The Centralia Massacre

As I stood in Centralia’s George Washington Park in the midst of blustery weather and cold rain, Ted pointed out the irony of the statues erected in honor of the Centralia massacre. The large bronze statue known as The Sentinel is the most noticeable and immediately commanded my attention at the center of the park. It was commissioned and placed in 1924 in the name of the four Legionnaires who were killed on that fateful date of November 11, 1919. There is also a tiny plaque on the ground which is a bit more difficult to notice and gives a lasting memory to those were killed in the tragedy. John Regan, co-owner of the Centralia Square Antique Mall, stated, “The monument in the park does not really convey what most people consider to be
It is thirty feet wide and twenty five feet high and sits on the top story of the Centralia Square Antique Mall. As seen in Anne Fischel’s film, Lewis County: Hope and Struggle, Mike Alewitz, a labor muralist with a unique flair, was commissioned to paint this mural. He chose to use a lot of metaphorical imagery and symbolism in his depiction of the Centralia Massacre. For example, Wesley Everest is triumphantly raising his arms up in the air and half-dressed in both logger clothing and military garb to show his multi-faceted background. To the right there is a capitalist pig surrounded by bags of money and piles of timber; this is meant to symbolize logging company
It’s like Centralia is preserving its culture through this constantly churning machine of goods that hearken to times of yore. I felt as if Centralia was stuck in the past and having a difficult time revitalizing itself to attract more people. I spent a little bit of time researching retirement in Centralia and it seems a large percentage of people who live there are retirees or senior citizens. The downtown doesn’t seem to cater so much to any sort of younger crowd as it does to collectors and possible tourists passing through. The mall along I-5 is a good start but ultimately doesn’t provide a sustainable drive for the younger crowd. The roller rink was also a plus. Centralia College is also a huge positive and a jump off point; one of my roommates last year transferred to The Evergreen State College from there. Perhaps if Centralia would like to grow as a community they can utilize output from the younger generation or look to other communities, such as Olympia, to find ways to incorporate a more thriving downtown. I know the transition from logging as the main source of income may also be a burden for