Built in 1924, the Ladies Aid building has served the Camano Island community for a century. #k5evening
CAMANO ISLAND, Wash. — If the walls of the Utsalady Ladies Aid building could talk, they’d tell the story of a town with big dreams.
“There was talk that it could’ve been bigger than Seattle at one time and perhaps it was then,” Ladies Aid member Laurie Ware said.
The logging industry that began here in the 1850s quickly spanned the globe, sending product as far away as France and China. As the town grew in the early 20th Century, the women of Utsalady formed their charity group to support the local school.
“When they had 600 dollars in the bank account,” Ware said, “they decided they could start a building.”
The Ladies Aid building was completed in 1924 and became the center of the community, as it remains to this day.
“We have been determined to preserve this building,” said Ware.
The building has been used for meetings, voting and receptions. One interior wall was uncovered during a recent renovation, exposing the original wooden structure. And the table that now hosts local gatherings once hosted a President.
“President Rutherford Hayes visited Camano Island, and he and his wife ate at this very table,” Ware said.
Another president peers from the wall.
“Of course,” said Ware. “Every old building must have George Washington.”
Artifacts, photos and artwork mark the history of this charming seaside town, and the historic structure that holds its stories.
“We’re preserving as many memories as we can for the future,” Ware said.
On August 25 and 26, the Ladies Aid hosts a stop on the Stanwood Camano Historic Sites Tour. Members will play music from the time of the group’s founding on vintage instruments, radios and turntables.
The Utsalady Ladies Aid building celebrates its centennial in 2024.