Wilkeson Elementary School
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The quaint town of Wilkeson is nestled in the foothills of the Cascade Range of Washington. Settled as a mining town in the 1870s, the town retains the feel of a very closed, tightly knit community of autonomous residents. At Wilkeson's heyday, thousands lived and worked in the town and surrounding area -- but sadly, it has dwindled to less than a thousand residents and degenerated into bickering and infighting between the town "boosters" and the resident environmentalists. Not very attractive, once you get digging into it!
However, one landmark that stands out, and seems to be untouched by the town squabbles is the Wilkeson Elementary School in the White River School District. Built in 1912 of local sandstone and other materials, the school has been upgraded and modernized over the years and has been put on the National Historic Registry. It is the oldest continuously operating elementary school building in the state of Washington and it is simply beautiful!
The day we toured Wilkeson, we stopped in front, snapped the above picture and drove off to continue our quick tour of the town. What the picture can't capture, though, is the quiet of the scene. Living in a more populated area, we grow accustomed to hearing the hum of traffic, industry, air traffic, sirens, and other random noises. But out there, when I rolled the window down to snap the photo, what struck me was the utter quiet, punctuated by the pitter-patter of a light rain and the distant sound of children laughing. We couldn't see the playground, which must have been in the back of the school -- but we heard them. Their voices carried across the grounds to us, like a concert in the park on a summer day, and we heard the unmistakably happy sounds of a lot of kids having fun.
When I heard those sweet and playful voices, the imposing stone structure suddenly seemed friendly and inviting -- like a welcoming Grandma's house. Of course, by it's age, approaching 100 years, for the age of the children on the playground, it would be more like Great or Great-great Grandma's house!
This old school brought back memories of one of my own elementary schools and how it was closed and used as a book depository for the school district until one dry July 4th a lone firecracker brought the whole thing down in flames. It broke my heart to see the burned out brick shell and gutted classrooms. Sixty firefighters couldn't save it.
It also demonstrated this was a community that, despite their extreme political differences, would try to work together and do their best for the children of Wilkeson. If the beauty of the restoration of the school is any indication of their goals for the future, there is a very good chance the school will stand another hundred years!
Thanks for visiting the Wilkeson school today!
4 comments:
SF, interesting post. I enjoy sagas like this..puts my imagination in overdrive thinking of the drama that has gone on there for generations. Thanks!!@
SG!! I'm so glad you liked it! It does conjure up some interesting scenarios and coupled with the town that shall remain nameless [where we tried to find the old saloon and talked to the hatchet man] I think there is a gold mine of story ideas in here -- from generational sagas to shoot-'em-up old fashioned Westerns. I had more of a feeling of sparse or stark drama than say, flowery poetry. I did get the feeling of more angst than say a bustling, busy town feeling where people are industrious. This sent out the quiet enjoy-your-visit-but-leave-us-alone-and-don't-ask-questions sort of feel. But it certainly seemed like a writer's paradise. You just need to bring a laptop with a good battery -- or a pile of notebooks and pens -- and have at it!! :D
The picture of the school truly emanates a peaceful atmosphere. It seems like a nice building to have a school in.
It is a shame modern day schools couldn't look back just a little and learn a valuable lesson or two. :) Interesting post, thank you.
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