Pioneer Picnic salutes Bow dairy family, Concrete civic leaders

Bill Reynolds | Jul 31, 20240

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Photo courtesy of the Skagit County Historical Museum count

MAKING THEIR CONNECTION TO THE PAST – Thursday's 120th Pioneer Picnic in La Conner's Pioneer Park honors the Wesen farm family and Concrete Heroes. In the old days, the Knutzen family owned the Olympic Ridge Creamery and Cheese Factory, pictured here around 1908.

A revered La Conner summer tradition continues tomorrow with the 120th annual Skagit County Pioneer Association Picnic and General Meeting.

The Aug. 1 event, which supports the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner, is set for 11 a.m. at Pioneer Park. The public is cordially invited.

A barbecue salmon luncheon prepared by the "Good Girls" and served by members of the La Conner Civic Garden Club will be available. The $20 meal includes a commemorative ribbon and free admission to the museum through Aug. 4.

John Anderson and Friends will provide live music. An array of publications devoted to Skagit County history will be on sale.

Following lunch, Skagit County Pioneer Association President Loren Dahl will convene the organization's annual business meeting, at which time descendants of Charles and Hannah Wesen (who were wed in La Conner in 1896) will be honored as the Pioneer Family of the Year.

In addition, seven Concrete community leaders will be recognized as Pioneer Spirit Award recipients.

The Wesens, who were featured in the July 10 issue of the Weekly News, operate a centennial organic dairy in the Bow area. Through the generations, Wesen family members have been engaged in agriculture, business, education, health care, public service and a host of other endeavors that have left their mark on the county.

Ron Wesen currently serves as the senior member of the Skagit County Board of Commissioners.

The Wesens, whose farm has grown to over 1,000 acres and 750 milk cows, were feted as the 1974 Skagit County Dairy Family of the Year and served as grand marshals for the 2019 Berry Dairy Days Parade in Burlington.

"This family has been associated with many civic and community organizations for our valley," Dahl said.

Dubbed the "Concrete Heroes," Jason Miller of the Concrete Herald, John and Gail Boggs of the Concrete Heritage Museum, Marty and Adrienne Smith of the Concrete Food Bank, and Valerie Stafford and Fred West of the Concrete Theatre and One Act Ice Cream Parlor will be saluted for yeoman work on behalf of the upriver community.

"They all share a dedicated passion for their individual pursuits, as well as the Town of Concrete," said Dahl.

The business meeting agenda will include brief reports from museum director Jo Wolfe and association officers, group singing led by La Conner High School alum Faye Whitney, the introduction of association vice president Troy Hanson, and a moment of silence in recognition of departed pioneers.

The La Conner Sunshine Food Bank will provide beverage concessions throughout the day.

The Pioneer Picnic is held in La Conner on the first Thursday in August.

The Skagit County Pioneer Association was founded in 1891, but with requirements quite restrictive, it soon disbanded. In 1904, a Sedro-Woolley group revived the association under less stringent guidelines. Pioneer picnics and general meetings have been held annually ever since, other than the Covid pandemic in 2020.