Mount Si with trees in foreground

Twin Peaks Location – Centennial Log From Opening Credits

In the opening credits for the pilot and episode 2.001, there is a brief image of a giant log. These are the only times this log appears in Twin Peaks, yet this Centennial Log has an incredibly long history in Snoqualmie Valley in Washington State.

WHERE IS THE CENTENNIAL LOG FROM OPENING CREDITS LOCATED?

Google Maps aerial view of the location for the Centennial Log marked by a red circle.
Google Maps

The giant log is located at 7864 Washington 202 in Snoqualmie, Washington. The approximate coordinates are 47°31’48.5″N 121°49’34.9″W.

SNOQUALMIE CENTENNIAL LOG’S ORIGIN

Snoqualmie Centennial Log Pavilion display containing historical images and text about the attraction
September 16, 2019

According to the Snoqualmie Valley Record, the tree was “a seedling in 1587 … [that] survived until the 1970s in a glade five miles north of the city.”

Centennial Log Pavilion side view of the giant log.
September 16, 2019

The giant tree was originally found in a logged forest. After the top of it was  struck by lightening, the tree died and left a “hundred-foot-snag.” The potential for this dead tree to cause a forest fire following another lightening strike was too great. Logging industry leaders decided to fell the tree to minimize this risk.

SNOQUALMIE MAYOR CHARLES PETERSON

Image of people sitting at a table while a man in a brown suit coat is raising his hand to be sworn in.
Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum – January 14, 1974

According to the Valley Record article, it was Snoqualmie Mayor Charles Peterson who wanted to display the log.

…foresters believed the dead tree posed a fire danger. A logging company took most of the trunk, but Peterson fought for a 26-foot-long, 39,000-pound section to be displayed at the entrance to the city.”

He was sworn in as mayor on January 14, 1974 (as seen in the color enhanced image above), and would continue serving as mayor until 1981.

He then joined the city planning commission for the next 23 years. From 2004-2015, he was a member of the city council, having been re-elected for four consecutive terms. Peterson passed in 2017 at the age of 79 having shaped Snoqualmie into the community it is today.

INSTALLING THE CENTENNIAL LOG IN SNOQUALMIE

Dave Battey from the Snoqualmie Valley Historical Museum penned a fascinating article about this log in April 2021. The museum and its volunteer staff do such incredible work preserving the history of this region – I’m continuously impressed and strongly encourage supporting them.

People watching a giant log be put into a park
Placement in park in August 1979. Snoqualmie Valley Museum Charles Peterson Collection.

This giant log was transported and installed in this location in 1977 August 1979 using a Weyerhaeuser carriage from Aberdeen, Washington. It remained exposed to the elements for nearly the next decade.

Centennial Log Pavilion
September 16, 2019

In 1988 as Snoqualmie’s Centennial Celebration was fast approaching, a perfect storm of resources and funding rained down on the log site. According to Battey, protecting the log became a community effort, including visitors producing a show originally titled “Northwest Passage”:

“Puget Power provided an architect.  Weyerhaeuser supplied huge beams and other historical building materials from [Weyerhaeuser] Mill #1.  Many businesses came forward with donated or at‑cost materials.  Individual citizens donated their time and talents. Money paid by those producing the television series Twin Peaks was donated.”

Centennial Log Pavilion
September 16, 2019

Construction on the cover found at the site today started in 1989 and a roof was completed by 1992.

Centennial Log Pavilion
September 16, 2019 

APPEARNCES IN TWIN PEAKS

In Twin Peaks, the log makes two appearances in David Lynch-directed episodes – once in the opening credits for the pilot and once in the opening credits for Season 2 (episode 2001).

Giant log
Episode 2.001
Snoqualmie Centennial Log Pavilion
September 16, 2019

I first visited the giant log during the Twin Peaks Fan Festival on August 10, 1996. For some reason, this is the only photograph of this spot.

Giant Log pavilion
August 10, 1996

MISSING BEAMS ON THE CENTENNIAL LOG

The log was once propped up by two long metal beams which were removed when the shelter was constructed.

Log behind a fence
September 16, 2019

Unfortunately due to vandalism, the City of Snoqualmie erected a fence around the tree in 2011 to curtail graffiti (Why we can’t have nice things?).

Then City Councilman Peterson remarked about installing the fence, “If we want to keep the log for any length of time, that’s the way to go. I don’t know what else you can do. People just don’t respect property.”

You can still see a cutout where those beams were placed.

Hole in Giant Log
September 16, 2019
Hole in Giant Log
September 16, 2019

CENTENNIAL LOG DETAILS

Despite being behind a metal fence, the log is a sight to behold. No wonder Special Agent Cooper was fascinated with the fantastic trees in the town of Twin Peaks. Here are close up details of this wonder.

Log details
September 16, 2019
Log Details
September 16, 2019
Log Details
September 16, 2019
Log Bark
September 16, 2019
Log Bark
September 16, 2019

FLICKR GALLERY OF THE CENTENNIAL LOG

Flickr gallery collage of the Centennial Log

You can find high-resolution images on my Flickr account. The photos are licensed as Creative Commons so only attribution to “Sam Howzit” is required for use elsewhere.

INTWINPEAKS.COM

The now defunct InTwinPeaks.com site originally posted about the “Real Credits Log” a few years ago. Below is the page with additional historical images from Snoqualmie and North Bend.

InTwinPeaks

Author

  • Steven Miller at Twede's Cafe enjoying cherry pie and coffee

    A "Twin Peaks" fan since October 1993, Steven Miller launched Twin Peaks Blog in February 2018 to document his decades-long fascination with David Lynch and Mark Frost's wonderful and strange show. With his Canon camera in hand, he's visited numerous film locations, attended Twin Peaks events and conducted extensive historical research about this groundbreaking series. Along with fellow Bookhouse Boys, he dreams of creating a complete Twin Peaks Archive of the series and feature film. Steven currently resides in Central Florida.

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