Many Smiths make for a Great Reunion
Kari Bohnstedt
July 14, 2010
Getting ready for the parade
The Smith Family enjoying the Founders Day Reception & Parade
The honored family for Cashmeres’ Founders Day 2010 was the Archie & Louisa Smith family. The Archie Smith family settled in Dryden in 1903 where he purchased 83 acres for $215.97 and built a cabin on the home site. The original cabin now sits in the Cashmere Museums Pioneer Village. The family had a total of eight children: Walter, Leona, Robert, Percy, Ada, Rollin, Milo and Jean.
Archie was instrumental in the building of the irrigation ditches around the valley, and an orchardist in the valleys’ early fruit industry. Archie was also a Chelan County Commissioner, and received many honors including Pioneer of the Year in 1958.
About 90 members of this years’ Founding Family enjoyed a reception put on at the Cashmere Museum by museum volunteers featuring very tasty horsdeovres and refreshments. The Carey Wing was packed with people from as far away as Hawaii and Tennessee. The family enjoyed seeing pictures from the past and learning about the early history of the area. There were also posters of the early pioneers displayed in the lobby of the museum drawn by talented Vale School 4th graders.
Quite a few of the relatives are still local folks including Marilyn & Darrel Caudle, still in Dryden, Kameon Smith & children owner of “A Cut Above” hair salon in Cashmere, Fred & Bernice Smith, Brian & Jamie smith & children, Diane Parker, Larry & Renee Caudle& girls, Mike & Leanne Emerson, Sam Parker, Lenard & daughter Susan Smith, Dwayne & Rebecca Smith & daughters, Nelda Monteleone, Troy Smith & sons. The family enjoyed their reunion, reminescing, meeting new relatives and riding in the Founders Day parade. The Smith family thoroughly enjoyed the reception and riding in the parade and will remember this special event for many years to come.
If you would like to learn more about early Dryden pioneers, the Cashmere Museum Book Store carries a book written by the Dryden Improvement Club titled Dryden Centennial as well as other books about local history.
