{"id":1808,"date":"2019-05-25T10:10:32","date_gmt":"2019-05-25T17:10:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/?p=1808"},"modified":"2019-09-24T13:17:31","modified_gmt":"2019-09-24T20:17:31","slug":"the-rivers-of-washington-bu-stewart-hendrickson","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/2019\/05\/25\/the-rivers-of-washington-bu-stewart-hendrickson\/","title":{"rendered":"THE RIVERS OF WASHINGTON, by Stewart Hendrickson"},"content":{"rendered":"
Columbia River Gorge facing east toward Beacon Rock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Stilliguamish, Shoalwater, Columbia, Copalis, Clearwater, Kalaloch, Klickitat, Humptullips, Hamma Hamma, Hoh, Dosewallips, Dungeness, Puyallup, Pilchuck, Physt, Quillayutte, Queets, Grey Wolf, Yakima, Taholah, Tieton, Naches, Elwha, Raft, Moclips… \u00a0When I first moved to Washington I was amused by the recitation of rivers in weather reports of flooding. There ought to be a song there. In fact, there are several. <\/span><\/p>\n

Of course everyone knows Woody Guthrie\u2019s song, Roll On, Columbia, Roll On<\/b><\/em>. He also mentions other rivers in this song, which became the official Washington State folksong in 1987. Sung by Woody Guthrie:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

ROLL ON COLUMBIA, ROLL ON
\n<\/b><\/em><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em>
\nRoll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em>
\nYour power is turning our darkness to dawn<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

Green Douglas firs where the waters cut through<\/em>
\nDown her wild mountains and canyons she flew<\/em>
\nCanadian Northwest to the oceans so blue<\/em>
\nRoll on Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

Other great rivers add power to you<\/em>
\nYakima, Snake, and the Klickitat, too<\/em>
\nSandy Willamette and Hood River too<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

Tom Jefferson’s vision would not let him rest<\/em>
\nAn empire he saw in the Pacific Northwest<\/em>
\nSent Lewis and Clark and they did the rest<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

It’s there on your banks that we fought many a fight<\/em>
\nSheridan’s boys in the blockhouse that night<\/em>
\nThey saw us in death but never in flight<\/em>
\nSo roll on Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

At Bonneville now there are ships in the locks<\/em>
\nThe waters have risen and cleared all the rocks<\/em>
\nShiploads of plenty will steam past the docks<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

And on up the river is Grand Coulee Dam<\/em>
\nThe mightiest thing ever built by a man<\/em>
\nTo run the great factories and water the land<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

These mighty men labored by day and by night<\/em>
\nMatching their strength ‘gainst the river’s wild flight<\/em>
\nThrough rapids and falls, they won the hard fight<\/em>
\nSo roll on, Columbia, roll on<\/em><\/p>\n

But there are other songs. Inspired by the folk song\u00a0 Rivers of Texas<\/b><\/em>, Mary Garvey wrote Rivers of Washington<\/strong> to the same tune. Sung by Mary Garvey:
\n<\/span><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/audiofiles\/RiversOfWashington-2.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

RIVERS OF WASHINGTON<\/span><\/b><\/em><\/p>\n

I’m going back to the place I was planted <\/span><\/em>
\nThe place I was formerly taken for granted <\/em>
\nBack where the rivers all ripple and wind <\/em>
\nAnd you can come with me if you are inclined<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I’ll show you the lowlands most likely to flood<\/span><\/em>
\nShow you the mess left by St. Helen’s mud <\/em>
\nAnd if you prove willing and anxious to learn <\/em>
\nI’ll show you some places where salmon return<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In the Coweeman we’ll go for a swim <\/span><\/em>
\nPick the blackberries when daylight grows dim <\/em>
\nUndo our boat and just let it drift <\/em>
\nCoweeman is gentle the Toutle is swift<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

We’ll go where the Toutle used to run clear <\/span><\/em>
\nAnd look for the track left by muskrat and deer <\/em>
\nAnd think on the mountain before it exploded <\/em>
\nThe rivers diverted the banks all eroded<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

If you want to feel better than ever you felt <\/span><\/em>
\nWe’ll stand in the Cowlitz go dipping for smelt <\/em>
\nYou’re sure to get cold and you’re sure to get wet<\/em>
\nBut you’ll sure have a day you can never forget<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

And if you’re still up for what nature discloses<\/span><\/em>
\nWe’ll seek out Kalama’s sweet banks of wild roses <\/em>
\nYou’ve never smelt Mother Nature’s perfume <\/em>
\nIf you’ve not smelt the banks of Kalama in bloom<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

I know you’ve seen sunsets quite often before <\/span><\/em>
\nBut have you seen one on Columbia’s shore<\/em>
\nAnd seen that great river turn into gold<\/em>
\nIt will give you more beauty than your poor heart can hold<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

So if you should ask where I’d like to reside <\/span><\/em>
\nIt’s right at the point where these waters collide <\/em>
\nAnd if you should ask just how long I’ll remain <\/em>
\nJust as long as these rivers are fed by the rain<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Another song, Ode to Puget Sound<\/strong>, was written in about 1944 by Carlton Fitchett, a writer for the Seattle<\/em> PI,<\/span> and sold to Ivar Haugland (of Ivar\u2019s Acres of Clams<\/em>) for a box of Cuban cigars! It features a more northerly set of rivers than Mary\u2019s song. You can find this song in Linda Allen\u2019s songbook \u201cWashington Songs and Lore\u201d (out of print, but available in your public library). Sung by Allan Hirsch:<\/span><\/p>\nhttp:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/audiofiles\/OdeToPugetSound.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

ODE TO PUGET SOUND<\/strong><\/p>\n

As happy as a butter clam when tides are high I sing,<\/span><\/em>
\nA grateful ode to Puget Sound, the land of everything;<\/em>
\nI love it from Tulalip to Puyallup, Sequim and Pysht,<\/em>
\nAnd to the Dosewallips where many times I’ve fished.<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

From Brinnon to the Bogachiel, from Lummi to La Push,<\/span><\/em>
\nAnd from the lordly Sol Duc to lovely Duckabush,<\/em>
\nFrom Samish to Sammamish, Suquamish to Quilcene,<\/em>
\nThe climate is so friendly it’s a land that’s evergreen.<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

There’s peace on the Skykomish, on the Queets and on the Hoh,<\/span><\/em>
\nThere’s calm on the Nisqually, born of ageless ice and snow;<\/em>
\nA land that Nature loves so much she stays the whole year ’round <\/em>
\nI’d trade a royal palace for a shack on Puget Sound!<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

There’s Chimacum and Steilacoom, where spouts the geoduck;<\/span><\/em>
\nThe singing Stillaguamish and the swirling Skookumchuck<\/em>
\nAnd Moclips and Copalis, where the razor clams abound <\/em>
\nA little bit of heaven is a shack on Puget Sound.<\/em><\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Newcomers to Washington need to learn the names of all these rivers and their proper pronunciation. Then sing these songs!<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, Stilliguamish, Shoalwater, Columbia, Copalis, Clearwater, Kalaloch, Klickitat, Humptullips, Hamma Hamma, Hoh, Dosewallips, Dungeness, Puyallup, Pilchuck, Physt, Quillayutte, Queets, Grey Wolf, Yakima, Taholah, Tieton, Naches, Elwha, Raft, Moclips… \u00a0When I first moved to Washington I was amused by the recitation of rivers in weather reports of flooding. There ought to be a … Continue reading “THE RIVERS OF WASHINGTON, by Stewart Hendrickson”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[7,3],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1808"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1808"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1824,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1808\/revisions\/1824"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pnwfolklore.org\/wp-nwhoot\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}