When the Eatonville mill closed its doors in the 1950s, people worried that town might not survive. Operation Bootstrap began — a community effort to keep the doors open. One of things that came out of Bootstrap was Robin Hood Days. The idea was to create an event that would bring people to Eatonville.
Ambitious Program
This is the program of one of the Robin Hood Days celebrations. The event didn’t survive, but not for lack of effort. Included were:
• archery events, like shooting from the saddle
• archery vaudeville
• shooting fish in a barrel (I’m curious if that was done with a bow and arrow)
• bow versus guns — Washington state archers versus the Pierce County Sheriff
• a street dance
• a pageant of “Robin Hood and his Merry Men”
Great Ads
The ads are also fun to look at. Many of the businesses are long since gone or changed, like Barney’s Cafe & Tavern —along with their 5-digit phone numbers.
Images courtesy of the Smith Family.
Click on images to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 
9 responses to “Robin Hood Days – 1955”
WOW !! there are so many names and businesses that bring back memories !~! I notice Ed Haarstad,s name, I believe he was the school bus mechanic for years. and Kneip’s trucking, Balis Burgess Jr’s Shell station in Elbe, Vic Byrds Oil delivery, Doc Nevitt, and so many more that were burned into my childhood memories. I noticed that Barney’s didn’t get a name change as the advertisement indicated. Also, I don’t think “Stoner’s Sporting goods” would be an appropriate business name these days !! thank you for posting such a great memorbilia item !!
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I thought the ads were great too. And I just found out tonight my mom was in the Robin Hood pageant. She played Maid Marian’s maiden. How cool is that. — Did you drive by Barney’s when you were up? No tavern and there is a Barney Rubble (as in The Flintstones) in the window. 🙂
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We actually didn’t even go that direction in or out of Eatonville. We came through Morton, and Elbe and the Alder cut-off. and went out Mashell Ave, to the Mt. Hwy and through La Grande and up the beautiful canyon drive back to Elbe ,etc going home. We didn’t go to Clearlake this time up there, so we didn’t go by Barneys. That is very cool that you mom got to play in the Robin Hood pageant. my favorite movie version of Robin Hood is the Mel Brooks one; “Robin Hood, Men in Tights” It is hilarious !! (typical Mel Brooks humor)
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[…] shot of Eatonville was taken around the 1955, I believe in conjunction with Operation Bootstrap. If anyone has a better date, please let me […]
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[…] their message to the airwaves and made T.V. appearances. They also created a large festival called Robin Hood Days that included archery events, a street dance and a […]
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[…] One of many thing things that came out of Operation Bootstrap — a community effort to keep the town going — was Robin Hood Days. […]
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[…] is the O.E. Haynes & Son truck, which took part in the Robin Hood Days parade. The sign on the back reads “Hand Split Cedar Shakes”and there is paper archery […]
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[…] When the Eatonville mill closed its doors in the 1950s, people worried that the town might not survive. Operation Bootstrap began — a community effort to keep the doors open. One of many thing things that came out of Bootstrap was Robin Hood Days. […]
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[…] Robin Hood Day of 1955 was part of the Operation Bootstrap. Bootstrap was Eatonville’s attempt to reinvent itself and bring in new business after the closing of the Eatonville Lumber Mill — it’s primary business. […]
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