11/30/2011 Walking Tour Plaques Unveiled

Chehalis Community Renaissance Team Unveils Walking Tour Plaques

PRESS RELEASE, November 30, 2011
By Chehalis Community Renaissance Team

The Chehalis Community Renaissance Team (CCRT) first released The Historic Downtown
Chehalis Walking Tour booklets almost two years ago. The booklets were completed after
considerable research, especially by the historians at the Lewis County Historical Museum.
One thousand booklets were printed and since the decision was made to only give them to
those who requested one, many believed the supply would last for years. However, those one
thousand were gone in five months and the CCRT has now printed a total of 4,000. The
interest in the historic nature of downtown Chehalis has exceeded expectations. Reunions,
school groups, citizens and tourists all enjoy the tours. Booklets are available at Book ‘n
Brush, City Hall, the Vernetta Smith Chehalis Timberland Library, and where the highest
number has been distributed, A Taste of Eden Bakery.

The Chehalis Foundation approached the CCRT with a great offer. They wanted to see high
quality cast metal plaques on the exterior of buildings to reinforce the tour and emphasize the
historic value of the buildings and donated $4,500 for that purpose. An anonymous donor
then added $1,000. Each owner has been asked to contribute just $100. The cast metal
plaques were ordered locally and cast at a foundry in Indiana.

The first plaque was installed a few days ago by the door of Somsiri Thai Restaurant on NW
Chehalis Avenue. Constructed in 1907, the building was known as the SaindonGarbe
Building.

The Chehalis Community Renaissance is a series of projects that addresses a broad range –
from the trees and shrubs planted on downtown streets, to signage to attract and guide
visitors, to studying the feasibility of both a business incubator facility and a handson
children’s museum, and much more. The total implementation will span over several
decades.

Contact Larry McGee at lsmlsm152@gmail.com or Caryn Foley at cfoley@ci.chehalis.wa.us
for more information.