
The shortest day of the year was noted in the early newspapers, but not referred to as the winter solstice. It seems that Christmas night was the party night in town. The December 19, 1883, issue of the Snohomish Eye reports —
“The band boys have secured Atheneum Hall and have made arrangements for first-class music for a grand Christmas Ball, to be given on Christmas night. The boys intend that this, their inaugural ball, shall be the best of the season; so have your best girl engaged and be ready for a way up time. Tickets $1.50 without supper. In connection with the dance, Alexander Martinoff is going to give ‘the boss’ supper for $2 per couple […] Alexander has imported turkeys from San Francisco for the occasion and says that, ‘the supper will discount, you know, anything of kind ever given in the city, and don’t you forget it!’”
Mentioned elsewhere is that the supper will be served at midnight! You can see the roof of the impressive two-story Atheneum Hall appearing above the Henry Scharf Wharf & Dry Storage warehouse.
Please accept this invitation for a more modest celebration on December 21 to walk our river trail lined with luminaria between 4 and 8 p.m. My ‘best girl,’ Karen Guzak, and I initiated this event two years ago but couldn’t do it without the help of many volunteers, which you can read about at yogacirclestudio.com/solstice.
What else can I say but, “be ready for a way up time.”
Published by the Snohomish County Tribune, December 17, 2008.