La Conner Weekly News - Your independent hometown award-winning newspaper

The recent article about the Swinomish totem poles was of great interest to me, as I was there when the original poles were dedicated in 1938. I was eight years old and with my parents and sisters had driven up from our home in California to visit my grandfather, Andrew “Carpenter” Johnson, at the family farm on Beaver Marsh Road. One Saturday during our visit the party line telephone in the kitchen rang, and the caller told us that Eleanor Roosevelt would be in La Conner that very afternoon. My mother dressed my little sisters and me in our good clothes, and we drove into town.

I realize now that for the dedication itself we were actually on the Swinomish Reservation rather than in La Conner, but as I had never been in either place before I didn’t know the difference.

Something official was taking place as I could hear the sound of speakers and applause.

Then it was announced that Mrs. Roosevelt would not be coming after all, but that her daughter would take her place.

Our family left after the substitute Roosevelt arrived, but then my memory includes a ride on a merry-go-round.

Your newspaper article indicated that the Town of La Conner also took part in the celebration.

Was there a traveling carnival included in the festivities? I remember the merry-go-round very clearly as it was my grandfather who rode on it with his granddaughters.

As we still own the family farm and visit often, I have driven by the totem pole many times and each time am reminded of that afternoon. I think my family has doubted my sanity as I’ve retold the tale, so I’m very glad to have my childhood memory validated.

The W.P.A. was a wonderful program. It would be interesting to know about other W.P.A. projects in Skagit County.

Sent by daughter Jennifer Sander, who, like her mother, is a subscriber in Sacramento, Calif.