Skagit pioneers feast on salmon, cherished memories at 120th Pioneer Picnic

People go to great lengths to attend the annual Pioneer Picnic in La Conner.

Attendees traveled from near and far – one person arriving from Beijing, China, 5,350 miles distant – to enjoy the 120th gathering of Skagit County pioneers and guests.

A 2024 Pioneer Picnic crowd estimated at over 200 people also included La Conner Mayor Marna Hanneman, whose home isn't much farther than the proverbial 1,000 steps from the Pioneer Park site.

The continuing summer tradition features a barbecued salmon dinner served by members of the La Conner Civic Garden Club and a Skagit County Pioneer Association general business meeting afterward – is a fundraiser for the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner and an opportunity to honor an outstanding pioneer family and those who personify the pioneer spirit.

This year's honorees were the Wesen family, who operate an 1,100-acre centennial organic dairy farm near Bow and a group of Concrete civic leaders who have led revitalization and economic development efforts in the Upper Skagit Valley community known for its mining, logging and cement production.

Diners were split between those who took their lunch – along with beverages provided by the La Conner Sunrise Food Bank – in the warm sun or in the shade of the park's sheltered picnic area.

Wherever they dined, the reviews were universal: two thumbs-up for fish cooks (and sisters) Patsy Good, Virginia Good-Vlahovich and Kim Good-Rubenstein plus helpers Maynard Axelson and Rev. Don Robinson.

Prior to and during lunch, John Anderson and Friends performed favorite time-honored tunes, then yielded the park's amphitheater for the business meeting.

Pioneer Association President Loren Dahl, Jr., of Edison, introduced and cited the achievements of the Pioneer Spirit Award recipients, whom he referred to as the "Concrete Heroes."

Dahl praised Concrete Herald editor-publisher Jason Miller for reviving the former weekly paper into a 40-page monthly that is the voice of the Upper Valley.

"It has been vital for providing interesting and inspiring articles for the Upper Skagit Valley," Dahl said of Miller's publication, which enjoys a reputation for factual reporting and engaging feature stories.

Dahl noted that Valerie Stafford and Fred West refurbished in Concrete the oldest movie theater in the county, which opened int 1923 and have added the Act One Ice Cream Parlor, a community meeting room and art gallery.

Dahl said John Boggs serves as chair of the Concrete Historic Preservation and Landmarks Commission and is the face of the Concrete Heritage Museum.

"He enjoys history and community," Dahl said, "and his hope is that we, the museum association collectively, can find ways to adapt to be relevant well into the future."

Marty and Adrienne Smith were hailed for their 38-year commitment to the Concrete Food Bank.

"Both have pioneer roots in the Upper Skagit Valley," said Dahl. "At 80 and 81, these two are the best definition of the Spirit of the Upper Skagit Valley."

Skagit County Commissioner Ron Wesen, representing his family's fourth generation in Skagit County, spoke on behalf of the descendants of Swedish emigrants Charles and Hannah Olsson Wesen, who wed in La Conner in 1896 and acquired the family farm in 1907.

The pioneer Wesens cleared stumps from the property and saved enough to help other family members come to the U.S. from Sweden, Wesen said.

Wesen referred to a 1913 article in the Mount Vernon Argus praising Charles Wesen for having converted his acreage to productive farmland and milking 12 cows daily.

"We have 750-800 cows now," he noted with a smile, "but they were milking by hand back then."

Wesen saluted his grandmother, who at age 47 was widowed by the sudden death of her husband.

"When grandpa passed away," Wesen said, "grandma had a young family and they had to figure out how to make it work."

Wesen said his parents married in the mid-1950s and raised four sons on the farm.

"Mom was very happy," he said, "when we had daughters-in-law come into the family."

Wesen said his mom and dad, Lyle and Merri Lou Shepler Wesen, instilled in their children the importance of public service.

"I just wish my father could be here today," Wesen said, his voice cracking slightly, "but he passed away in December."

The fast-paced program included group singing of patriotic songs led by La Conner High School alumus Faye Whitney.

Historical museum director Jo Wolfe outlined recent, ongoing and future programs at the La Conner facility and Skagit City School on Fir Island.

Incoming Pioneer Association President Troy Hanson spoke briefly and Duane and Arlene Stowe, ages 94 and 93, respectively, were recognized as the oldest pioneers in attendance. The Stowe family has owned and operated a clothing and shoe store in downtown Burlington since 1940.

Rev. Vicki Wesen, who studied at Duke University Divinity School and the Virginia School of Theology, opened and closed the business meeting with prayers celebrating contributions made to Skagit history by the area's Native Americans and pioneers and asked all to walk with joy, kindness, courage, wisdom and, above all, to do so in peace.