Photograph courtesy of Ben Helle

Rotten from water damage, the 71-foot Indian Story Pole on the Capitol Campus was forced to come down this past Wednesday.  If left up, it could potentially cause a safety hazard.  The pole was dismantled by a chainsaw, section by section, into six large pieces with the assistance of two cranes.

The Story Pole idea came from a visit that Governor Roland Hartley made to the Tulalip Indian Reservation in the 1930s.  Hartley met with Snohomish Chief William Shelton and discussed the idea of putting a story pole on the Capitol Campus.  Chief Shelton began carving in 1933 and worked on it for five years until his untimely death and then it was finished by carvers in the Snohomish Tribe.

Once it was completed, though, there were no funds in the budget to purchase the $200 pole.  A  campaign evolved with schoolchildren across Washington state to bring in pennies to raise the money.  The campaign was a success and on May 14, 1940, the pole was dedicated and placed on the west campus lawn.

Over the years many have asked, “What is the difference between a totem pole and a story pole?”   Quite simply, a totem pole symbolizes a family’s history through animal characters while a story pole teaches children in the community responsibility and cultural attitudes through animal legends.

With the Capitol Story Pole now in storage, tribes in the region will be asked if they are interested in any of the six sections.  The Governor’s office is also working with the Council of Indian Affairs for an art replacement piece.  Additionally, the Secretary of State’s Office and General Administration are working together to put together an historical display about the story pole for the lobby of the General Administration Building.