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From the Sedro-Woolley Courier Times
July 8, 1943
Jac Running attended an interesting district meeting of the State Farm Insurance Company at Mount Vernon last Friday night.
[And that’s the end of the article. The rest below is pure editorial background on Mr. Running by the Sedro-Woolley Courier Times. PNWDC.com]
[Journal Ed. note: Jac Running (Jacob Ben) originally owned a small neighborhood grocery store at 319 Gibson street, a block north of the Great Northern tracks, in the residential district, a block away from the original P.A. Woolley mansion. Jac was born in North Dakota in 1891 and his Norwegian-immigrant parents — Martin Johan and Anna Margarethe Running, moved to Sedro-Woolley sometime in his childhood. Their address in the 1913 Polk Directory is RD1, which probably means they lived somewhere in the Skiyou-Utopia area. Running became most famous locally for his talent as a musician. Several old timers have recounted that he performed in the John Philip Sousa band. Sousa (1854-1932). Sousa was widely recognized as the “king of the American march.” and a writer “for the feet instead of the head.” Sousa’s band performed all over the country, including many times in Seattle, but we suspect that Sousa performed with the band regionally rather than nationally because he would have been too young to march with Sousa’s national band in its heyday.
In September 1926 he organized a 21-piece Drum and Bugle Corps band for the Sedro-Woolley American Legion post #43, which consisted of ten bugles, nine sets of drums and two leaders. At that time, he also sold sheet music out of his store. He married one of the pioneer debutantes of Woolley, Ruth Bovey Shrewsbury, the granddaughter of the Bovey family who owned one of the first boarding houses in old Sedro by the river in 1889, and the daughter of a Woolley pioneer and mill owner, Homer Shrewsbury. She was also an accomplished musician and dancer. In the 1920s, bands such as the one led by Running often marched in a funeral cortege with lodge dignitaries all the way from downtown to the Wicker cemetery, and on Memorial, Fourth of July and Armistice Day ceremonies. Running was a World War I veteran, but we have no details of his service. We hope that a reader who is a descendant of any of those families will share family historical details with us and especially a photo of Jac and/or Ruth.]
September 1926
George Baldridge Post #43 of the American Legion, Sedro-Woolley Drum & Bugle Corps – First iteration
“Ten bugles, nine sets of drums and two leaders”
Photo courtesy of the Sedro-Woolley Museum. Artifact donated by William Stendal
1926 Snare Drum from the photo above
Photo courtesy of the Sedro-Woolley Museum. Artifact donated by William Stendal
1948 Sedro-Woolley Junior D&BC
Sponsored by the George Baldridge Post
Photo courtesy of the Sedro-Woolley Museum
April 1958 – Second iteration of their senior corps
Notice the valveless bugles
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
1958 Baldridge Post music for valveless bugles – All open tones.
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
George Baldridge Post valveless drum corps bugle in front. Used between 1926 and 1958.
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
August 2, 1959 – Peace Arch Celebration in Blaine Washington
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
September 1959 at the Stanwood Washington Parade
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
1960 – 1965 George Baldridge Post #43 Drum Corps
Photo courtesy of the Sedro-Woolley Museum
1960 – George Baldridge Post #43 at the Burlington WA Strawberry Festival
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
September 1960
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
August 11, 1961
George Baldridge Post in the Washington State American Legion Championship Parade
in Wenatchee Washington
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
1964
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
The above link (in red) is to a letter addressed to the drum corps members. It is a look into the past that shows us that our issues were their issues too. Some things are a universal constant. Enjoy the read.
Document provided by John Grout, post historian.
1965
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
Senior drum corps helmets used from 1960 thru 1965
Photo donated by George Baldridge AL Post #43, Sedro-Woolley Washington via
John Grout, Post Historian to whom we applaud his dedication to the preservation of Post #43 history.
PNWDC.com
Garrison Cap
(Post number in lower RH corner)