The City of North Bend is inviting community members to come experience the history of North Bend during a downtown walking tour from 9:30 to 11:30AM, Thursday, Aug. 31st. The tour starts at the North Bend Visitor Information Center at 250 Bendigo Blvd. South.
Join knowledgeable guides and Snoqualmie Valley ‘gurus’ – Dave Battey, Fritz Ribary, Gardiner Vinnedge and Pat McKiernan – as they introduce you to some of the unique stories that formed North Bend.
Guides will explore the history of 20 historic downtown North Bend storefronts, including the origination dates, photos and business owners in the early 1900s – as wells as provide insight into North Bend World War II Veterans’ Memorial.
Did you know? North Bend Way was widened in anticipation of US Highway 10 during the early 1940s. US-10 was later replaced by Interstate 90.
“To widen North Bend Way, they had to slice off one-third of the McGrath’s Hotel and move this portion around the corner,” local historian, Dave Battey explained. “The history of downtown North Bend is very fascinating!”
Or… that the stoplight also added at the intersection of North Bend Way and Bendigo Blvd has some unique history?
“This was the first stoplight in North Bend and the only one until Chicago, Illinois on US-10,”
Battey explained. “You can imagine how backed up traffic got with a stoplight breaking up a major east-west highway during holiday traffic.”
Tour participants will also enjoy a colorful photo of downtown North Bend from the 1970s when merchants had downtown decked out in Bavarian Alps theme, which inspired Alpine Days – now known as the Festival at Mt. Si.
This is just the tip of the North Bend history iceberg.
Learn this and more during the North Bend Walking Tour. No need for reservations – just show up. The event is free and open to the public.
