The Centennial Trail is a 30-mile trail that runs through Snohomish County, a place for bikers, runners, walkers and horseback riders. It’s also a cross-section of our county’s past, following the old Northern Pacific Railway. In late 2013, signs went up along the trail as part of the Past Forward project, which brought county history to life with interpretive signs and a website rich with photos and oral histories.
Past Forward is included in an exhibit at the Center for Architecture &Design in downtown Seattle. It’s part of a national traveling exhibit on creative ways communities have used design to get people moving.
Here are three ways to explore the Centennial Trail, whether you have a whole day for a bike ride or you don’t even want to leave home.
On the trail
There are eight Past Forward signs at key points along Centennial Trail. The farthest south is in Snohomish and the farthest north is at the Nakashima Barn, north of Arlington. A visit to all of them gives a fascinating look into county history, not to mention a good chance to explore the trail.
The signs are easy to spot along the trail. They’re bright, attractive and clearly all part of a set. Be sure to wander around to look at the back side of the signs, which are nearly as interesting as the fronts. Old street signs were recycled for the project, and the signs’ original purpose is visible on the back.
“There’s a lot of depth to the project,” said Ellen Southard of Site Story, a firm dedicated to community-based education with a focus on history and the environment. Southard started the project after she heard about a grant from the Federal Transportation Enhancement Fund. She thought the Centennial Trail would be a good fit. Southard had previously worked on Snohomish County’s tourism plan and she knew that eastside communities wanted a way to draw visitors.
“The eastside tends to have smaller communities, with fewer tourist attractions,” she said. “We got a tremendous response throughout the process.”
Gladys Ly-Au Young of SKL Architects worked hard to make the signs distinctive and attractive. She used bold colors, with the design inspired by both the railroads and post-modern aesthetics.
“There are many different signs all over the trail,” she said. “So you need to make it really clear that the signs belong as a set.”
The signs are at:
Snohomish, just south of the intersection of Maple and Pine
Learn about how U.S. 2, which used to run through downtown Snohomish, was eventually relocated, despite some misgivings.
Pilchuck, 5801 S. Machias Road, Snohomish
Learn about the importance of the dairy industry to Snohomish County.
Machias, 1624 Virginia Street, Snohomish
The Centennial Trail was once an important rail route. The depot at this site is a replica of the original from 1890.
20th Street, 13205 20th Street NE, Lake Stevens
Learn about how Lake Stevens has adapted to changes throughout the years, from a timber industry to the age of aerospace.
Getchell, 8318 Westlund Road, Lake Stevens
The Past Forward project worked hard to tell diverse stories. At this trailhead, learn about native American women who fought against discrimination to get the Sauk-Suiattle and the Stillaguamish tribes recognized by the federal government.
Armar Road, 15344 67th Avenue NE, Arlington
Southard says the story of Twin City Foods had a lot of depth. “Not only was it a family business, they were one of the largest employers in the county. And after (World War II) they held onto as many women employees as they could.”
Bryant, 26804 Highway 9, Arlington
Step on the trail and read about the Bryant General Store, started in 1929. Then turn around, cross the street and check out the store for yourself.
Nakashima, 32328 Highway 9, Arlington
The Nakashima family built the barn that stands at this site in 1910. The family was forced to sell the farm and sent to internment camps during World War II.
Southard is extremely proud of the site and says working on it was the most powerful part of the project.
“That was the first time the family had opened up about that experience,” she said.
“That’s a truly special site,” said Ly-Au Young.
From your couch
Southard wanted the website, centennialtrail.com, to be a way for anyone to explore the Centennial Trail, even those who couldn’t visit it in person.
“The homebound or an armchair traveler can experience the trail through the website,” she said.
The oral histories also makes the website accessible to the visually impaired. (The physical trail signs also have braille.)
The website includes a huge wealth of county history. You can click on spots along the trail to read the stories of each place, see historic photos, hear oral histories (both in shorter, edited videos, and the uncut version for those who want even more backstory).
Wendy Poischbeg, the county’s cultural and economic development manager, worked with Southard to make the project a reality. She said she appreciates the variety of stories told through the website. She especially enjoys the stories of the American Indian women who fought to get recognition for their tribes and the story of Twin City Foods and the industrial revolution.
“Everyone tells the story of the first pioneer and first logger, they’re telling other stories, too,” she said.
Both Southard and Ly Au Young expressed incredible pride at the Nakashima family portion of the project, which is particularly interesting online, with historic photos and an oral history from Henry Egashira, a descendant of the Nakashima pioneers. At first, the family was reluctant to talk, but decided after the trailhead dedication to share their stories.
“It was a very humbling experience for me,” Southard said. “It was a very intimate experience for them to share their story and trust us.”
The bigger picture
The Past Forward project is featured, along with other regional projects, at the FitNation exhibit at the Center for Architecture &Design in Seattle. The center is a new space shared by architecture and design groups. The center officially opened recently.
If you visit, you can get an idea of other ways communities are using design to encourage people to exercise and stay fit — in creative ways.
Some of the other projects featured include Olympic Park in Seattle and the Denny Bike, a bike designed to make cycling easier and safer in hilly cities like Seattle.
The national portion of the exhibit highlights projects around the country, such as community gardens, mini-pools and bicycle centers.
If you go
The trail: Get all the details on the Centennial Trail, whether you want to explore from you couch or in person, at http://centennialtrail.com.
The exhibit: Fit Nation is at the Center for Architecture &Design at 1010 Western Ave., Seattle; http://cfadseattle.org/
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