In Everett, Old Ironsides logged nearly 56,000 visitors

By Bob Mayer

Perspectivepast@gmail.com

On July 4, we celebrate Independence Day with parades, floats and the flying of our flag. By July 5, the celebration is over and all is put away for another year. But in July 1933, residents of Snohomish County enjoyed an extended patriotic celebration thanks to the visit of the frigate USS Constitution to Everett from July 7 to July 14 .

The 175-foot USS Constitution, one of the first ships of the U.S. Navy, was built in 1797 originally to protect U.S. merchant ships from pirates. It then served in the War of 1812 and as a training ship during the Civil War.

During the War of 1812 in a battle with HMS Guerriere, the opposing British commander and crew nicknamed the Constitution “Old Ironsides” as they watched their 18-pound iron cannon balls bounce harmlessly off the copper sheathed 24-inch-thick oak sides.

In 1830, Old Ironsides had fallen into disrepair and the Secretary of the Navy suggested that it be scrapped. Public uproar fueled by the poem “Old Ironsides” by Oliver Wendell Holmes reversed the decision and the ship was restored to seaworthy condition. Cruises eventually included an around-the-world tour from May 1844 through September 1846.

By 1900 another restoration was needed, but funds were not available. In 1905 the Secretary of Navy recommended that the ship be towed to sea and used for target practice. Again, public outcry resulted in granting of funds for a partial restoration sufficient for use as a museum ship.

In 1925, Congress authorized complete rebuilding but did not appropriate money. The Elks and other organizations led a “Save Old Ironsides” campaign soliciting public donations and “Pennies from School Children.” Money also was raised through sales of pictures and souvenirs. The restoration work was done at the Boston Navy Yard from 1926 to 1931 at a cost of nearly $1 million. About $700,000 came from donations and the balance was eventually authorized by Congress.

With restoration complete and Old Ironsides seaworthy again, it conducted a “thank you” tour under tow by the minesweeper USS Grebe from 1931 through 1934. The ship visited nearly 90 ports from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, down the East Coast, the Gulf Coast, Cuba and the Canal Zone, through the Panama Canal and up the West Coast to Bellingham.

On March 10, 1933, Old Ironsides moored in Long Beach, California. A few hours later, a devastating earthquake struck the city. The ship suffered only minor damage, and people on board were shaken but unhurt.

Between May 31 and July 30, Old Ironsides visited the Puget Sound ports of Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Bremerton, Edmonds, Everett, Bellingham, Anacortes and Port Townsend. On July 7, she passed close by the shore of Edmonds at about 1 p.m. to give a good view to the waiting crowds before proceeding to Everett where it was moored on the north side of Pier 1.

Everett was prepared for the visit. Plans for moving visitors safely to and from the ship were made. Parking areas were defined. Lighting was installed and a fire truck was stationed at Pier 1 during the stay — in case of emergency and to wash down the ship when needed. Bus rides were scheduled to transport school children to the ship.

Rumbaugh’s department store at 2504 Wetmore decorated a large display window for the occasion featuring a 5-foot 9-inch-long black-and-white photo of Old Ironsides.

Deans Pharmacy at 1610 Hewitt decorated its display window with a 4-foot-square painting by Henry Bernahl of Old Ironsides at sea with sails unfurled. The painting, valued at $25,000, was considered to be the most authoritative painting of the ship.

Associated Oil Company sponsored a paper program containing a brief history of Old Ironsides and a listing of lunches, dinners and activities for the week. Capt. Harry Ramwell and Mayor C. Edwards were listed as chairmen of the executive committee for the reception of the USS Constitution.

Regulations prohibited commercialization of the ship and onboard sale of souvenirs. To satisfy visitors’ wishes for mementos, postal covers with cachets designed for each port were available to be posted on board and canceled at each city. In Everett, 8,513 covers were issued. Commercial souvenir vendors followed the route of the ship and set up stands on shore nearby.

On July 7, John Dwyer, 80, of Startup toured Old Ironsides. In 1863 at the age of 10, Jack had enlisted in the Navy as cabin boy on the Constitution. After three years, he entered the Merchant Marines.

July 11 was designated Stevens Pass Booster Day with a caravan of visitors driving from Eastern Washington to tour the ship. A luncheon for representatives featured speeches by Constitution executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Henry Hartley and former Washington Gov. Roland Hartley.

My mother was 11 when Old Ironsides visited Everett. She told of donating pennies at school to save the ship and of then touring the ship. She saved news clippings about the visit in her scrapbook. Her stories sparked my interest in the story.

Ruth Heib of Everett was too young to visit Old Ironsides during the 1933 visit but remembers the stories told by her mother, Flora, and older sister, Louise Hoekendorf. Her family album holds wonderful photos of Flora and Louise on the deck of the ship during their tour.

Betty Lou Gaeng, who grew up in Alderwood Manor and Edmonds, has fond memories of the visit of Old Ironsides. She toured the ship when it visited Seattle in June.

She was quite small but remembers in particular how tight the living quarters were and felt sorry for the men who had to sleep in such confined areas.

During her visit, Gaeng was given a picture of the USS Constitution with a flattened penny attached to the wooden frame to signify the pennies donated by school children to restore the ship. She was too young for school, but she remembers her older brothers taking their pennies to school to donate. She will always remember the travels of Old Ironsides as a bright spot during the tough days of the Great Depression.

Between arrival in Everett at 3 p.m. on July 7 and departure at 6 a.m. on July 14, 55,797 visitors toured the ship. The city’s population at the time was 30,000.

Sixty eight years later, Gaeng again visited the ship in Boston, where it remains and is open to visitors. It is seaworthy and frequently sails for Tall Ship celebrations. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy and a National Historic Landmark.

There is a valuable lesson from those who went before us about appreciation of history and historic preservation. Even during the Great Depression, people refused to let such an important piece of our nation’s history be destroyed but instead stepped up personally to contribute to its preservation for the benefit of future generations.