By early 1925, some of the first articles started appearing in the Bee-Nugget archives. “City Dads Discuss Plans for the New Civic Auditorium,” reads one headline. “Public Strong on Auditorium” reads another.
But how did a raucous auditorium end up above our police department?
You have to remember: This was the mid-1920s. The roaring 20s. Cities across the west coast were racing to establish themselves as regional industry leaders and promote their reputations as the “finest” city of their given region to attract citizens (laborers) to meet the demand for growth.
Mayor John West, grocery store owner (and son of William West), had a reputation as a sort of empire builder. Articles in the Bee-Nugget seem to paint him as a progressive, forward-thinking city planner. He’s often described as a man with vision.
Just the year before, Chief Ernest “Ernie” C. Kuehner had been appointed as the City of Chehalis Fire Chief. There is some conflicting history available about when exactly Chief Kuehner was appointed — both City of Chehalis and other documents agree that Kuehner joined Chehalis Fire Department in 1916. But Bee-Nugget archives indicate he wasn’t appointed as chief until 1923 — just a year before Mayor West was elected.
According to the archives, Chief Kuehner was an active advocate for fire safety in the community. Chief Kuehner wasted no time in visiting schools, testing and timing fire drill procedures. By all accounts, it appears that Chief Kuehner prided himself on being proactive in the community.
If you remember from my previous column on this topic, W.F. West, owner of the St. Helens Hotel in the 1920s — brother of John West, who would become mayor — had once publicly advocated for increased and updated fire fighting equipment to protect his business should a fire break out. And, it was around the 1923-24 years that we start seeing mention of fire insurance rates being raised on Chehalis residents, as fire safety standards were increasing.
So, it’s no surprise that, in 1924, we start read briefs and clips in the news archives of Chief Kuehner making trips to Olympia to see a demonstrations of modern pumpers, improved fire hoses and new fire safety technology.
Since records claim Ernie Kuehner had been the department since 1916, it’s no doubt the raging Coal Creek Lumber Company fire, among others, had left an impression on the young fire chief. It appears that he took his job very seriously.
In the first quarter of 1924 — just after Mayor West’s term began — we see some of the first articles in the Chehalis Bee-Nugget where officials and citizens again begin discussing major improvements to the Chehalis Fire Department building and equipment. “New Fire House and Equipment,” reads a March headline — expected to cost the taxpayers $30,000-40,000.
It’s noted that the city’s “heaviest taxpayers” — N.B. Coffman, J.T. Alexander, and (you guessed it) W.F. West — signed a petition supporting the upgrades. Citizen also noted that the original firehouse — which was originally staffed by volunteer fire staff — had been built at no cost to the city and had well outlived its use.
According to archives, original plans for what became dubbed the “Chehalis Municipal Building” included a two-story firehouse, and an adjacent single-story for the purposes of “Water Department” (Public Works) storage.
There’s an interesting mystery here, too — the standing fire hall was moved during construction to make room for the new building. But we also have reason to believe (if you read my previous piece last Saturday) that the Chehalis City Jail was right next door to the fire hall. Archives mention that a wooden shack had been attached to the concrete jail structure for the purposes of public work storage.
What remains unclear here, is where exactly police headquarters was located prior to 1928 … was it part of the city jail in 1924? Is the original jail structure part of the current building? The archives aren’t very clear.
Regardless — in November 1924, voters approved a bond to build the municipal building.
And somewhere around there, we begin seeing reports of private efforts by Mayor West to sign “subscriptions” of support for a new auditorium slated to fill in the second level of the municipal building.
Archives credit Mayor West for helping raise more than $13,000 to add the auditorium to the building. West mentioned opportunities for Chehalis to host fine state, regional, and national events — West saw a future for Chehalis as a brilliant tourist hub. West, along with other citizens, believed that an auditorium would give Chehalis a new level of status, as a city.
Soon after, in the spring of 1925, we begin to see talk of contracts being awarded for construction and the rest is history. It was the beginning of a building that would become woven into the memories of citizens across an incredible spectrum of events.
Another interesting point? I had no idea that “The Civic” was actually originally named the “William West Memorial Auditorium.” In fact, it was the one thing that no one mentioned in all the conversations I had with people who remembered “The Civic.” In fact, I turned up a photo of plaque inside the building that matches the archives.
The plaque reads: “Dedicated to the memory of William West who settled in what is now Chehalis in 1864.”
The historic nod to William West was suggested by the railroad president of the C, C & C Railroad at the time. And, it was a suggestion overwhelmingly supported by citizens.
William West, commonly noted as the “father of Chehalis” (for his efforts to lure the railroad through Chehalis), was Mayor John West’s father.
In fact, the only place I have seen mention of the “William West Memorial Auditorium” was in the archives. It’s not listed on the City of Chehalis website historical info, nor listed in the historical documents of the municipal building from the 1980s.
As I mentioned — everyone remembers the1950s and ‘60s era of The Civic, but it seems no one really remembered the building’s true roots.
I think that W.E. Brown really said it best in his letter, suggesting this nod: “It is further gratifying to note that Chehalis has produced architects and builders who have developed organizations big enough to successfully compete for construction of the building which will house Chehalis’ efficient fire organization under Chief Kuehner’s tireless day and night care and our citizens’ own addition it seems timely, should be named ‘The William West Memorial Auditorium’ dedicated to the memory of Chehalis’ city founder and it’s first mayor who associated with the pioneers that made under many difficulties, the starting of a community which is now rounding naturally into an important growing city.”
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Brittany Voie is a columnist for The Chronicle. She is a fifth-generation daughter of the pioneers who settled in Claquato and lives south of Chehalis with her husband and two sons.
