By Chuck Woodbury
ROADSIDE JOURNAL
Everyone in the Concrete, Washington, cemetery is buried in Concrete. That is absolutely true! Okay, notice that I have capitalized Concrete. It’s the name of the town. Get it — buried in Concrete? Okay, a silly pun. But every time I pass through I think of it.
Concrete is located about a 90-minute drive northeast of Seattle, along state Route 20, which meanders east and west across the Cascade Mountains through magnificent North Cascades National Park — passing from green Western Washington to dry, brown, Eastern Washington. The North Cascades block most rain from crossing to the east, hence the brown landscape there.
The town sign entering Marblemount west of the pass of Route 20 proclaims, “Gateway to the American Alps.” Actually, the slogan fits. It’s a magnificent landscape.
How it got its name
Concrete got its name in 1909 because of its Portland cement plant. Before Concrete, it was called “Cement City.” Today it seems every other business is named Concrete this and Concrete that. The high school has a claim to fame: You can drive through it — underneath, actually. This may be the only “Drive Thru High School” in America.
CONCRETE HAD ITS MOMENT OF FAME back in 1938. Like most Americans, on the evening of October 30 most citizens were glued to their radios, listening to Orson Welles’ terrifying radio drama “War of the Worlds.” It was so real that many Americans believed it was a news bulletin about Martians invading Earth.
Just at the point where the aliens were swarming towns and the countryside with flashes of light and poison gases, a power failure suddenly plunged almost all 1,000 residents of Concrete into darkness, silencing their radios. As far as the locals knew, the aliens would soon overrun their town.
Everyone panicked. Some headed into the mountains. Others rushed off to guard their moonshine stills. One businessman, a devout Catholic — drove to the nearest service station and demanded gasoline. According to Wikipedia, “Without paying the attendant, he rushed off to Bellingham to see his priest for a last-minute absolution of sins.
“The distraught man reportedly told the gas station attendant that paying for the gas wouldn’t make any difference because ‘Everyone is going to die!'”
Reporters wrote stories about the panicked town that appeared in newspapers around the world. For one moment, Concrete was famous. But that was the last time. Today, Concrete is a sleepy village of 700 with a pretty main street. Most of its buildings are constructed with (what else?) concrete!
##RVT1168
Thank you, Chuck! 🙂 Great story! You are a fitting and worthy successor to Charles Kuralt. 🙂 Thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
Quite the interesting story about Concrete, which I have passed through many times on my way to the “wet side” of our many faceted state. Only one comment and I’ll bet you already know what it is.
While the Cascades do, in fact, form a rain shadow, it mainly affects only the central portion of our state. We over here on the eastern edge, hard against the foothills of the Rockies, enjoy fully four seasons including plenty of rain and snow.
No, we aren’t quite as green as the west side, nor for as long, but we aren’t as moldy either.
My best friend from high school was married to someone born and raised in Concrete. (That sounds very strange.🤔) 😀 –Diane at RVtravel.com
In NOLA a great many are buried in concrete.
The story about Concrete was great! I do enjoy each issue, try not to get too far behind in my reading of them! Since we are currently traveling and staying in Washington State it’s even better…thanks for all the smiles and chuckles!
Living in the Northwest we have enjoyed Concrete, the city and the Baker Lake for fishing. Highway #20 is a swell change from the crazy freeway roads.
The whole road from I-5 to #97 is well worth it if you enjoy the scenery and the ride.