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?
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
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.”
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
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.
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.
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.”
Construction on the cover found at the site today started in 1989 and a roof was completed by 1992.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
FLICKR GALLERY 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.
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