Historical museum scores points with hometown sports exhibit

History can be serious business, but it also leaves room for fun and games.

The proof is in an exhibit unveiled amid much fanfare during a two-hour reception at the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner Thursday night.

“Hometown Skagit” focuses on how sports have shaped communities in the area, offering glimpses into championship teams and prominent figures from the turn of the 20th century to modern times.

The exhibit, guest curated by Briana Mabson, who has a master’s degree in Museology from the University of Washington, offers a bit of something for every sports fan.

There are displays highlighting legendary rodeo star Wick Peth and snowboarding icon Eric Swanson. Both attended the opening reception.

Photographs and sports gear from various eras of team sports competition in Skagit County are also major parts of the exhibit. Among those are memorabilia from the storied Mount Vernon Milkmaids semi-pro baseball team, whose pitching staff featured La Conner’s Francis Mesman.

La Conner High volleyball coach Suzanne Marble, who has guided her program to four state titles, joins such illustrious Skagit sports names as Glen Rickert, Roland Kirkby, Mark Hendrickson, Kyle Kendrick, Mel Hein and T.J Oshie.

Mention is also made of Edison basketball player Edward R. Murrow, who went on to become a famed CBS World War II correspondent and pioneer in broadcast journalism, whose career set and still represents the industry’s highest standards.

Mabson, who has La Conner roots – she connects to the Valentine family – began working on “Hometown Skagit” in March.

“I had a lot of help from community members,” she said, “who helped guide me along the way. They would tell me I needed to get items on so-and-so and that would lead to other resources.”

Peth and Swanson shared favorite stories and anecdotes with an audience that included Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen and Pioneer Association Vice-President John Kamb, Jr. That truly brought history to life.

“It was fabulous,” said Museum Director Jo Wolfe, “to have two legends of Skagit sport at the museum at the same time.”

Swanson is a founder of modern snowboarding, which became an Olympic sport in 1998, dating to his exploits at the inaugural Mount Baker Banked Slalom more than three decades ago. His collection of boards, magazine articles and photos fill a display case at the museum.

“Briana,” he said, gazing at the exhibit, “did a great job.”

Peth, 89, provided insights from a Hall of Fame career that saw him transform the art of bull fighting, eschewing comedy and slapstick in favor of his athleticism. The 5’-6” Peth grew up on a working ranch and played football in his youth, a combination that was essential when it came to protecting cowboys in the arena.

His unique skill set, which he showcased at venues across the country – including Madison Square Garden in New York City – led the editors of Life magazine to make Peth the subject of a widely-read article.

Of course, there were plenty of close calls along the way.

“There was a time,” he remembered, “when a big bull knocked me down and made a rag out of me.”

Peth was placed in an ambulance afterward, but that proved temporary. He ended up jumping out the back.

Another time, in St. Paul, Minnesota, a bull ran over Peth several times, leaving him unable to use his right arm for the drive home. His then-10-year-old son, Dan, shifted gears while Peth worked the clutch all the way to Bow.

“Somehow,” Dan Peth quipped on Thursday, “we made it back without breaking the transmission.”

Most of Wick Peth’s memories are far less painful.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was all pretty neat.”

Both for Peth and his fans, including lifelong friend Muriel Neely.

“It was great fun to go over to the John Peth farm because they would practice there,” she recalled. ‘They had a rodeo, I tell you what!”

“Hometown Skagit” runs through Dec. 31. Mabson said those having artifacts to loan or stories to share can still do so.

“There’s been a lot of stuff to distill,” she said, “but we can potentially add to it.’