Celebrations in Paradise
Paradise held a double celebration this Fourth of July, celebrating not only America's birthday, but Paradise's 100th birthday.
The Paradise park was filled with young and old as residents gathered for an assortment of fun and entertainment dedicated to America's independence and Paradise's 100 year anniversary.
The American Legion donated most of the food that was prepared for the guests by local volunteers, who also helped organize the event.
Paradise held a double celebration this Fourth of July, celebrating not only America's birthday, but Paradise's 100th birthday.
The Paradise park was filled with young and old as residents gathered for an assortment of fun and entertainment dedicated to America's independence and Paradise's 100 year anniversary.
The American Legion donated most of the food that was prepared for the guests by local volunteers, who also helped organize the event.
People in the community also brought in their own dishes for a potluck lunch.
In addition to the food, the celebration was centered around activities for the local children.
The kids, along with some adults, got to participate in a slew of games including potato sack races, egg toss, water balloon throws and tug of war.
The event that seemed to bring the most fun for the kids and adults watching was the money pit.
Money was raised from community donations put in jars held at the American Legion and Wild Horse Bar and Grill in Plains.
The money was used to put on a scavenger hunt of sorts.
Money, mostly quarters and a few dollar bills, was hidden throughout a large hay pile.
Kids of various age groups got their turn to dig through the hay and collect as much money as they could in five minutes time.
Hay was strewn everywhere as the kids dove, threw, kicked and dug their way though the pile of hay and handing off their profits to their parents before diving back into the hay for more.
The day wasn't all about the kids, however.
A tent was set up in the park as a one-day only museum that had old pictures, books and information describing the history of Paradise.
A group of volunteers, headed by the King family in Paradise, spent months gathering information and pictures from various sources throughout the local community, mostly coming from issues of the Plainsman from 1909 and 1910.
"It's just a community thing and we just hoped people were going to come," said Shirley King, one of the event coordinators.
A tie plant was started in Paradise back in 1907.
The town was officially settled in 1910 and houses were built allowing people to call Paradise their home. A hundred years later, some of the building constructed 100 years ago still stand throughout the town.
The Northern Pacific (NP) railroad built the town so the workers had a place to stay.
Paradise, according to event volunteer and Paradise resident Judy Stephens, was a division point for the railroad.
A division point means railroad time changed from pacific to mountain time and Paradise was also a place for the crews to change.
All of the railroad workers, from conductors to engineers, would get off and stay in the town either at the hotel or with residents.
"Part of the philosophy of the NP of building the town here is they had a real community built around their work place and it was really community oriented and they took care of their people," said Stephens.
The majority of residents living in town were either railroad crewmen or worked at the tie treating plant.
Four passenger trains came through and stopped in Paradise every single day.
The trains' route went from Seattle to Chicago. Passengers would get a chance to get off the train, stretch their legs and have dinner at the lunchroom, which was a 24-hour eatery built by the train depot.
"You could buy wonderful milkshakes for 35 cents," said Stephens.
Although the passenger towns stopped coming through Paradise in the early 1970s and the tie plant burned down in 1981, Paradise survived and its history continues to be remembered by residents of the town.