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PODCAST

Tales of the Magic Skagit

Tales of the Magic Skagit is the podcast companion to the eponymous Meyer Sign series (meyersign.com/articles) dedicated to the people, places, and things that make Western Washington"s Skagit Valley a magical place to live. Through our stories and interviews we look at life in this beautiful place going back to the First Peoples of the Skagit -- the people of the River and the people of the Salmon -- up to the present.

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

00:19:55

Equality Colony Revisited

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/04/28

Last year I wrote a story that proved quite popular with our Tales of the Magic Skagit audience. It was the story of a failed socialist utopia that was created just southeast of Blanchard, WA (the birthplace of Edward R. Murrow) at the end of the 19th century. It was called Equality Colony, and it was the inspiration of an association called the Brotherhood for Cooperative Commonwealth (BCC), which established a headquarters in Edison, WA — hence the title of our story, “Welcome to the People’s

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00:16:19

The World of Vi Hilbert

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/03/21

In July 1993, a collection of stories, essays, and poems was published about the life of Vi Hilbert. Edited by the Seattle-based author Janet Yoder, the collection was a celebration of Vi's 75th birthday. As Janet describes it in her foreword, "The stories weave together like cedar bark to create a picture of this marvelous woman" who was "a language teacher, a storyteller, a translator, a researcher and a traditional elder" from the Skagit and Upper Skagit tribes. In this

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00:43:19

Lost Cities of the Skagit: An Interview with Mari...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/03/06

Not long after my immigration to the Magic Skagit, I paid my first visit to the Skagit County Historical Society Museum in La Conner. It was there that I first became aware that there were a number of communities, besides those of the First People of this place, that had once existed whose place names have been forgotten over time. While the museum maintains an exhibit that tells the stories of some of these, it took archivist Mari Anderson Densmore's book, Lost Cities of Skagit - Rediscovering

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00:38:21

Mayor Steve Sexton and the City of Burlington Take a...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/03/04

A March 3, 2023 article in the Skagit Valley Herald described Burlington's Skagit First Step Center as Skagit County's "only low barrier homeless shelter." Burlington mayor Steve Sexton cites its success since it opened in summer 2021 in providing "a small piece of a very complex puzzle. Sadly, the Herald's headline read, "Short On Funding." In this interview with Mayor Sexton, we talk about the origin and design of Skagit First Step Center, and how the mayor of a small city in the Pacific

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00:07:04

The Making of My Cousin

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/19

Tony Cladoosby, a Swinomish elder, prayed for a cedar canoe in the midst of his own canoe journey. He related the story of his vision for a family canoe that he would name "My Cousin," and of a second canoe to be named "My Last Cousin," in an earlier podcast episode, "Canoe Journey -- Part 3." With the generous assistance of the Island County Historical Society Museum, Tony has been studying a nearly 200-year old canoe that once belonged to Chief Snetlum, with the intention of replicating its

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00:22:54

Remembering John J. Peth

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/18

A few months back, Tales of the Magic Skagit introduced you to Bruce (Honker) McCormick and his "Monster Book of Pioneers": a family heirloom entitled, "An Illustrated History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties." During our initial interview about the book, which was published in 1906 and subsequently restored, we read the biography of Bruce's grandfather, David McCormick, one of the earliest immigrants of European origin to the Skagit Valley. In what we are now planning as a monthly series, I rejoin

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00:29:59

A Brief History of Whidbey Island - Part 2

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/14

In Part 1 of "A Brief History of Whidbey Island," Rick Castellano, the executive director of the Island County Historical Society Museum in Coupeville, told us about his own history, and the journey that led him to his current vocation. In this concluding part of our series, we’ll take a deeper dive into the history of Coupeville, starting with Rick’s reference to a 2009 study by the National Park Service with the cumbersome title, "An Ethnohistory of Traditionally Associated Contemporary

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00:30:39

A Brief History of Whidbey Island: A Conversation...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/10

One of my goals for our Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast series is to do more interviews with people who make a career out of knowing the history of this marvelous place. I’m thinking in particular about museum directors and curators. One of the folks on my list has been Rick Castellano, the executive director of the Island County Historical Society Museum in Coupeville, Washington — situated on beautiful Penn Cove. I got to work on my goal on the last day of January 2023, when I sat down to an

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00:36:01

The Mountain Runners - Part 3

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/09

It’s 1913 -- year three of the Mount Baker Marathon. There’s a new cast of characters involved in organizing the race, and the financial stakes are more fraught than ever, as are the weather conditions on the mountain summit as race time arrives. Once again, greed, egotism, and promotional aspirations collide with considerations of runners’ safety, with near lethal results. Todd Warger and Brian Young give us a behind the scenes look at historical details and footnotes that they weren't able to fit

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00:33:04

Along the River of Coffee: Cà Phê Sông Brings a...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/07

Downtown Mount Vernon's newest restaurant venue, Cà Phê Sông, had its ribbon cutting on January 21. Owners Jenny and Ed take a break from their kitchen prep to share their story of ethnic cuisine, entrepreneurial pluck, and immigrant ambition -- and in the process we also learn about the components of a classic Bahn Mi sandwich and the mysteries of boba tea. This episode could make you hungry, but the cure is as close as Pine Square.

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00:25:37

The Mountain Runners - Part 2

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/07

In Part 1 of The Mountain Runners, the historian/film maker team of Todd Warger and Brian Young revealed the origins of America's first mountain adventure race in 1911 -- a harrowing route from Bellingham, Washington to the summit of Mount Baker and back via automobile, train, foot -- and sometimes by horse. We listened to a detailed account of the inaugural event, which included a train derailment and exaggerated claims of catastrophe -- the 19th Century version of "fake news." Joe Galbraith won

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00:43:37

The Mountain Runners - Part 1

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/02/02

Fourteen runners will start. Few will finish. This is the incredible true story of America's first mountain adventure race -- one that Hollywood would have been hard pressed to script. Fortunately, this didn't prevent a local historian and a Mount Vernon film maker from producing a documentary about an unbelievable race from Bellingham, WA to the top of Mount Baker and back that took place in 1911 and continued for two tumultuous years after an inaugural event that put America's "fourth corner" on

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00:27:37

Where the Language Lives - Part 3

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/01/13

In this final installment of our three-part podcast episdoe, “Where the Language Lives,” we start off with a story from Janet Yoder’s book that exemplfies Vi Hilbert's vision for the Lushootseed language, and her ability to speak that vision into existence. It’s the story of the Healing Hearts Symphony. We’ll also hear about Robby Rudine’s passion for Lushoostseed, and we’ll listen to him recite one of TAWK-sh-blu’s favorite stories, “Lady Louse Cleans House” — in Lushootseed, with translation by

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00:31:55

Where The Language Lives - Part 2

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/01/10

In part one of this episode, we learned the story of Janet Yoder and her husband's 30-year relationship with Vi Hilbert (TAHK-SH-BLU), and about the book that celebrates their friendship: Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of Lushootseed. We also learned about Vi's life and work from her daughter, Lois Dodson. In part two of the podcast, we'll learn more about Lois' life and her evolution as a story teller with a sometimes conflicted relationship with the language her mother devoted

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00:32:10

Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/01/08

One of the great pleasures I've experienced in living in the Magic Skagit for the past decade has been learning about the First People of this place I now call home. In doing so, I quickly became aware of the name Vi Hilbert, thanks to my wife's purchase of a Lushootseed dictionary that Vi had played a role in creating. With the recent publication of the book, "Where the Language Lives: Vi Hilbert and the Gift of Lushootseed," I've developed a much greater appreciation for what Vi Hilbert

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00:22:41

Canoe Journey -- Part 2: Prayer for a Cedar Canoe

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2022/12/14

This is the concluding segment in our two-part series on the cultural significance of canoes among the Coast Salish people -- past, present, and future. In episode one, Eric Day, Michelle Calvin, and Tony Cladoosby discussed the origins of the Canoe Journey, and Eric and Michelle spoke at length about how it changed their lives. In this episode, Tony shares his personal history as well, and talks about his vision for two future canoes: My Cousin and My Last Cousin. The segment concludes with a

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00:35:12

Canoe Journey -- Part 1: Origins and Meanings

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2022/12/01

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Beaver Tales, a podcast series by and about the first peoples of the Skagit Valley. The series is co-hosted by Michael Boss, the producer of Meyer Sign's "Tales of the Magic Skagit," along with Michelle Calvin and Tony Cladoosby, the co-owners of Beaver Tales Coffee in historic La Conner, WA. Our first episode considers the significance of the canoe among the first inhabitants of the Skagit Valley and the coastal communities of the Salish Sea. In part one, Tony,

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00:12:29

Memories of a Pioneer Granddaughter

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2022/11/01

At the 2022 Skagit County Fair, Don Wick and I got to interview a lot of folks with deep and resonant memories not only of fair's past, but of our community's past. One of those folks was a lifelong horse person and fairgoer whose name should be familiar with anyone acquainted with the Magic Skagit's pioneer past: Liza Peth Bott, whose mother came from the venerable Peth farming family. Liza tells us stories of horses, growing up on the farm, forbidden fair foods, and her memories of her very first

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00:25:33

The Lewis & Clark Native Plant Garden

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2022/10/27

I have often said that the Idaho Botanical Garden is a jewel in the crown of Boise, Idaho. Its east foothills' setting adjacent to the old Idaho State Penitentiary is reason enough to visit, but its displays of Idaho's botanical riches will keep you coming back through the cycle of seasons -- its Winter Garden Aglow is absolutely breathtaking. As its website so succinctly describes it, the Idaho Botanical Garden is "a lush, 15-acre tapestry of dappled shade and vibrant splashes of color." It's a

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00:06:35

Share Your Fair: Meet Cap'n Seaglass, Matey!

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2022/10/07

Avast ye slimy bilge rats, and tell me if ye've seen a bolder buccaneer at the Skagit County Fair than me shipmate, Cap'n Seaglass, or I'll keelhaul the lot of you sorry swabs. One thing you can be sure of is that you're not likely to encounter anyone whose business card reads "Pirate for Hire." Arggh!

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