COMMUNITY

The personality of Holden was unique. Management brought with it the formality of its Canadian/British origin. Tea parties were held in the afternoon, complete with sterling silver service and finger sandwiches. Ladies attended dinner parties in long, formal gowns escorted by their men in suits and ties. Young engineers, fresh out of college, brought their brides to Holden where they set up houskeeping in the cabins at the original campsite near the mine entrance and renamed the camp "Honeymoon Heights."

Local orchardists, still feeling the ravages of the depression, eagerly sought employment at the mine. Farmers seeking relief from the midwestern dust bowl made their way to Holden where they could find employment and make homes for their families. The company also employed its share of "tramp" miners who roved from mine to mine through the Coeur d'Alene Mining District in Idaho and Butte, Montana. Howe Sound had originally intended Holden to be a "single man's camp" complete with dormitories and cookhouse, and housing was provided for management only. That was not to be, and employees built homes and brought their families to Holden.

This diverse group of citizens made up the community of Holden.

The community was isolated! In 1950, Holden was featured on the "Answer Man" program as the only town in the United States that can be reached by boat only and still be located on the mainland. Getting to and from Holden required a 30-minute bus ride over 12 miles of mountain road over "white knuckle" switchbacks and then a 4-hour boat trip down the lake to the town of Chelan. The bus and boat made the round trip once a day, and most residents traveled to the "outside" just once or twice a year.

A self-sufficient community evolved. In 1937, several families petitioned for a school for their 17 children. A school district was formed, and a teacher was hired to teach the first eight grades at the one-room schoolhouse. The second school year opened with more students, another room, and two new teachers. The teachers were paid $1,300 a year for grades 5-8 and $1,200 for grades 1-4.

Political life began with the unionization of the miners in 1937 by the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, and Holden Precinct 60 was established in time for people to register and vote in the 1938 elections.

The multi-purpose recreation hall served as the gathering place for community events. Bowling leagues were formed for men and women with names such as the Brass Hats, Zinc Streaks, Copper Queens, and Dynamites for the ladies. Men's teams were Miners, Muckers, Engineers, Office, etc. The gymnasium floor was painted with lines for games such as basketball and badminton, and was protected by a heavy canvas for placement of charis for meetings, movies, church services, and theater productions on a stage complete with curtain, dressing rooms, and footlights. Men gathered around pool tables and an area set aside for cards where a poker game could could wipe out a miner's hard earned pay. The "lunch counter" served soda fountain treats, hamburgers, and a simple short order menu. A library was well-stocked with books.

In summer, softball leagues were formed, and the bleachers were always filled with supporters. Fishing, hunting, hiking, and backpacking was literally in Holden's back yard. Gardens with vegetables and flowers were nurtured during the short summer months, and deer frequently wandered into camp to dine on the delacacies. Hardy souls braved the icy water of Railroad Creek for a swim. Wild huckleberries and blackberries were gathered (watch out for a bear) and turned into jams, jellies, and pies.

The annual Fourth of July celebration and picnic offered free soda pop and ice cream with contests and races for all ages: pie and watermelon eating, gunny sack and wheelbarrow races, log sawing and nail hammering contests, ball throwing, long jumping and three-legged races, to name a few. Fireworks were strictly taboo because of forest fire danger.

In winter, the community enjoyed a ski area complete with rope tow powered by a Model A Ford engine. Sledding was popular and exciting on the steep roads, and much fun was had on wild rides on toboggans made of corrugated tin. Children made tunnels in the deep snow, jumped off roofs, made snowmen, and engaged in snowball fights. Ice skating was for the very dedicated. Almost as fast as a pond would be cleared, it would be covered with two feet of fresh snow. Santa Claus arrived in Holden every year with a gift for every youngster in the community, and every family received a turkey from the company.

Leaders for Boy Scouts, Campfire Girls, and Brownies kept the community young people busy with many activities. Teachers of piano, ballet, and tap dancing were found among the residents, and recitals were enjoyed by proud parents as well as the community. A drama club was formed, and music for dances was provided by a band of local talent.

Ladies formed bridge, pinnocle, canasta, garden, and sewing clubs. They raised money for hospitals and other charities in addition to rolling bandages and knitting scarves during WWII. Men labored at hard, physical work, and yet they found time to build their own homes, lead scout troops, coach softball and basketball teams, fight forest fires, and enjoy an evening in a "men only" poker club.

The community of Holden had some drawbacks. There was no high school, and children were sent to boarding schools or to board with relatives during the school year; in some cases, families separated with father working at the mine and mother renting a home in another town. There was no telephone service to the "outside" and company phone lines were limited to management personnel. Radio reception was mediocre, and newspapers arrived a day late. The company doctor and hospital were intended for emergencies and minor ailments. Pregnant wives left town in ample time to have their babies delivered in the hospital at Chelan or Wenatchee. There was no last minute running to the store for a loaf of bread or spool of thread, and a Sears & Roebuck catalog was a necessity. There was no regular church service. A Catholic priest visited once a month, and Protestant ministers of various denominations traveled to Holden occasionally.

In spite of the disadvantages, most "Holdenites" remember their Holden years as a very special time in their life.

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