McKinley Stump
The McKinley Stump was a remnant of a Douglas fir tree that was located in Chehalis, Washington. The tree trunk was originally for use as a speech podium for its namesake, President William McKinley. His stump speech, to be held in May 1901, was cancelled due to his wife's illness. The city kept the fir remnant, installing the landmark in time for a July 4th celebration that same year.
President Theodore Roosevelt became the first dignitary to speak from the stump in May 1903 during a 23-minute speech that heralded expansionism and hard work. William H. Taft, serving as Secretary of War, spoke from the stump in September 1907. Other politicians that have spoken from the McKinley Stump include Eugene V. Debs and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The platform was cut in Pe Ell in 1901. The McKinley Stump was over in diameter at the top and approximately tall. The remnant was estimated to be between 360 and 700 years old, and the tree may have been up to in height. A bandstand-pagoda structure was constructed over the stump by 1903.
The podium had been relocated within Chehalis several times. First positioned near the city's original Northern Pacific train station, the landmark was slightly moved in 1914, immediately south of the 1912-constructed Burlington Northern Depot, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Remaining until 1959, the stump was transported to the city's Recreation Park in order to make more room for parking in the downtown core. The stump remained at the park into 2007.
Vandalization of the stump and pagoda was noted almost immediately since the early 1900s; the damages became a continuing issue for the city. Despite upkeep and basic maintenance, rot and deterioration was noted by the 1950s and two arson attacks in 1961 and 1962 further damaged the historic platform. The city planned no centennial celebration of Teddy Roosevelt's 1903 visit and by 2007, the stump was reported to be in a severe state of decay. The original McKinley Stump was cut up and removed from the park, despite hopes that it could be saved, in October 2007. A top slab of the podium was saved as was the pagoda.
A replica stump, tall and in diameter, was cut in Tenino and in January 2008, installed at the Lewis County Historical Museum. The replacement podium is estimated to be between 500 and 700 years of age. The original pavilion was restored and placed over the reproduction later that year and the replica continues to use the McKinley Stump moniker.
History
As a means to entice a visit by President William McKinley to Lewis County, an tall remnant of a Douglas fir was cut in May 1901 near Pe Ell to be of use as a speech pedestal. The fir stump was sawed under the sawmill operations of W.C. Yeomans and donated by the Southwest Washington Lumbermen's Association. The stump was dated between 360 and 700 years old and given the moniker, the McKinley Stump.McKinley's visit was cancelled but the city decided the stump would still be of "educator" value and had the landmark shipped from Pe Ell on the Chehalis & South Bend Railroad line. The stump was installed and dedicated during a city-wide Fourth of July celebration in 1901. After a brief welcome message from Chehalis Mayor Francis Donahoe, a reading of the Declaration of Independence was undertaken. A lengthy speech by Frank B. Cole, an editor of the Puget Sound Lumberman, formally dedicated the McKinley Stump.
Visiting Chehalis later that week, members of a "rivers and harbors" committee under the U.S. House of Representatives viewed the platform with Michigan representative, Roswell P. Bishop, standing atop the stump. Bishop declined an invitation to give a speech but, with "pleasure", promised to inform McKinley of the podium. Theodore Roosevelt used it two years later and William H. Taft employed the stump as a podium in 1907.
The artifact was originally placed in the city's downtown district at the north end of Market Street at the intersection of West Street and National Avenue near the original Northern Pacific Depot. After its installation, the podium became an immediate tourist attraction, especially for train travelers, and plans to build a proper foundation and bandstand-pagoda structure to protect the stump from weather was initiated in January 1902.
In order to raise funds for the protective shelter, a minstrel show was held that April at the Brunswig Grand Opera House and the city approved a $150 appropriation in July. As an expansion and regrade plan of Market Street was undertaken during the time, the stump was planned to be slightly relocated to accommodate the project. The effort to build the cover was undertaken by Anton Hess, struggling to finish the project by the end of 1902 due to "...'nother case of too much prosperity" as a backorder for turned columns waylaid the completion. The pavilion's completion and minor relocation was initiated in February 1903.
The first known vandalism of the McKinley Stump was recorded the following month as carved initials of "thoughtless boys" were found on the top railing surrounding the platform. Vandalization continued as people continued to carve their initials; the wood structure of the pagoda was whittled as well. The city council in 1905 passed a resolution, offering a reward to those who apprehended anyone caught defacing the landmark.
The podium was moved to the city's new Burlington Northern Depot in late September 1914, featured on a grassy lawn area, immediately south of the freight entrance to the depot. Placed on a concrete pad, the post-and-roof cover was "re-painted and repaired". The stump was allowed to reside on the railroad property after a lease was signed by the city. After World War I, a local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic took the name, McKinley Stump Legion No. 1.
In May 1923, President Warren G. Harding was invited by the Chehalis Citizens' Club to speak from the stump during a early-stage planned trip from Portland to Seattle. A letter arrived from the White House two weeks later stating that the invitation was received but the trip and its itinerary were not yet complete nor formally announced. No definitive answer was given.
Parking shortages in the downtown core led to the first attempts to move the McKinley Stump from the depot in 1951. The removal required the permission of Northern Pacific Railroad, owner of the grounds. The company had been keeping the covered stand in good condition but the podium was reported to have "deteriorated". The stump was finally moved on October 5, 1959, to Recreation Park next to the Chehalis Community Pool. The pagoda temporarily remained behind, moved two days later after it was trimmed by, necessitated so that the post-and-roof structure could fit under electrical wires during transport. Although the move was required as the depot site was still planned as a parking space, the landmark was also believed to be relocated because it was "not appreciated" at the train station and deserved to be featured at a "more attractive setting".
The McKinley Stump was damaged due to arson on November 19, 1961. The accused young man, described as a "mental patient", poured gasoline on the podium and lit a fire. The thick bark, hindering the efforts to put out the flames, was chopped off in spots, The underside of the roof and the bench seating were charred. The youth was apprehended shortly thereafter at his home, released after arrest to his parents. Later in March 1962, another act of arson occurred at the stump. The injured areas, at the back of the landmark, were sealed in concrete.
In early May 2003, no official ceremony was formally announced or planned by the city for the 100th anniversary of Teddy Roosevelt's 1903 visit; a set of informational placards created by the Lewis County Historical Society were given out during a city council meeting that discussed the anniversary. The society expanded an existing display at the Lewis County Historical Museum. In the days leading up to the centennial, a group known as the Chehalis Valley Amateur Radio Society announced an unknown but year-long plan to broadcast live from the stump on May 23rd, sharing the history of the landmark over the airwaves. The group received a special call sign for the event, "W7A", from the Federal Communications Commission.
Renovations and repairs
The stump's location was "beautified" in 1905 as the grounds were replanted with sod and white clover in June. Future plans included the placement of a marker that was to mention "material facts of interest" of the fir trunk.By late 1908, there was concern that the stump was requiring maintenance and the pagoda needed basic upkeep. The main issue was the unimproved plot around the landmark; referred to as an "eyesore", the grounds were bare and lacked sidewalks. A sign at the stump was noted to have misspellings. Cement walkways around the parcel and a fresh coat of paint on the protective cover were completed in May 1909. Improvements of the grounds followed the next month. As part of the effort, electric lights were installed. Six, 16-candle lanterns were placed on each post and a single 32-candle light was hung from the center under the rafters. The "juice" was donated by the Twin City Light and Traction Company and the lights were lit for the first time on June 28, 1909.
The protective structure was re-shingled by May 1923 and was repainted, as was a display sign. The sign was repainted again in April 1926.
After the Recreation Park relocation, the stump and its new grounds underwent a renovation in early 1960. Placed on a new cement slab, the eaves and posts of the pagoda were replaced and the roof was re-shingled; additionally, the structure was repainted and a weathervane featuring an eagle was placed atop the roof. A new set of steps up to the platform were built and replacement bench seats on top of the fir trunk were added. A sidewalk leading directly to the landmark, as well as a brick flower box that encircled the stump, were also included. An archway was built with new historical interpretive signage.