Garfield students and faculty bought enough U.S. Savings Bonds to buy this bomb. Painted on the bomb is "Garfield Tojo." ~Washington State Historical Society.

This is an aerial view of the Tumwater Brewery, owned by Leopold Schmidt. ~The Olympian files.

The Maritime Fleet was docked in Olympia 1954-1970s. ~Courtesy of Ed and Rosemary Shattuck collection.

Our Memories; continued

Wartime Happenings

Wartime Happenings

Volunteer ground observers kept watchful eyes trained on the skies, ready to alert authorities of an enemy attack. Some citizens bought pre-cast cement containers and installed them underground in their backyards to use as bomb shelters. They were stocked with food, fresh water, first-aid products, flashlights and batteries, should the United States be subjected to an atomic bomb attack.

After the war a large reserve fleet of ships belonging to the Maritime Fleet was anchored in Budd Inlet off Gull Harbor. Horne worked there from 1954 to 1970, first as a painter and later as an electrician. In 1972 the fleet was disbanded and all non-priority ships were scrapped. While in port, the ships were painted every other year and engineers gave the engines a quarter turn every few months to keep them from freezing up.

Pete Kaler was a child during that time, and remembers the fleet well.

"All summer long they'd paint those darned ships. The paint would be all over the beach, and us kids would come away all speckled."

The Depression

When the Depression hit South Sound, Citizens Bank of Tenino closed its doors. Tenino citizens took the initiative and manufactured scrip to meet the currency shortage. The new money was made from Sitka spruce, Port Orford and red cedar and manufactured by a special machine in Aberdeen. To authenticate the money a watermark was inscribed with the words "Confidence makes good; money made of wood." This allowed the town to conduct business. Word spread throughout the world and collectors flooded the small community with thousands of requests.

According to the Congressional Record of April 7, 1932, a Mr. Dill remarked on the new form of currency produced in Tenino. "In the state of Washington there is a town known as Tenino. Some months ago, the bank there closed. I do not care to enlarge upon the subject, other than to show that the ingenuity of our people has found a method of supplying currency when the government has so completely failed them."

Shortly after, Olympia came out with a commemorative wooden coin in the shape of an oyster. It had a drawing of the USF Constitution along with the slogan, "Dig the Canal," which referred to an idea to dig a canal to link Puget Sound to Black Lake, Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay and the Columbia River. Although attempts were made to convince the federal government to undertake the canal as a Works Progress Administration project, funding for the canal never materialized. Olympia's wooden currency never achieved the same fame as the Tenino money, but there is still interest among collectors.

Whistles and Toots

In the old days there were mill whistles, brewery blasts and train toots that marked the start and end of the workday, and signaled when dads would soon be home. But today it heralds a time of stability. The brewery has passed the test of time and endured more than 100 years as one of Olympia's major employers. As in years past the whistle blow sounds mighty good to families who've counted on a paycheck for holiday dinners, education for their children, homes, and quality of life. As the new brewmaster, Miller Brewing Company's quick involvement in community events reflects the company's commitment its employees and its neighbors.

The Olympian Copyright 2000

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