Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association celebrates centennial Aug. 19

ARLINGTON — The Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association is still in the mood to kick up its heels after 100 years.

The Association is celebrating its centennial "Pioneer Picnic" on Sunday, Aug. 19, in the Pioneer Hall, located at 20722 67th Ave. NE in Arlington.

The annual picnic is a tradition now maintained by the second- and third-generation descendants of the original pioneer families, who first gathered in a grove of trees on the Schloman farm for the event. The presence of politicians and other dignitaries from throughout Washington state pushed the attendance numbers for those early picnics into the hundreds.

Just as previous years of the picnic afforded attendees annual opportunities to catch up with old friends and their accomplishments, mainly in the fields of farming and logging early on, so will this year's centennial picnic summarize the achievements of the Stillaguamish Valley Pioneer Association as a whole, which has dedicated itself to upholding the legacy of their forebears, who contributed so much to the development of the Stillaguamish Valley.

Not only will attendees receive a presentation of a book that's compiled a pictorial review of the valley's history from 1912-2012, but they'll also get to check out the artifacts preserved in the Pioneer Museum.

Registration for the picnic starts at 10 a.m. that Sunday and is set to be followed by a potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m., after which the Association will conduct its annual meeting and program, the latter of which includes elections of officers for the Association, along with a report of the state of the city that's typically delivered by the mayor.

The Association welcomes all attendees, regardless of whether they're descended from pioneers or not, but does ask its guest to bring their own dinnerware and favorite pot lock dishes to share.

You may call 360-435-7289 to RSVP for this event.

Contact Arlington Times Reporter Kirk Boxleitner at kboxleitner@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300 Ext. 5052.

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