Stanwood and Camano Island residents build a park in one day on July 27, 1949.

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On July 27, 1949, more than 500 Stanwood and Camano Island residents participate in a unique community effort to build a park in one day. The effort is organized by the South Camano Grange.

South Camano Grange

In 1949 Camano Island was -- as it still is -- a rural island accessible by bridge from Stanwood in Snohomish County. It had 1,150 people living on it, according to the 1950 U.S. Census and is part of Island County along with Whidbey Island.

The local Grange was established in 1930 and was noted for its annual clam dinners, dances, and for providing youth activities with the Scouts and 4-H at their community hall. At the time the South Camano Grange recognized the community improvement needs that were not being met by the local government on Whidbey Island, two hours away by car.

They entered a National Grange Community Service Contest as part of an effort to rally the community to secure road-improvement funds; select a suitable garbage dump; build a community playground; provide cemetery cleanup; tuberculosis-testing services; repair and painting of the Lutheran Church, Mabana schoolhouse and Utsalady Ladies Aid; and petition for revaluation of property. But by far the most impressive accomplishment was the organization of 500 volunteers to build a new State Park in one day in July 1949.

Building the Park

In its description of the project, the Grange said, “Our entire shoreline was owned by individuals, resorts, or real estate or lumber companies, except ninety feet in three different points owned by the County, these not generally known. The general public had no access to the beach” -- yet they lived on an island!

The Grange petitioned the Washington State Parks Commission and the State set aside 92 acres of school land at Point Lowell for a park. The Parks Commission agreed to contribute $5,000 toward the purchase of the park if the community would demonstrate their commitment by providing volunteers to help construct the park. The South Camano Grange agreed to follow through and organize the project. Mayors of both nearby Stanwood and East Stanwood cooperated by proclaiming a State Park Day and merchants promised to close for a day and bring their employees to work.

Three bulldozers, nine farm tractors with equipment, 34 pickups and trucks, one large trailer truck, three wreckers, and a team of horses worked all day. The women served their traditional clam chowder, coffee, sandwiches, cookies, pop, and ice cream for the volunteers. A doctor and trained nurse, with emergency supplies in a hospital tent were on duty along with the State Fire Warden.

By the day's end, the volunteers had built picnic tables, cleared land and paths, and leveled a road and parking area. They had provided a place for everyone to get to the beach. All labor -- 3,561 man-hours and 376 machine hours -- and all expenses had been donated. Estimated value of the work was $6,000. The South Camano Grange won third prize in the National contest but one can hardly imagine a more worthy project for the first prize.

Volunteer Efforts Continue

In 1958 the Camano Island State Park area almost doubled with the acquisition of the Point Lowell tract. The State Park commissioners voted to expand the original park around the point to Elger Bay, an additional 3,000 feet of waterfront.

In 1992 the community petitioned and volunteered thousands of hours to acquire another 430 acres on Camano as a second state park, the Cama Beach State Park. Thanks to the generosity of the original landowners, sisters Karen Risk Hamalainen and Sandra Risk Worthington, the property that was once the popular Cama Beach Resort has been preserved as a State Park. And thanks to community support, the park has a mile of shoreline, mature second growth forest, many of its original historic buildings preserved and a dynamic and proactive group of staff and volunteers to make the most of it.

Sources:
“Park Building Picnic,” The Seattle Times Sunday Rotogravure Section, August 14, 1949, p 1-5; South Camano Grange, Grange Community Service Contest -- 1949 -- Report Summary; Grant B. Freer, “The South Camano Grange Will Enter National Contest,” Twin City News, May 12, 1949, and succeeding semi weekly articles through November 1949; Arthur Kimball and John Dean, Camano Island: Life and Times in Island Paradise (Stanwood: Printed by Stanwood/Camano News, 1994), p. 76-78.

By Karen Prasse, July 05, 2008

This file made possible by:
The State of Washington
Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

Advertisement for park-building day, Camano Island, July 27, 1949
Courtesy South Camano Grange (SAHS 99.86)

Picnic during park building, Camano Island, July 27, 1949
Courtesy South Camano Grange (SAHS 99.86)

Cars belonging to park-building volunteers, Camano Island, July 27, 1949
Courtesy South Camano Grange (SAHS 99.86)

Car belonging to park-building volunteer, Camano Island, July 27, 1949
Courtesy South Camano Grange (SAHS 99.86)