McCleary Musings

McCleary sunrise

Oct. 16, 2010. After late October, seeing the sun around here is an infrequent happening, so we record the event and keep warm by looking at the photos.

Write-in JOE For Mayor of McCleary

Oct. 14, 2013. Seen at the east entrance to town.

What the heck is it?

Oct. 14, 2012. A close look at that mysterious box at Sam's Food Mart leaves more questions than answers, and now resides in the borders of our minds where we place all items of ambiguity.

The mysterious box

Oct. 14, 2012. That grey distribution box intrigues me at Sam's Food Mart. What is it for?

Oct. 10, 2010

This empty lot in 3rd St. is where the McCleary Theater once stood. It burned around 2003.

Too many stories to fit in here. It stopped running movies in the late 1960s, I think, and became an auction hall in the early 1970s. A professional auctioneer named Virgil if I remember was quite a draw. Eventually he moved on and others ran the auction, but none of them had the skill of the first guy in terms of entertainment. By 2003 the old swayback building had become an eyesore.

Built in the 1920s, the building's most historic role was serving as a convention center in 1942 after Henry McCleary sold his company town to Simpson, who in turn insisted the people here incorporate into a municipality. It was here the people divided themselves into two local parties and nominated their first candidates for public office.

So while the young men of McCleary were serving in the military to protect democracy, the folks back home were trying to form one.

Donkey engine winches

Oct. 10, 2010.

Donated to the City as a display by former Mayor Ted Rakoski (1914-2001).

Ted was a very devoted civic volunteer, active in the VFW, McCleary Museum, city government, etc. One expression of his that I like to repeat as much as I can is, "that really burns my ass when ... [fill in the blank]."

Donkey engines were steam contraptions that drug freshly cut timber with a cable once they were in log form to a central position where they could be stacked and transported. These engines usually rested on giant wooden sleds. Back in the early 20th century these sleds were constructed at the very place were Ted's winches are now on display.

In the background on the right is the kitchen where the bear stew is prepared every year for the Bear Festival. The original kitchen, which was much smaller, was replaced in the late 1980s-early 1990s. About the same time the locomotive "Dink" and the old horse-drawn fire engine were enclosed in a cage. Before that they were just out in the open.