|
Become a friend of the Klamath Bucket Brigade All donations are tax deductible |
|
This Website is Dedicated to Alvin Alexander Cheyne January 10, 1921 - June 17, 2005 |
Potatoes,
parades and barbeques - Celebrating the Harvest
By
Lance Waldren
Pioneer
Press Staff Writer
Pioneer
Press
530-468-5355
mailto:pioneerp@sisqtel.net
Page
E 12
MERRILL - Since 1934, there have only been a few years when the Klamath
Basin Potato Festival has not taken place - at least it wasn't always
called the Potato Festival. It started with just a few interested
people who set up a small, fenced area on
The initial festival charged 25 cents admission to anyone who wanted to
view the exhibits and new farming equipment on display. A celebration of
the harvest and Klamath Basin-grown potatoes were to be the stars. The
festival now continues on in this tradition. It stands as an icon of the
area and serves as a reminder of simpler times.
The parade started in 1935 featuring horses, new equipment and
automobiles. Another tradition back then was the free community
barbeque, which still happens today. The first Grand Marshal of the
parade was John Colwell, the first white child born in Merrill.
The original celebration was organized by a group called the Merrill
Service Club. Then in 1937, a whole new tradition was started when
Martha Robinson of Merrill was crowned queen of the Potato Festival.
It's a tradition which continues today. The Festival Banquet was served
back in 1937 and, despite the 65 cent dinner price tag, there was a full
house. They devoured two oxen, three sheep and two pigs in addition to
the traditional beef. The story holds that late comers were treated to
cheese sandwiches. Bummer.
But the festival continued to grow until the start of the World War II.
During the years 1942 to 1944, there was only a Late Harvest Dance
organized by the Service Club. The absence of many local youth, then
fighting overseas, produced a somber atmosphere at the gathering. But by
1945, the boys were back and the usual frivolity resumed.
The
Merrill Service Club disbanded in 1948 and the Potato Festival
sponsorship was taken over by the Merrill Lions Club. Since then, the
Lions have strived to make each year better.
One of the main traditions looked forward to is the free community
barbeque. The style of cooking has changed over the years, but the end
result is a fabulous dinner served to all parade watchers.
The only other year in which there was not a Klamath Basin Potato
Festival was in 2001, the year water was turned off to over 1,400 family
farms. There was nothing to harvest. A vote was taken by area farmers
and they decided a Potato Festival was not appropriate.
They
did decide a Farmers' Festival honoring farmers who had stood tall,
proud and with integrity and courage should be celebrated.
The local Lions Club still organizes the event with volunteers coming
from all over the community. A generational tradition continues where
family members, following in their family's footsteps, are nominated to
be queen, parade and event winners, Grand Marshals and festival
chairpersons.
The event continues to be something everyone in the
Note: Historical facts for this article were taken from a book called
the Merrill Centennial which is available at area bookstores.
To comment, email: presscomment@yahoo.com.
(Permission from the publisher to post.)